Five years ago, when everybody agreed with Nick, our nation’s economy was worse than that of Greece. Our debt piled high and we were broke. The Conservatives had the largest majority but not enough to govern with any certain stability. So the Liberal Democrats selflessly stepped up to the plate, and for the national interest formed the first UK coalition government in almost a century. For five years, both parties compromised a number of their own manifesto pledges for raison d‘état and to maintain a secure and stable government. The partnership swiftly began repairing the damaged economy and succeeded in bringing our nation from the brink of collapse.

Five years later, as we saw on Thursday the majority of voters liked what the last government did. And approved what the coalition government had achieved. So, why did one partner of the coalition succeed with a majority though a slim one, and was given the mandate to govern alone and the other was almost wiped out?
Is it because they compromised some of their manifesto pledges? But both parties did. Is it because they went into coalition with a party they regarded as an opponent? Again, both parties faced disagreement from their members and voters against the decision to go into coalition ….

So what went wrong? Why were the LibDems punished so badly for doing the right and honourable thing?

We Brits are humble, caring and loyal people. We might not always show affection, but we are very loving in our own way. It might sound like I’m going off topic here, but I have a point to make. Let’s take Ed Miliband and why he didn’t sit well with many people. He might be a little awkward, but during the campaign we saw he’s a decent fella and learnt that he’s a conviction politician, and we know there aren’t many of those around these days. By the end of the campaign, more people warmed up to him and his personal approval ratings improved. However, the one thing he could not and will never shake off is what he did to his own brother. And, although we Brits are rather private and don’t like confrontation and many won’t openly say it, but privately many feel they cannot trust someone who publicly went against his only brother in this way – because that behaviour displays a level of alarming self-love.

The Liberal Democrats did a similar thing. While they and the Conservatives are not blood brothers, they made a deal to work as one team. Everybody knew and to some extend understood for the coalition to work compromises needed to be made. That is why many were very surprised Libs leaked a number of private negotiations and behind the door conversations for the sole reason of making themselves appear as the more moderate of the two partners and the ones that cares the most.
That did not sit well with the electorate.

The sad thing in all of that is many of these conversations will sooner or later come out in biographies and make their way into historic books about that period. And, while at the start of the parliament they (LibDems) were seen as selfless patriots, by the end some of their behaviour reduced them to self-serving opportunists.

In Britain as much as we value loyalty we strongly scorn disloyalty.

The short answer, very little new, but the long answer ….

Nicola Sturgeon is the 2015 Nick Clegg. Even though nobody agreed with her (leaders learnt from the last general election better not to agree with an opponent even if it was to take a dig at another opponent). She came across knowledgeable, principled and very confident of herself and her message. Whether you agree or disagree with her politics, she handled herself well.

Natalie Bennett thankfully did not suffer a brain freeze, but she was dreadful y forgettable.

Leanne Woods was also forgettable. In the first sentence of her opening statement, she informed the British public who don’t live in Wales to tune her out and I did.

Nick Clegg (whom I like, by the way) came across very disingenuous. After five years in collation with the Conservatives, distancing himself and his party was always going to be a tricky business. His main focus was on promoting the LibDems as “the fairer partner”. That is fine. But not when that “fairness” makes you come across as a two faced opportunist. And, sadly that’s exactly how he came across last night. David Cameron summed him beautifully when he said: “With Nick Clegg, we sat in the cabinet room together, we took difficult decisions together. Nick, I defend all of the decisions we took, and I think your sort of pick and mix approach really is not going to convince anyone.”

Nigel Farage was another disappointment. It appears that the straight talking man who ‘says it as it is’ is a one trick pony. Four questions were asked by the audiences. They covered everything from Immigration, the NHS, Education, Housing and the Economy. But for every question asked and every problem aired Farage had one response and one solution the EU and our membership within it. And, although we expected him to mention the EU and promote getting out of the union plus mention it more than once. No one expected it to be his solution to every issue. Particularly as we saw in the past five years, being members of the EU did not stop the UK fixing its economy and go on to become a leading growing economic power house in the developed world.

Ed Miliband was Ed Miliband. A man in complete denial about his party’s mismanagement of the economy and the role it played in the size of the current deficit. Given half a chance he will repeat the same mistakes because to him they are not mistakes.

David Cameron showed he is the leader who took back the reigns of the economy and turned this nation’s fortunes around. He is the visionary who five years ago put country before party and went into coalition for the security of the UK. Austerity worked and the economy is on the mend with 1000 jobs created in the private sector every day, but the task is far from done. He asked the people of Britain to send him back to Number Ten for a second term so he and his team can finish the job and secure our nation’s future.

The real winner of yesterday’s Leaders’ Debate was the ITV Presenter Julie Etchingham.