Reply to letters in Standard, 8 July

2.03.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 12th Jul 2010

Labour activists such as Roy Bailey and Val and Terry Pearce may well feel piqued with the Liberal Democrats for joining with the Tories in forming a coalition government.(Standard, 8 July) but the vast majority of voters rejected Labour at the last General Election and the prospect of having another, if a Tory minority government failed, would have done little to provide the national financial stability that was needed.

The election result provided an almost unprecedented opportunity for other politicians with different points of view to come together and find a way of working alongside each other that the majority would support. David Cameron's support for this approach enabled our two parties to produce an agreement that is full of policies we have campaigned on for years and now have the opportunity to put into practice.

In reaching this agreement we did not throw all our principles overboard, as suggested, and I resent the attacks made on our integrity. It remains to be seen what impact the agreement will have at local level but I can assure readers that Liberal Democrats will be monitoring the situation carefully and seeking to ensure that its provisions are properly discharged, as intended.

Ray Earwicker

Former Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Bracknell