Promises, promises: A hung Parliament and coalition government makes manifestos meaningless.

I'm sure it were ever thus; that election manifestos have always promised the earth to voters and then, once returned to power - or defeated - the promises go back into the box from whence they came, probably to be rolled out again in five years' time.

But in the past these hollow promises were made without the scrutiny and exactitude of social media. These days promises are recorded and remembered - or at least they should be. The truth is that most people look on the claims of the parties along partisan lines and forgive the falshoods promised by 'their side' and focus remorselessly on the failed promises of the party they oppose.

However the prospect of a hung Parliament and, therefore, a coalition government makes the manifestos meaningless anyway - and I think this is probably a welcome development for all of the parties if not for us voters who are increasingly being fed on bullshit.

In the past the Lib Dems could - and often did - promise anything, however unrealistic, in the hope of garnering more votes. But the main parties had to be able to stand behind and justify their promises during an election campaign because they might just have to make good on them. They had to have credible, costed, realistic promises even if they weren't ever going to deliver.

But now, the prospect of a coalition government means that they can all make pretty outlandish promises because if they're elected they can just claim that the coalition partner wouldn't agree to whatever measure is at issue, and move on. Ditching their promises.

What this means essentially, is that all of the parties are now able to promise the earth, safe in the knowledge that they won't ever be called to account after the election because they can say that their coalition partner vetoed the plan. It's not a good thing. It's a 'get out of jail free' card for every party.

In effect they're all Lib Dems now: They can make ever more ridiculous promises secure in the knowledge that they won't ever have to make good on them.

It saddens me that bribes are still the most effective way of securing votes. That it is still about 'what's in it for me tomorrow' rather than 'what's in it for our kids in the future'.

I find it sickening that people will vote on the basis of their personal gains next week instead of what is right for the country in the medium or long term. But that's where we are. A nation that can be governed because of short-term bribes.

And we laugh at Zimbabwe?

Thanks for reading.