As a lifelong Labour voter I was disgusted when some of my feminist friends voted Liberal Democrat as a protest against the Iraq war or because they "wanted a change". The extreme libertarian policies the Lib Dems adopt can only result in harm to women, and there are barely any MPs remaining on the Left who would challenge such dangerous ideas.

After more than 30 years of campaigning to end violence and abuse I am so concerned about the damage being done to a whole generation of young women that I have come to a surprising conclusion: I would rather work with the Tories than the Lib Dems on any policies relating to discrimination against females.

Lib Dems have it so wrong about the key issues that face women today — rape, prostitution, sexual exploitation, pornography and lack of political representation. Liberals believe that individual rights should be given precedence over concerns for social good and that government should stay out of the private affairs of its citizens. But most abuse of females, such as domestic violence, rape, and child sexual abuse, takes place in the private sphere within personal relationships. 

In 2002 moves to adopt liberal policies on hardcore pornography were rejected at a Lib Dem conference by a mere 31 votes. Just as well. Had they been passed they would have supported reducing the legal age when youngsters could both view and feature in hardcore pornography from 18 to 16, as well as making it easier to set up licenced sex shops. 

The party has long supported the decriminalisation of brothels and prostitution in general. Official policy documents say: "We would establish a system to regulate the activities of privately-operated brothels." The policy on lap dancing clubs is to allow them to flourish with the proviso that licence-holders advertise alongside a free-phone trafficking hotline number.