THE Liberal Democratic Party must surely now owe an apology to many thousands of people in Swindon.

The Liberal Democrats owe an explanation as to why they have signed away many of the main planks and principles of the manifesto that they stood for in the General Election on May 6.

Only days before polling day their senior national politicians were vehemently opposing a six billion pound cut in public expenditure this year on the grounds that "it would undermine the much-needed recovery and cost jobs" (Liberal Democratic Party Manifesto 2010, page 15).

Only days before the General Election their national politicians were supporting their Party's positive approach to the European Union.

Only days before that Election the Liberal Democratic Party was floating some pragmatic ideas on immigration policy.

All of those key principles and policies have now been signed away by the Liberal Democratic Party in its first coalition agreement with the Conservative Party, for government of the United Kingdom.

What will the Liberal Democratic Party now say to voters when the 10 to 15 per cent cuts in public sector jobs start to happen locally by this time next year? What will they say when the xenophobic ideas at the heart of the Tory Party's real opinions on the EU start to further threaten private sector investment in Swindon?

Will the Liberal Democrats own up and say that their own principles were firmly based on decades of experience but did not even survive as much as a week in politics?

Whatever else, they should say sorry to any voters who sought progressive change by voting Liberal Democrat in the General Election. For the truth is that the Liberal Democrats at national level are now part of the most Right Wing Government of the United Kingdom for a generation. The Conservative Party's key advisers and supporters include climate change deniers, Christian fundamentalists and ideologues who have the utmost contempt for the public sector.

Was working and apparently now agreeing with such people the new style of politics that was talked about so much by the Liberal Democrats before the election?

GERAINT DAY Southampton Street Swindon