March 25 Letters: Coalition is a risky business for parties large and small

TOM RICHMOND (“The Coalition is Working and So is Britain”, The Yorkshire Post, March 19) rightly recognises the contribution of the Liberal Democrats to successful coalition policies, which should not have been possible without the support and governmental stability their presence ensured.

This success has unfortunately not been reflected in the party’s standing in opinion polls which show support languishing below 10 per cent.

This is surely cause for concern not only for Liberal Democrats, but also because it could well deter other minority parties from entering into coalition government, even when such is indicated in the national interest.

From: Brian Johnston, Leeds.

FINALLY, Ed Miliband has ruled out any formal coalition with the SNP on May 7 – but not an informal “issue by issue” agenda, propping up a weak Labour government by which the SNP would pull all the strings for more concessions for Scotland, at the expense of the rest of the UK.

If the hapless Miliband truly believes in a united Britain, why jump in bed with a bunch of wreckers? The SNP relish being kingmakers as a useful prize for their long term goal.

To the SNP, the general election is just a staging post towards the final goal – an independent Socialist Scotland free of the Tories. Influencing the UK government is of relative importance, because any deal with Labour will be conducted with the vital 2016 Holyrood election in mind, and an SNP majority would bring another referendum closer to call. Could a weak Miliband resist? A vote for Miliband would be an affront to democracy, with the Scots calling all the shots over the rest of the UK.

From: Terry Palmer, South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley.

IN his Budget, George Osborne somehow forgot to mention the following eight factors, so just to remind him.

Missed target to eliminate deficit by end of this Parliament, larger debt in their five years than Labour accrued over their 13 years in office, tax breaks for millionaires and hedge funds, one million people using food banks, 59 per cent rise in working people forced to claim housing benefit, 1.4 million people on zero-hours contracts, record numbers of people living in poverty and another £60bn in cuts still to be found before 2020.