I've been wavering between the Lib Dems and the Tories. (1997: Labour. 2005: Lib Dem.)
The Lib Dems:
+ have Vince Cable who made the right calls before and during the economic crisis. I wish he could be chancellor
+ want electoral reform, which may well be a good idea
- do not seem very coherent
+ have a strain of liberalism
- have a strain of social democracy
+ opposed the war
The Tories:
+ are broadly pro-market, which I think is in general a good thing, despite the financial crisis
- David Cameron has a character issue. I do not get the feeling he has much strength of will or very clear ideas
+ ... but I liked his conference speech, which made devolution of power the central theme
- have too many Old Etonians. Class privilege is bad
- ... in particular George Osborne, who does not seem to know his job
- ... and their response to the financial crisis was not impressive
+ want the Swedish schools reform. Education is the biggest issue for me
+ seem to have some smart people on their team (Hague, Willetts, Gove)
I now intend to vote Tory, after reading the Lib Dems' education policy. (It's incoherent. Their diagnosis is "too much central control", and their cure is "give power back to Local Education Authorities". Gove's plan is much better.)
