Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Lib Dems MP’s abstain on tuition fee vote as collective cabinet responsibility goes out the window to shore up Nick Clegg’s weakening position




















Dear All

The Liberal Democrats are a joke.

Having done a deal with the Devil (Tories) to gain power under Nick Clegg; they are about to abstain on the English university tuition fees vote.

Over many years the people have heard politicians talk much about the idea of collective cabinet responsibility.

So, what is collective cabinet responsibility?

Quite simply it is the constitutional convention in governments using the Westminster System that members of the Cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in Cabinet, even if they do not privately agree with them.

Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems thought that once they signed up with the Tories that their supporters would climb onboard with the idea because it meant a return to government for them after such a long absence.

Clegg mistaken missed the groundswell of anti Tory feeling not just in his own party but also the Lib Dem voting public.

Lib Dem support is dropping and it is effectively dying in real terms.

In order to try and reverse this and shore up Nick Clegg’s position the Lib Dems are to abstain on the Tuition Fess vote.

They think this is the safe middle ground for them but actually it is a quite contemptible position to adopt.

Even Danny Alexander who has so embraced Conservatism with a passion has indicated he is willing to abstain for the sake of party unity.

And it gets more ridiculous with Vince Cable who is in charge of the policy abstaining as well in a policy he helped shape.

Vince Cable said:

“If we all abstain, then that is the position I am happy to go along with.”

The idea that the Lib Dems will get some kind of kudos for abstaining will not happen.

People like that are held in contempt by the public.

57 LibDem MPs before the General Election signed a pledge against raising fees.

Standing back and doing nothing and letting other parties fight it out is a dereliction of duty.

Through-out the country hundreds of students angry about planned tuition fee increases are protesting as part of a nationwide series of protests.

Thousands of demonstrators are on the streets and university campuses, some even attempting to occupy local council offices as the fury refuses to die down.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has come under particularly stinging criticism over the proposed tuition hike.

Trust in him has gone; you don’t say one thing and do another.

Grace Charlesworth, 17, from Woodhouse College says:

“Nick Clegg is a snake.”

She added:

“He said our educations didn’t depend on the money in our parents’ pockets but that is exactly what it will become. He is a lying snake who couldn’t care less about our education.”

Nick Clegg will remain a focus and has become a liability, an electoral liability because of his actions.

Labour MP and Shadow Business Sec John Denham said that the Lib Dem’s position is “appalling and outrageous”.

David Cameron has allowed the Lib Dems a concession in their coalition agreement because he isn’t ready to fight another General Election so soon, he will keep propping up Nick Clegg till enough Tory resources are in place and then he will drop Clegg like a bad smell.

Having helped draw up the policy to charge students in England £9,000 a year in university tuition fees, running away and hiding to try and rebuild public support is a pretty low tactic.

You either have principles or you don’t.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

1 comment:

  1. Clegg is leading the Lib Dems over an electoral cliff. New poll George support for independence falling, your lot on course for a landslide defeat. Vote Labour 2011to save Scotland. Watch Sturgeon and MacAskill lose their seats as Scotland renders its verdict on them and their broken promises.

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