Nick Clegg says 'sorry' about LibDems main election pledge!

[go4it]

: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.

 

 

Obviously you are one of the ones these needs explaining to.

 

Every party has pledges from Lib Dems, to Greens to Monster Raving Loony. By winning a seat as an MP they get the chance to shout their views from Parliament and possible make an impact.

 

Whether they win or not, it is the values that people vote for. And if another party wins, and goes against their values, then they can argue in Parliament.

 

BUT... this is a coalition. The Lid Dems were now in some power, with another party and both had differing views. Compromises had to be made. The Lib Dems were not going to get everything they wanted, likewise the Tories didn't. The Tories did not want the pupil premium paid to poor children in schools, the Lib Dems did. Tory supporters are probably furious as news comes out this week that schools are not using this money in the right way, and it's going wasted. But the Lib Dems got it, it was a compromise.

 

And at the end of the day after the Labour party destroyed and dumbed down education, tuition fees are actually very much welcome. Education is not free, and now the BTEC graduates are now doing the right thing and looking for as job instead of going to an old Polytechnic to study 'graphic design' for 3 hours a week. The bright and able are now going to study academic subjects, and things like medicine, with the poorest paying no money upfront and only paying the fees back when they hit a set wage.

 

What's not to love?

[go4it]

You'd get your point across better without the insults. It smacks of Tory hectoring.

 

Bit of a double standard here, considering all the words that have been used to describe Clegg.

 

And then there was the case a few weeks ago of people talking about Thatcher.

[woodmally]

Obviously you are one of the ones these needs explaining to.

 

Every party has pledges from Lib Dems, to Greens to Monster Raving Loony. By winning a seat as an MP they get the chance to shout their views from Parliament and possible make an impact.

 

Whether they win or not, it is the values that people vote for. And if another party wins, and goes against their values, then they can argue in Parliament.

 

BUT... this is a coalition. The Lid Dems were now in some power, with another party and both had differing views. Compromises had to be made. The Lib Dems were not going to get everything they wanted, likewise the Tories didn't. The Tories did not want the pupil premium paid to poor children in schools, the Lib Dems did. Tory supporters are probably furious as news comes out this week that schools are not using this money in the right way, and it's going wasted. But the Lib Dems got it, it was a compromise.

 

And at the end of the day after the Labour party destroyed and dumbed down education, tuition fees are actually very much welcome. Education is not free, and now the BTEC graduates are now doing the right thing and looking for as job instead of going to an old Polytechnic to study 'graphic design' for 3 hours a week. The bright and able are now going to study academic subjects, and things like medicine, with the poorest paying no money upfront and only paying the fees back when they hit a set wage.

 

What's not to love?

 

However what you are failing to consider is that the Lib dems had the upper hand. They could have just all voted against the proposals when they came in parliament even Nick Clegg. It would have been voted down and what would the tories then do. Well there is nothing they can do.

[Guest sibon]

Bit of a double standard here, considering all the words that have been used to describe Clegg.

 

And then there was the case a few weeks ago of people talking about Thatcher.

 

I haven't got any double standards. I find quite a lot of your posts rude and I thought that I'd tell you.

 

I notice that you have nothing to say about the substantive part of my post.

[go4it]

I haven't got any double standards. I find quite a lot of your posts rude and I thought that I'd tell you.

 

I notice that you have nothing to say about the substantive part of my post.

 

I think this says a lot about Sheffield Forum today.

 

People calling Clegg various rude and insulting names, and wishing death upon an old lady, yet you take objection at people being called 'thick'.

[go4it]

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.

 

They did not win the election.

 

There you go, there's my comment.

 

Like an X-Factor winner, the brains of this country love them one minute and hate them the next.

[go4it]

However what you are failing to consider is that the Lib dems had the upper hand. They could have just all voted against the proposals when they came in parliament even Nick Clegg. It would have been voted down and what would the tories then do. Well there is nothing they can do.

 

The Universities were in crisis. Deep down I don't think the Lib Dems knew how bad it was. Labour had destroyed higher education by sending every man and their dog to University. The Universities wanted tuition fees and it was the only way forward.

 

It is all very well moaning about tuition fees but this is the only sustainable way to sort out the mess. If Labour get back into power and abolish them, then the cycle of mess will start all over again.

[Guest sibon]

They did not win the election.

 

There you go, there's my comment.

 

Like an X-Factor winner, the brains of this country love them one minute and hate them the next.

 

But it isn't a comment on my post. I'd hesitate to question your attention to detail, but you'd come across much better if you actually read and understood posts before replying to them.

[wednesday1]

Obviously you are one of the ones these needs explaining to.

 

Every party has pledges from Lib Dems, to Greens to Monster Raving Loony. By winning a seat as an MP they get the chance to shout their views from Parliament and possible make an impact.

 

Whether they win or not, it is the values that people vote for. And if another party wins, and goes against their values, then they can argue in Parliament.

 

BUT... this is a coalition. The Lid Dems were now in some power, with another party and both had differing views. Compromises had to be made. The Lib Dems were not going to get everything they wanted, likewise the Tories didn't. The Tories did not want the pupil premium paid to poor children in schools, the Lib Dems did. Tory supporters are probably furious as news comes out this week that schools are not using this money in the right way, and it's going wasted. But the Lib Dems got it, it was a compromise.

 

And at the end of the day after the Labour party destroyed and dumbed down education, tuition fees are actually very much welcome. Education is not free, and now the BTEC graduates are now doing the right thing and looking for as job instead of going to an old Polytechnic to study 'graphic design' for 3 hours a week. The bright and able are now going to study academic subjects, and things like medicine, with the poorest paying no money upfront and only paying the fees back when they hit a set wage.

 

What's not to love?

 

 

Your naivety is almost as breathtaking as Nicks!

 

Let's just remind ourselves as to how 'strongly' the Lib Dems were in their opposition to raising tuition fees:

 

 

It wasn't so much a pledge, but an actual promise.

 

What a shower of opportunists, lead by a leader who totally sums them up!

[dosxuk]

Every party has pledges from Lib Dems, to Greens to Monster Raving Loony. By winning a seat as an MP they get the chance to shout their views from Parliament and possible make an impact.

 

Whether they win or not, it is the values that people vote for. And if another party wins, and goes against their values, then they can argue in Parliament.

 

One of these values put forward personally by many Lib Dems candidates was that they would vote against any increase in tuition fees. This is not the same as the party manifesto point of [if elected to power] to work on removing the fees.

 

BUT... this is a coalition. The Lid Dems were now in some power, with another party and both had differing views. Compromises had to be made. The Lib Dems were not going to get everything they wanted, likewise the Tories didn't. The Tories did not want the pupil premium paid to poor children in schools, the Lib Dems did.

 

Exactly. The tory manifesto wanted to increase fees, while the lib dem one wanted to scrap them. A compromise would be to allow a free vote on the subject, allowing those MPs who pledged to vote against to do so. Instead Clegg decided to ignore his personal pledge, go against the party line and require all his MPs to do the opposite of a key reason that they were elected.

 

If Clegg can do this on something so central to thier support, how can he be a pepresentative of his supporters? How can he expect anyone to trust him to make a decision again?

 

As has been said, there were many other options available, and the lib dems had the upper hand, yet Clegg still chose the option which could cause the most damage to his party.

 

Negotiation is expected, however Clegg just rolled over and let Cam get what he wanted, offering the full support of his party.