Punch and Judy Politics
The current furore over tuition fees is a fine example of Punch and Judy politics - at its worst.
The Conservatives have of course been in favour of tuition fees for years - as firm believers in people generally - and students in particular - taking more personal responsibility for services they consume.
Labour were against tuition fees, of course, when they were in opposition (just like the Lib Dems) - but that policy quickly went out the window - as Labour faced up to the realities of government.
Labour were first to introduce tuition and followed this up with the ability to charge top-up fees - as the number of young people going into higher education continued to expand.
'Who should pay?', asked Labour?
'The students who stand to gain most from going on to study at colleges and universities', came the answer.
Labour also set up the latest independent review of tuition fees - with Lord Browne providing the analysis and arguments in his recent report - to justify raising fees still further.
So both Labour and Tories were set on raising tuition fees going into the general election - yet the Lib Dems have taken all the brickbats and abuse.
Even though the Libs Dems have fewest MPs - and the least public support according to all the opinion polls - and as shown in May's general election.
Now it could be argued - and I'm sure some students and their supporters would argue - that the Lib Dems should have simply held their potential coalition partners to ransom - by refusing to move their ground over tuition fees.
But that would be a ridiculous position for any smaller party to adopt - and it goes against the very grain of what coalition politics are supposed to be about - compromise and negotiation.
As it stands the Lib Dems have negotiated a package that is better than the one left behind by the last Labour government:
- no up front fees
- more financial help for students from less well off backgrounds
- a better deal for part-time students
- nothing to pay until you begin to earn above £21,000 a year
The Conservatives have of course been in favour of tuition fees for years - as firm believers in people generally - and students in particular - taking more personal responsibility for services they consume.
Labour were against tuition fees, of course, when they were in opposition (just like the Lib Dems) - but that policy quickly went out the window - as Labour faced up to the realities of government.
Labour were first to introduce tuition and followed this up with the ability to charge top-up fees - as the number of young people going into higher education continued to expand.
'Who should pay?', asked Labour?
'The students who stand to gain most from going on to study at colleges and universities', came the answer.
Labour also set up the latest independent review of tuition fees - with Lord Browne providing the analysis and arguments in his recent report - to justify raising fees still further.
So both Labour and Tories were set on raising tuition fees going into the general election - yet the Lib Dems have taken all the brickbats and abuse.
Even though the Libs Dems have fewest MPs - and the least public support according to all the opinion polls - and as shown in May's general election.
Now it could be argued - and I'm sure some students and their supporters would argue - that the Lib Dems should have simply held their potential coalition partners to ransom - by refusing to move their ground over tuition fees.
But that would be a ridiculous position for any smaller party to adopt - and it goes against the very grain of what coalition politics are supposed to be about - compromise and negotiation.
As it stands the Lib Dems have negotiated a package that is better than the one left behind by the last Labour government:
- no up front fees
- more financial help for students from less well off backgrounds
- a better deal for part-time students
- nothing to pay until you begin to earn above £21,000 a year
In other words a better outcome than would have been the case - if either Labour or the Tories were returned to power on their own.
