AS MUCH as I respect Maurice Vassie’s opinion, I must disagree with him on the benefits of coalitions (Letters, February 23).

Many people who voted Lib Dem feel they have been betrayed. Obviously you can expect not to get everything you vote for if a coalition is formed, but in this case Lib Dem voters have ended up with the opposite of what they voted for.

The Lib Dems called for tuition fees to be scrapped, campaigned against a VAT rise, and called for the cuts not to be made immediately, all of which they have now voted to do the opposite on. The only concession they have got out of the Tories is a referendum on AV, a system which Nick Clegg referred to as a miserable little compromise. What the Lib Dems are doing is propping up the Tory government which is looking at wrecking our NHS and irresponsibly cutting public services.

I feel the AV campaign is a distraction from the issue of the moment, which is the mass unemployment and vandalism of our public.

Which ever way the AV vote goes, I hope this is the last Lib Dem coalition we see for many a year.

Andrew Collingwood, Langwith Lane, Heslington, York.