Reply #14: Sorry, but no

[Spider Jerusalem]

any government that includes the Tories is worse than the alternative. And how workable a Tory/Lib Dem coalition would be given that they have fundamental disagreements on issues including the economy (Tories: cuts now, double-dip recession be damned! vs Lib Dems: focussing on deficit reduction whilst in fragile recovery from severe recession would be irresponsible), Europe (the Tory Eurosceptic right are doing all they can to marginalise Britain within the EU by aligning with the worst right-wing European parties), voting reform (the Tories are against it), immigration (Lim Dems want an amnesty for illegal immigrants; the Tories want a wholly unworkable 'cap on immigration'...unworkable because they can't propose to limit or control immigration from within the EU while Britain remains a member)...on most of these issues the Lib Dems are much closer to the policy of Labour (and also the other prospective members of a 'rainbow coalition') than they are the Tories.

Not to mention that doing a deal with the Tories would be electoral suicide for the Lib Dems; they would not just bleed support at the next election but haemorrhage it. Most of the recent Lib Dem converts are former Labour voters who switched in disgust at the policies of New Labour (most specifically the Iraq war and civil liberties) and who would never vote Lib Dem again if it led to a Tory government now.