Eater Sundae Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 The problem wasn't that he didn't deliver the promise on the manifesto, it's the way that he went from basing his entire party around the idea that tuition fees were bad and that they would oppose any increase, to telling his MPs to vote for the increase. This isn't just failing to deliver, that's doing a complete u-turn. Of all the options available to him - asking his MPs to abstain, vote freely or campaigning for a longer review of options, amongst others - he chose the one which would cause the absolute most damage to his support.I wonder when he'll apologise for his subsequent statements that only a very few universities & courses would be able to charge over £6500, and virtually none charging the full £9000+, despite everyone with an ounce of common sense predicting that every university would charge as much as possible, as happened last time they could set thier own fee levels. Re bib. His party was committed to making the coalition work in an attempt to provide strong government (Edit: ...and of course to try and put Lib Dem views and aims into the government) during difficult financial times – much better than a government which was unable to do anything and would finish up having to go back to the electorate within a couple of months. If the coalition had then been replaced by either a Labour or a Conservative government, there would still have been tuition fees. A longer review would just be kicking the problem into the long grass. A government has to get on with the job of governing. By supporting the introduction of the conservative driven tuition fees, he was doing his best to make the coalition work. He did this DESPITE it causing damage to his support. That sounds more like the actions of a principled person. His only mistake in this matter is that he has not been defiant enough in defence of his actions – resulting in him looking weak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodmally Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Re bib. His party was committed to making the coalition work in an attempt to provide strong government (Edit: ...and of course to try and put Lib Dem views and aims into the government) during difficult financial times – much better than a government which was unable to do anything and would finish up having to go back to the electorate within a couple of months. If the coalition had then been replaced by either a Labour or a Conservative government, there would still have been tuition fees. A longer review would just be kicking the problem into the long grass. A government has to get on with the job of governing. By supporting the introduction of the conservative driven tuition fees, he was doing his best to make the coalition work. He did this DESPITE it causing damage to his support. That sounds more like the actions of a principled person. His only mistake in this matter is that he has not been defiant enough in defence of his actions – resulting in him looking weak. However he had the tories by the short and curleys. They needed the libdems to form a government. He could have insisted on it and pulled the plug on the government if they didnt agree. They probably would have agreed and he wouldnt have had a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWOL Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 However he had the tories by the short and curleys. They needed the libdems to form a government. He could have insisted on it and pulled the plug on the government if they didnt agree. They probably would have agreed and he wouldnt have had a problem. That is very true. He had a vast amount of power, but chose to sell his party down the river . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I1L2T3 Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Re bib. His party was committed to making the coalition work in an attempt to provide strong government (Edit: ...and of course to try and put Lib Dem views and aims into the government) during difficult financial times – much better than a government which was unable to do anything and would finish up having to go back to the electorate within a couple of months. If the coalition had then been replaced by either a Labour or a Conservative government, there would still have been tuition fees. A longer review would just be kicking the problem into the long grass. A government has to get on with the job of governing. By supporting the introduction of the conservative driven tuition fees, he was doing his best to make the coalition work. He did this DESPITE it causing damage to his support. That sounds more like the actions of a principled person. His only mistake in this matter is that he has not been defiant enough in defence of his actions – resulting in him looking weak. But they've made it worse and they can't blame the Tories for it all either - LibDems have got their top men in the business department and treasury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hardie Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Name a politician that hasn't lied? George Washington. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go4it Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Nick clegg has apologised for the Lib Dems key manifesto pledge which promised to oppose all university tuition fee rises- "It was a pledge made with the best of intentions – but we should not have made a promise we were not absolutely sure we could deliver." I believe Clegg is the most sorry politician I have ever seen! Do you believe him? I still can't believe this. It needs explaining to the 'thickies': THE LIB DEMS DID NOT WIN THE ELECTION! If they won, then they would have to honour Their pledge. They did not win, and entered into coalition to get SOME of their pledges into power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go4it Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Clegg will be fine and have a long political career, just perhaps not in Sheffield where the level of ignorance seems to be higher. In other words the folk are thick. It was only a couple of years ago they were flocking to buy the shopping bags that said 'I agree with Nick'. What annoys me is this political feeling that they have to pander to the lowest denominator, and make apologies to thick people for things they shouldn't apologise for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janie48 Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 George Washington. A bit before my time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wednesday1 Posted September 21, 2012 Author Share Posted September 21, 2012 I still can't believe this. It needs explaining to the 'thickies': THE LIB DEMS DID NOT WIN THE ELECTION! If they won, then they would have to honour Their pledge. They did not win, and entered into coalition to get SOME of their pledges into power. :hihi:Like what???!!! Why make the pledge then if as everybody knew including themselves they hadn't a hope in hell of ever winning the election, especially not under first past the post. The Lib Dems pledged to vote against it. End of. I like this: Deputy dimwit Clegg Has a face all covered in egg He might like to note He will not win a vote Not even if he gets down on both knees to beg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 I still can't believe this. It needs explaining to the 'thickies': THE LIB DEMS DID NOT WIN THE ELECTION! If they won, then they would have to honour Their pledge. They did not win, and entered into coalition to get SOME of their pledges into power. You'd get your point across better without the insults. It smacks of Tory hectoring. Ask Andrew Mitchell how that plays in the public gallery. On to the substantive point of your post. "Thickies", or not, the electorate seem to have taken collective umbrage over Clegg's failure to enact his tuition fee pledge. Check out any opinion poll you like, for proof. This is because it was a pledge, a central tenet, a cornerstone of the party's philosophy. Yet it was blown away by the promise of a couple of cabinet seats and a share of some grace and favour mansions. Most of the Lib Dem core vote is either under-graduate, or graduate. Don't forget that most graduates end up with graduate offspring... and don't underestimate that point. The Lib Dems are currently polling at 10%, just like the 80s. Clegg's vault-face on such a key commitment has turned the clock back 25 years. For that reason, he's history... or, more likely, a Lord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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