An unpopular government policy was passed yesterday in the face of popular protests. This policy was only passed because a group of MP's reneged on a pre election promise. Is it a "defining moment"? Does it herald a "Sea Change"?
Nope. It's business as usual. Sometimes popular protest works - abolition of the poll tax. More often it doesn't - Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Every time there's a big demo everyone thinks things will change. Usually it doesn't. The student fees scandal will eventually end when politicians wake up to the fact it's an awful policy. Whether this is today, tomorrow or 20 years time when we realise it's buggered the country, I have no idea.
One thing I know for certain. All of those people saying "We won't get fooled again" are deluding themselves. Why? As I watched Labour Party MP's squeal in mock outrage at the policy, I thought "Who instituted the Browne review that instigated the policy. Who brought in tuition fees in the first place". This and the policy of abolishing tuition fees were a major reason for me quitting Labour and joining the Lib Dems last year. The fact that about half of the Lib Dem MP's reneged on the pledge makes me sick. There was no vote in the party to change this policy. The MP's who reneged are totally out of tune with the membership. What price your prinnciples? And no I won't be rejoining Labour. They initiated this awful policy, it's now their bastard baby, which they are seeking to disown. I will be campaigning for the Lib Dems to discover their testicles and their principles and do the right thing.
Rog: the Libdems are beyond redemption, they are beyond a joke, and they are beneath contempt. The Libdems who supported the vote have sold their souls for their parliamentary posts, and the rest of them are too weak to do anything about it. The party is finished: whatever happens now, no one will trust them ever again. Don't waste your considerable talents on supporting these fools. Yes, the tuition fees were originally brought in by a Blairite New Labour government, and now Labour needs people like you to bring the party back to something closer to its old values. That's where you should be fighting.
ReplyDeleteSad to say all the main parties have shown themselves to be out of touch with the people. Hence we have a hung parliament because no one can decide who they dislike the least easily.
ReplyDeleteThe Lib dems have certainly committed electoral suicide with backing this policy. Their only hope to bounce back is to change back to their original position and eat humble pie or they are finished.
I don't disagree with Mrs A, I just feel that it's such a pity that our local LibDem Councillors who have worked tirelessly on behalf of their constituents my be viewed in the same way as the LibDem MPs.
ReplyDeleteAnd also, Tories must be cock a hoop over this, the LibDems are taking all the heat and the media attention, whilst the larger half of the coalition seems to be getting off with little attention.
Rog is correct to point out that we have been here before. Politicians always break promises, we promise to throw them out at the next election, but they get re-elected anyway either because we have forgotten or forgiven their transgressions, or simply because we have given up caring, knowing that whoever replaces these people will be just as bad as the last lot.
ReplyDeleteBut the difference this time is that the government has pissed off the generation who have their whole lives ahead of them. Students won’t forget about this by the time of the next election. Indeed, they will remember it for the next 30 years as they struggle to pay off their debts.
As to Ainelivia’s point, whilst it is true that the LibDems are rightly taking most of the flak over this, the Conservatives will also suffer electorally. They should have won an outright majority at the last election but didn’t because however bad Labour were, the majority of the public were not prepared to trust David Cameron and the boy Osborne to turn things around. LibDem voters are likely to flee to the Labour party and many right wing Conservatives may well abstain now that Cameron has proven he is not actually a Tory, but a rather wet Liberal. Ed Miliband is useless, but the combination of protest LibDem votes and disenfranchised Conservative abstentions might be enough to return Labour to power. God help us all!
Agreed, it's business as usual and we are deluding ourselves but " who did it first". C'mon, did we get up and fight Labour on the issue in 2001, because even back then, we did not need an inumerable number of "New" Universities to give us degrees to fill shelves in those good times or, did we lose our testicles because the good time was uncontrollably borrowed?
ReplyDeletePrinciples? many Labour members in 2001 tore up our membership cards at £3000 but did not defect to anybody, nor have that many returned Why? Principles. What price the party that made a huge issue of being principled? That Conservative who does not like wearing his parents suit and tie but prefers the wooly, T-shirts and jeans, the LibDem. I'll have a guess, Labour were probably pleased over your transfer to the LibDems.
DCMD, is probably right. However Dave, I think it's too early to comment on Ed but it's likely Labour will lose, 'Rebrand-Ed' Labour in two years and, even if they don't, I think more people will not vote, that is sad, but the 16-18 year old out there yesterday, will remember this and give us another "Hung" Parliament.
There have Four years for them to understand AV is not PR. On tha,t the LibDems have reneged before they started, recall " we want Nick, what do we want,(dreams destroyed!) when do we want it." If your right, then God help dis United Kingdom
Turning to the "Save Our Libraries" Campaign...
ReplyDeleteI see the Barnet Times is backing the Art Depot petition, here.
I cannot understand why it refuses to push Roger's petition as well, when you already have thousands of names, so you are hardly on the lunatic fringe. Don't they like Roger???
Ainelivia: yes, our local Libdems have been hardworking ward councillors, but it is also true that they are supporting some of the Tory council's work: I've seen them voting in meetings and felt very cross with them.The Tories revel in the fact that they have the Libdems under their thumbs now.
ReplyDeleteMoaneybat, I just love your definition of a Libdem - brilliant, and spot on.
The mistake we all make is that we think everyone else thinks how we do. They don't which is why the Brian Colemans of this world get elected. When staunch Labour voters say "The Lib Dems are finished because of..." it really means nothing. The next elections could be 4 1/2 years off. If it was as simple as "you broke your promises, you're out" Labour would have lost the 2001 and 2005 elections.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't and that really tells you everything you need to know.
Mrs Angry,
ReplyDeleteIf LibDems accept the notion of being in the Centre, Labour Left and Tory Right, "But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, (John F. Kennedy, 1960)
As they espouse "some" government control of the economy and personal behavior. Depending on the issue, "sometimes" favour government intervention and sometimes support individual freedom of choice. Pride themselves on an open mind, tend to "SOMETIMES" oppose “political extremes,” and emphasize what they describe as “practical” solutions to problems. Sound Familiar, they changed the rules of the game as they've gone along, inconsistently just to share Conservatives power but Lberal dress code.
I'm not a spiritual person despite the cathlic indoctrinaton but here goes:
Isaiah 32:5-8
5. The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful. 6. For the vile person will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail 7. The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. 8. But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.
Are the Scriptures telling us something about Liberals? or has DCMD converted to one of us?
"If it was as simple as "you broke your promises"
ReplyDeleteExactly!
but then at that time there was only one or two who were leadership quality and they were in Blue Labour. Anybody would have seen off Hague and Duncan-Smith. Only, now and until the next election, there remains a question mark on all three. Highly possible that one of two or both may not be leading their party either before or by the end of next election night.
1996 momentous year for New Zealand, perhaps one day for the UK