It is a sad day indeed when a Minister of the Crown, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Dr Vince Cable MP, can advocate that a Member of Parliament should be able to disregard a promise, a signed pledge, an oath, a word and his bond, recorded in black and white, because it now no longer suits them. I believed until today that whilst politicians may occasionally make mistakes, they were fundamentally people of honour, of substance who were honest and who would take a moral stand upon their word if it was given in good faith. Mr Cable has today shattered that illusion. To every Liberal Democrat MP, either vote as you pledged or resign your post.
I applaud those Liberal Democrats who have taken a stand and stood up for their moral principles of honesty and respect for the electorate. But to those Members of the House of Commons who intend to ignore their mandate, to break their word and trample over the foundations of democracy, I and all of the student movement condemn you and declare you unfit to govern and undeserving of any trust whatsoever. You have sold your souls for power. You have betrayed the nation.
