Labour betray their socialist roots, Lib Dems are the answer

Reports over the weekend suggest that the wheels are in motion to increase university tuition fees up to as much as £7,000 a year.

Both Labour and the Tories would push the move through if they were to win next year's general election, meaning that changes could be made as quickly as 2011.

Back in March when murmurings of this atrocity first surfaced, I wrote a story for InJournalism.

I must admit, I had forgotten all about it since. But this latest news saddens me greatly. I know it may be naive of me, but I still have this stupid notion that the Labour party are supposed to be socialists. This probably comes from my father, who was as old Labour as they come and was an undefeated local councillor for them for around a decade.

We already have a two-tier health system, with the rich using private healthcare instead of the flailing NHS. Increasing tuition fees will only serve to make education a two-tier system as well. The Labour government was supposed to preside over a narrowing in the yawning chasm between the social classes, not make decisions that only serve to increase the gap.

However, there is hope for the nation's youth. The Liberal Democrats are vocally opposed to top-up fees. Liberal Democrat Shadow Innovations, University and Skills Secretary, Stephen Williams said, back in March: “Liberal Democrats believe that all students should be able to go to university without having to worry about getting saddled with massive tuition fee debt. That’s why we think university fees should be scrapped, not doubled.”

Unfortunately, the Lib Dems have failed to market themselves as a viable alternative to the two major parties, despite also being fiercely anti-war as well as against tuition fees. Depressingly, as I Tweeted last night, had all the people affected by top-up fees and the illegal war that Tony Blair led us to in Iraq, voted for the Lib Dems, they would have had a chance of being elected. And it's no coincidence that the Democrats came out better than any other party from the recent MPs expenses scandal.

This isn't a cheerleading post for the LDs. I just wanted to express my dismay that young people in Britain can't put down their mobile phones and Xbox controllers for long enough to vote in elections, even when there is a party campaigning mostly on issues that affect them. Hopefully next year it will be different.

Tuition fees row set to blow up again

Student friendly political party the Liberal Democrats have again blasted the top-up tuition fees introduced by the government.

Research conducted by Universities UK (UUK) was today published claiming many universities would like to raise their tuition fees higher than the current maximum amount of £3175 a year, and a BBC News report found that that fee could be as high as £20,000 a year.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Innovations, University and Skills Secretary, Stephen Williams said: “It is no surprise that many of the vice-chancellors involved with this research would like to see tuition fees more than doubled. The conclusions would be very different if students’ views were considered.”

The row over top-up fees almost cost Tony Blair his job as Prime Minister after a vote in Parliament saw only five more votes cast in favour of introducing top-up fees than against.

There was also controversy over the vote itself after 46 Scottish MPs voted with the government in favour of top-up fees, despite the fact that their constituents would not be affected by the change.

The narrow victory in that vote is rumoured to be one of the main reasons why Blair’s premiership came to an end before the end of his third term. Blair had previously promised in Labour’s 2001 manifesto that “[Labour] have no plans to introduce University top-up fees, and have legislated to prevent their introduction.”

Williams added: “The government must look at ways of easing the student debt burden instead of increasing it. It should publish its fee review before the next election, so all political parties can make their views know to the electorate.

“Liberal Democrats believe that all students should be able to go to university without having to worry about getting saddled with massive tuition fee debt. That’s why we think university fees should be scrapped, not doubled.”

But Williams’ claim that all students are against top-up fees has been cast into doubt by research conducted by InJournalism. Sunderland University student Shaun Wathey is in favour of top-up fees, as long as they improve the quality of education.

“If that’s the only way universities are able to raise the money to improve the education they offer students then so be it. I’m not in favour of the elite Universities such as Oxford and Cambridge being able to charge more though, because it’ll make education a two-tier system.”

Faye Cruickshank plans to start university in September at Cambridge. She told InJournalism: “I think top up fees are pretty unfair as they discourage people from poorer backgrounds such as myself from going to university and if the government are wanting more people to get degrees then they aren’t doing themselves any favours.

“But there are other financial options that didn’t exist before like maintenance grants and there is a good system for paying back the loans so if they are going to insist on charging them at least they are going the right way about it.”

University of Sunderland student Adam Chapman said: “As a third-year, I was part of the first group of students to pay these fees, after months of controversy and arguing in Parliament. However, every year since, our fees have risen and nobody has batted an eyelid.”

[I wrote this story after recieiving a tip-off through DN. It was originally published on InJournalism]

Not In My Name

I wrote this the day after election results were announced last weekend.

This morning I woke up to the devastating news that the Bloody Nasty Party has won control of a seat on Lancashire County Council, in my home town of Burnley.

I usually feel quite devoid of political interest – believing it to be largely a waste of people’s times and money and hugely overcomplicated a lot of the time - but I always vote, and I like to think I always stand up to these racists cretins whenever possible.

But this news has really hurt me deep inside. I am firmly liberal, but me simply being from Burnley always leads to taunting that I am therefore a racist. It’s true that there are racists in Burnley, perhaps more so than in other places, but I had hoped that the sensible people of my fair town would come together to stop this from happening. It’s a grim day for East Lancashire.

Padiham and its surrounding area may be one of the more backward parts of the county, but I had faith that the occupants of the area would stand up against this most despicable group of people claiming to be a valid political party.

Even worse is that it now looks likely that Nick Griffin, the devil incarnate if ever there was one, will take a seat on the European Parliament representing the North West. This is even more upsetting. It puts our beautiful and once industrious part of the country on the map as one thing and one thing only – a breeding ground of racial hatred.

This was always going to be a time for the BNP to thrive. Rising unemployment, poorer living conditions, and a drowning, flailing Labour government always meant that they would receive a hammering in these elections.

But voting for the BNP cannot be classed as a protest vote. It stands for everything Britain should stand against. We should embrace out multiculturalism – it makes us who we are. Curry has replaced fish and chips as our favourite national dish for goodness’ sakes.

But the BNP aren’t interested in this. They may be attempting to rebrand themselves but we must not fall for their ploy. They are a horrid group of racist thugs and must be stopped.

Today is a very sad day to be from Burnley.

This was an interesting test for me as it was the first time I'd really tried my hand at political commentary. It's something I'd like to explore further, as the furore over MP's expenses and the future of Gordon Brown has really piqued my interest in politics.