SO the Liberal Democrats have had their spring conference; they say that winning a by-election proves that they are fit for government; I disagree.

What they have proved is that they are as corrupt as the other parties. Clegg’s denial of any knowledge of mistreatment of women, then saying that he did know something about it but did nothing about it is a disgrace.

He went on to praise the man responsible for the NHS, who oversaw the death of 1,200 people and maybe a lot more, as a fit and proper person to run the NHS.

The Lib-Dems have always claimed the moral high ground; by losing it they may be fit and proper to be in government. I personally think it would be a disaster if they were to govern.

Only the Liberal Democrat Party could claim that the last by-election was a victory for them. We all know it was the postal vote that gave them victory; they attained some 40 per cent of these votes which were cast before the scandal of sexual harassment became public knowledge.

Now let’s have a look at the result more closely. Labour had no chance of winning; the Tories lost 14 per cent of the vote and rightly so with Cameron saying it was a disaster; the Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, lost 14.5 per cent of the vote and claimed it was a great victory! Sorry Mr Clegg losing 14.5 per cent of your vote is a disaster but your reading of the result reflects the corrupt administration you are presiding over.

Let’s be honest, the real victory was for UKIP. If the Liberal Democrats did anything it was to let a small party become a threat to our democracy, something I've no doubt Clegg is proud of because to spread the vote is a good thing even though it takes us out of Europe which they claim they want to be in. Again, Mr Clegg, what a mess you are making by supporting this Coalition Government.

At the Lib-Dem Conference not only did he praise the man from the NHS he also praised Chris Huhne, remember he is a disgraced minister who denied breaking the law to the police, to his party, to the courts and to the press.

He betrayed and ditched his wife after 26 years of marriage. I notice this was after the election not before because he was a ‘happily married man’ at the election. To praise the man shows a complete lack of moral judgement.

I only wish we could get back to Harold McMillan, the last Prime Minister to have any morals whatsoever.

So there we have it — a party that claims the moral high ground when in opposition now without any moral fibre whatsoever. They have let down the electorate but more to the point they have let down themselves. They are a complete disgrace and as such should be shunned at the next election.

I’ve now come to the conclusion that all MPs should be elected by more than 50 per cent of the vote; not by proportional representation but by repeating the vote until this is achieved; there should be no whipping on issue so that all MPs would be free to vote my conscience not by a dictatorship.

Ian Greenhalgh Jesmond Road Bolton