I agree with everything Polly Toynbee said in her article (The injustice is breathtaking. Every blow falls on those with less not more, 30 November), but she omitted one important thing – she said nothing about the role of the Liberal Democrats.
In my view, the Lib Dems have destroyed themselves as a credible party out of greed for power. They have now associated themselves with one of the most rightwing Tory parties since Thatcher, which is targeting the poorest and most vulnerable people in society.
Services of all sorts that vulnerable people have relied upon are being closed wholesale. In my area, for example, there are massive cuts in mental health provision whereby it is virtually impossible to get a bed in a psychiatric unit or hospital, and many patients are being discharged to GPs' care, denying them specialist psychiatric care. This is only one example among many.
The Liberal Democrat party has sold its soul to the devil and will receive its judgment from the electorate in due course.
John Lane
London
• As an active Liberal Democrat, I was astounded to hear Danny Alexander MP apparently commit the party to supporting a joint economic and fiscal policy with the Conservatives beyond the next election (Lib Dem row over party's commitment to £15bn spending cuts after next election, 1 December 2011).
Apart from the simple fact that the current policy prescriptions have signally failed, the chief secretary has sought to bind the Liberal Democrats into an alliance with the Tories beyond 2015 and appears to have written the economic objectives of the next election manifesto already!
What mandate has he got for this move? Were the democratic bodies of the party consulted? Are we on the path to an electoral pact with the Tories? Is that what the party wants?
Simon Hebditch
London
• Many Liberal Democrats are dismayed at the way Danny Alexander has signed up to this continuation of the utterly predictable failure of George Osborne's economic policy and, in doing so, has signed the death warrant of our party.
In order to justify its attack on the welfare state, this government misled the electorate into believing that we were in the same boat as Greece when the bond markets were not unduly worried about our relatively low national debt, that is until unemployment spun out of control as a result of the coalition's attack on public sector jobs, and sent the deficit spiralling out of control with it.
The comparison with the Greek economy will become a self-fulfilling prophecy as we are told to lay down our standard of living for our country, at a time when never has so much been owed to so many by so few.
Margaret Phelps
Colchester, Essex
• Whilst the move and focus by the coalition to reduce child poverty targets (Duncan Smith signals change in official child poverty targets, 2 December) is regrettable, it will not mask the effect of how its cuts have targeted the poorest in our society. Whether you use a consensual, income or subjective method makes no difference to the food on the table. The government protests that it is services rather than cash, especially for the under fives, that are one of the main determinants of a child's prospects. It cannot have it both ways though – it was the coalition that removed the ringfence for Sure Start funding, resulting in numerous centres closing.
Indeed it is difficult to find a tangible policy introduced by the coalition that aids child poverty, irrespective of how you measure it. Clegg's comments that this government would not "balance the books on the backs of the poor" ring hollow indeed.
RKM Bridge
Snaith, East Yorkshire
• Why should anyone care what the next Lib Dem manifesto says about future spending cuts after the next election? In the light of experience, is there anyone who actually believes that what that manifesto says will give any reliable indication of what policies the Lib Dems will support once that election is over?
Kevin McGrath
Harlow, Essex