If my vote had counted would I feel sold out?

Its been a couple of days since the government was formed and the heady excitement of what will happen has waned to let me think about the impact.

I’ve looked at what the LibDems have done in forming the coalition, what they have given up and what they have allowed in terms of Tory policies.

I’m disappointed hugely by the Alternative Vote referendum.  If we were to go so far as to have a referendum in the first place why not engage the country with a proper range of options? Or is it that the Tories are afraid that the people might actually think about it and make their job harder by having to justify their “Lords of the Manor” approach to life?  I think that modern politics needs proper representation. I think modern politics needs the Single Transferable Vote.  I wonder if the Take Back Parliament campaign has enough groundswell to make an impact over the long term since it didn’t sway the coalition talks enought?

There are other policy disappointments of course but perhaps the greatest disaster is that in forming the coalition they have permitted the Osbourne economics to operate full steam ahead.  I agree that the country needs a massive financial overhaul; that the country needs “austerity” but should it really need to take the de-stabilising double dip of the recession that the Tory policies are likely to create?  Many times through the last 18 months the Tories have opposed wise measures and been shown to be short-sighted if not downright shady in their reasoning.  Major institutions including the IMF and the OECD have warned against the intended pace of the Tory austerity measures and 57 significant economists have openly advised against it too.

What I, and many others, should remember is that the country has voted mostly in favour of Tory government.  Even under an STV election it would be the case.  So in practice I should be wishing the coalition the best of luck (they need it).  I shall tip my hat to my Tory MP as is right and proper.  And I shall take the austerity and injustice on the chin.

But I won’t necessarily do it quietly.  I feel sold out by the LibDem’s dilution of their core beliefs.  If my vote had counted in a PR manner I would have expected more of a fight from the LibDem influence, but would it have been any different?