Can the Greens make good on the yellow's broken promises?
James Forsyth 5:15pm
One consequence of coalition and the student fees row is, as Nick Clegg said this morning, that the Lib Dems will be more careful about what they sign up to at the next
election. This will create political space for a party that is prepared to advocate populist but unrealistic policies such as abolishing tuition fees. I strongly suspect that Labour will choose not
to occupy this space, appearing credible will still be the most important thing to them.
So, this raises the question of who will try and move into this slot? UKIP aren't ideologically suited to it, although Farage is a canny enough operator that little can be ruled out. But I suspect that it will be the Greens who take over this and other issues that the Lib Dems used to champion. One of the intriguing questions of the next election is whether these positions can be converted into votes.
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Vulture
November 11th, 2010 5:24pm Report this commentThey can be in Planet Brighton. But no-where else. Next!
Charles Martel
November 11th, 2010 6:14pm Report this commentBrighton pavilion is a bit of an anomaly to be honest. It has a high proporion of students (university of Brisghton & university of Sussex within 4 miles as well as a technical college and art college within the area) and arty-farty new-age types.
The Greens pose the greatest threat to Labour generally, the Greens offer a pretty raw socialist platform, and are pretty statist... it will appeal to some LibDems, but I'd bet most are more Libertarian rather than socialist.
This graph gives a good clue.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/BrightonPavilionGraph.png
Daniel
November 11th, 2010 6:20pm Report this commentYes, even Nick Clegg has a twinge of conscience. Reported in today's press, Clegg has now admitted and conceded that the Liberal Democrats should never have signed a pre-election pledge to oppose a rise in tuition fees and that the Liberal Democrats also should never have included that vow in their election manifesto.
Historically, an MP who had manifestly broken an issue on which they had stood for election would stand down from his seat and seek renewed support from their constituents by causing a by-election. Is it not time now for the Liberal Democrat leader to seek a renewed mandate from the constituents that elected him.
Come along Nick, show some real hutzpah and restand now for your seat in Sheffield Hallam.
Barbara
November 11th, 2010 6:22pm Report this commentIt says on their site that UKIP's policy *is* to abolish fees. Have you done your research properly?
lids
November 12th, 2010 2:49pm Report this commentYet another article in Coffee House that over-concerns itself with minutiae of political life and completely fails to take in the big picture. We already read here in Spectator that the deal on tuition fees was a great example of coalition business. Days later there were riots on a scale not seen in Britain since the poll tax riots.
Half of British households are drowning in debt and Vameron has just introduced a massive tax hike for middle class families and spectator thinks it is good politics?
Oh dear, somehow I doubt you have the pulse of the nation. It is perfectly possible to abolish tuition fees if university places are reduced by half and restricted to the brightest students. A good old fashioned conservative policy. Of course, absolutely no chance that Tory Lite Cameron will even consider it..
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