In the forthcoming general election, it is important to remind voters of the central role the Liberal Democrats played in government from 2010 – 2015 initiating years of austerity and decline of public services. Liberal Democrats held senior ministerial roles throughout the five years of the Tory/Lib Dem government and the consequences of their ‘slash and burn’ strategy for managing the economy are still being felt today.

Nine big questions for the local Liberal Democrat candidates at the forthcoming general election, Simon Dodd in Portsmoth North and Charlie Murphy in Portsmouth South.

1. Why did your Party agree to form a coalition government with the Tories in 2010 that was committed to the implementation of catastrophic austerity measures?

2. Are you proud of the leading role that your Party played in the 2010 Spending Review, which resulted in an average reduction in expenditure for all government departments of 19% and an estimated loss of 490,000 public sector jobs?

3. Why did your Party agree to raise VAT from 17.5% to 20% in the 2010 budget, increasing the cost of living for everyone in the country?

4. Are you proud of the fact that the government of which you were a part pulled the plug on Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme, leaving over 700 schools to continue to operate in buildings that are not fit for purpose?

5. Why did your Party support an increase in Capital Gains tax from 18% to 28% in the 2010 budget, thereby making it more difficult for companies to invest to create more jobs.?

6. Do you agree that the privatisation of Royal Mail in 2013 was a catastrophic cockup and a financial ripoff for British taxpayers, with the National Audit Office criticising the sale price of the shares as way below market value?

7. Do you support the views of your Party leader Ed Davey, who spoke in favour of fracking in 2013?

8. Why is Ed Davey still the leader of your Party when, as the Minister for Postal Affairs from 2010-2012, he failed to investigate the Horizon Post Office scandal that led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters?

9. How can people in Portsmouth be certain that Liberal Democrats in government wouldn’t repeat the catastrophic mistakes they made between 2010 and 2015?