John, in relation to university fees and loans I can, to a degree, empathise with your thinking. What you have to bear in mind though is that the current system does allow people from poor backgrounds to go to university. Tuition fees are based on the ability to pay; if you can afford to pay it (related to family earnings per year) then you pay it, if you can't then you don't. Yes everyone still has a student loan that they have to pay back but lets look at that for one moment. The loan has an approx interest rate of roughly 1.9% (without rushing off to research the exact figure); the graduate doesn't start to pay it back until a year after finishing university, furthermore no payment has to be made at all if this person is not earning over £15,000 pa. Even if they are earning £15,000 pa then the amount that they pay back is £20 pm. Compare this with a Barclay loan at 17.9% and monthly repayments in excess of £300 (and thats probably just interest payments for the first 12 months) then you will see that it's not that bad a deal. Grants, as you had, were available when the numbers going to university were a lot lower. In relation to Iraq, I believe that something had to be done but am unsure as to whether all out war with the Americans in tow was the way forward at that point. I would have like to see diplomatic efforts pushed a little further. You do however mention the thousands of Iraqi's were killed as a result of the war though and althought true,this is where I have issue. If you look at the Huamn Rights issue in Iraq the numbers killed, tortured, raped, gassed by the former Iraqi dictators regime, estimated into hundreds of thousands, then I think you must agree that something needed to be done. On the issue of WMD Tony Blair as PM had to make a decision based on information from many government agencies and advisors. In relation to supporting retired parents, I agree something needs to be done. An elderly member of my family had to go into a home shortly before she died and we were on the point of selling her house to pay for it as the expense was that great. It is however, all very well for the Lib Dems to paste their slogan on billboards and state that they will provide free care for the elderly but where is the money coming from to pay for the increasing number of pensioners. Their manifesto doesn't give any plans or costings for this!. Like I say, I agree something needs to be done but we shouldn't just run in droves to the first people that put it on a bill board or a political election broadcast. When I talk of them having no policies I mean that they have no 'coherent/planned' policies. I have read their manifesto and it is not practical. They would soon realise, if elected to national government that this seemingly endless amount of 'virtual' money they have would be no good in the real world.

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