Nick Clegg - "I am not a punchbag".

Apart from the fact that the lib dems did not have to enter into a coalition. They could have let the Tories form a minority government and voted yes or no on each issue.

I would rather see a predominantly Tory government with a strong Liberal influence than a pure Tory government. If you are left-leaning, which I assume you are, and disagree then there is no use in arguing - you are irrationally partisan.

This is probably not going to be a popular opinion on a student board but the world does not begin and end with students. Yes, Clegg made the mistake of promising something that was never going to be possible and then inevitably broke that promise, and he should face the consequences. However, we have to be realistic about the situation Clegg was in. Had he chosen to side with Labour he would have been completely lynched for it; siding with the Tories meant that he would have to compromise on some of his key policies. Not siding with anyone would have created a minority government that most likely would have been a disaster. Voting against the Tuition Fee increase would have made the coalition seem even weaker than it already is. The situation is not and has never been ideal but we are stuck with it. I understand the anger many people are feeling about the fact that they voted for the Lib Dems purely because of their tuition fee promise, but that is probably a promise they made in the belief that they would be in opposition to the government and under no obligation to compromise their beliefs and policies. We have bigger problems in this country than student tuition fees and it's about time we all started acting like part of British society instead of existing in a student bubble. Feel angry and exercise your right to protest but don't forget that we have a lot of pressing issues to face as a country and hating Nick Clegg is not going to change that.

/rant

I'd rather have a minority Tory government that fails in a short period, followed by another hung parliament, another failed minority government, etc, and a continued loop of that until politicians realise that we're not really interested in any of them, none of them represent us, and we want a whole new political world in Britain.

If he doesn't feel he can answer to his children, then why on earth is he doing what he's doing?

I can't believe that you people fell for him in the first place.

Throughout his entire campaign, in particular the live televised debates, he said exactly what the public wanted to hear. His entire campaign was a tirade of 'fairness', 'equality' and generally an attack on 'bankers' (during the immediate furore of the banking crisis').. It was clear he would say, and therefore do, anything to get into power..

I have always hated that contemptible little man.

Apart from the fact that the lib dems did not have to enter into a coalition. They could have let the Tories form a minority government and voted yes or no on each issue.

If you check the actual wording of the pledge he signed it states "to pressure the government to introduce a fair alternative." When he made that pledge he had no idea he would be in office and actually have a say in the matter. If you go back to the October 2009 Lib Dem conference he wanted to abandon the policy of getting rid of tuition fees, but only changed his mind when it struck a nerve in the party. How exactly can a fairly minor union twist the arm of a political party leader? He signed the pledge for the same reason he was never out of Sheffield University's student union during the election; it was a vote winner. If you go back you will find that Labour were more than ready to negotiate with him but he refused because he couldn't work with Gordon Brown. Finally if you check the coalition agreement you will find that it states that all Lib Dem's, including cabinet ministers, will be permitted to abstain on any tuition fee vote yet only a few back benchers did. He had a choice.