I SEE that the Liberal Democrats still want to cling to power; they want to be part of the next government and they don't care whether it's Labour or Conservative as long as they can have a seat at the table.

Can I give a few reasons why the people of Bolton should not vote Liberal Democrat.

Let's have a look at their record, not what they claim but what they actually did and what they will do again.

1 The LibDems tell you that they increased the level before you pay tax; come clean Nick, that was paid for by increasing VAT which hurts the poorest in the land the hardest so those least able to pay paid the most. You're not a friend of the poor.

2 The national debt started in 1692 when William engaged a syndicate of city merchants to market an issue of government debt; that syndicate became the Bank of England so from 1692 this country has been permanently in debt! during the Napoleonic wars we were 200% of GDP in debt; in World War 2 the debt was again 200% of GDP and who paid this debt off — the children born after the Second World War or today's pensioners.

3 In 2008 our national debt was 0.53 trillion; when the Liberal Democrats came to government in 2010 the debt was 0.76 trillion and great play was made of how this wicked Labour government could not be trusted. Now jump to 2015 where the estimated gross national debt is anywhere between 1.36 to1.66 trillion — almost doubling in five years. I don't think that's a good record, do you Nick?

4 The LibDems supported the bedroom tax and dramatic cuts in both local authority funding and Social Security. Again Nick I don't think this gives you the right to want to be in government, never mind having the nerve to stand for it. Do you?

5 However, the biggest reason is how you have betrayed the children of this country; you supported the Home Secretary in not bringing the perpetrators of the most wicked sex offences to court; in refusing to look into the Northern Ireland sex ring; in London you have failed to make sure that the police investigated these wicked crimes. I'm ashamed that I was ever a member of the Liberal Democrats and that I actually worked with Cyril Smith as a parliamentary candidate for Heywood and Middleton. The Liberal Democrats do not have a right to stand because they have betrayed the people of this country beyond belief. You also failed to prosecute bankers; instead you fined banks which meant you fined the hard-working people of this country, pensioners who saved who now get no interest. You have made it so that money is not an issue with banks because the government keeps printing money.

6 You did increase tuition fees, having promised you wouldn't and you will agree to a referendum on Europe even though you do not believe in it. I asked the people of Bolton to stick with the three MPs we have and I plead with the Liberal Democrats not to waste their votes.

Ian Greenhalgh,

Smithills,

Bolton