So, today, imagine my surprise when I get an email update to my Gmail account saying someone had commented on two of my blog pieces! Its what we all love, getting a bit of blog-time. But, alas and alack, t'was not to be. For t'was but a shadow named anonymous, speaking poorly of Nick Clegg.
Okay, enough of the flowery crap.
I oppose top-up fees. I led the chants with my fellow IR Cymru members that went something along the lines of: "Labour Plaid! They both lied!" Or as one of my friends more bluntly put to me a few weeks ago: "Labour Plaid, we don't want it! We don't want your stupid bullshit!" I prefer the second of course, but then we were in public, so needs must.
But Mr (Or Mrs/Miss/Ms) Anonymous seems to have found something terrible in what Nick Clegg has said. Let me think about it for a moment. Nick Clegg has been OPEN and HONEST about what people want to hear. They DON'T want PROMISES on MONETARY ISSUES when there is NO MONEY. The Government is in a bad way. By taking a very mature decision to be OPEN AND HONEST about what he's doing, Nick Clegg is doing what people have always said they WANT politicians to do. BEING HONEST, FOLKS!
LET ME COMPARE! (Pray, kind sirs and madames, I apologise for the unseemly caps, but I am most incensed!)
1. LABOUR (LIEBOUR)
WE WILL NOT INTRODUCE TOP-UP FEES AND WE WILL LEGISLATE TO PREVENT THEM.
*election* *students vote* *Labour get in*
AAAHA! SILLY FOOLS! WE LIED TO YOU AND YOU BELIEVE IT! FUCK YOU, STUDENTS! WE'RE POLITICIANS! WE DON'T TELL THE TRUTH! UP YOURS, WANKERS! (and so forth)
2. PLAID (PLIED) CYMRU
LISTEN UP, GUYS! WE'RE FIGHTING ON A MANIFESTO PLEDGE NOT TO INTRODUCE TOP-UP FEES IN WALES! HELLOOOOO! HELLOOOOO! LISTEN TO US! LISTEN! LOOK! LOOK! OVER HERE! SEE? BIG BRIGHT SHINY BOX SAYING "NO TO TOP-UP FEES"! LOOK AT ME!
*times passes*
Oh. Erm, yes... about that. Yeah, we COULD stick with an election promise... or... nah... you know what? I'm a fucking career politician with my snout in the trough and I don't give a flying shit (apart from Leanne Wood and Bethan Jenkins - hats off to you both!) about students. Yeah, we want our bum in a ministerial car.
3. Liberal Democrats
1. Consistently oppose top-up fees.
2. Consistently support students against top-up fees.
3. Consistently point out the possibility of the economic crisis.
4. Consistently point out the inadequacies of Labour's actions to address the economic crisis.
5. Consistently point out the weaknesses of their actions.
6. Consistently call for open and honest politics.
7. Recognise that we are in a singularly unprecedented global recession (which could have been lessened by listening to us much earlier).
8. Recognise that the public (especially students) want honesty.
9. Be open and honest that although we still WANT to abolish top-up fees, it may have to WAIT until we have MONEY.
TO CONCLUDE:
Is that hypocritical? Shit. I must not understand the word. Is it a u-turn? Erm... no? Because we're just waiting for the money. Is it a lie? Bloody hell no! In fact, it... oh, my... WAIT! It's the TRUTH! HOLY CRAP A POLITICIAN'S TELLING THE TRUTH! LET'S BURN HIM BECAUSE HE'S REVEALED A WEAKNESS! (Or... alternatively... to the Anonymous poster... erm... grow up? Realise you can't promise everything and realise that it remains a Lib Dem pledge and priority. Realise that we are fighting for students' rights. And realise that by being honest about the possible effects of the recession, we're being responsible with YOUR money)
Apologies to normal readers who find my language offensive here. What can I say? I find it irritating when people don't know what hypocritical or u-turns or lies mean, criticize someone who is doing the exact opposite. As far as I can tell, the Lib Dems have done nothing that sounds like "hypocrisy".
Next time a politician lies about what he's gonna do, Anonymous, please remember that you took a politician being honest and turned it into something "hypocritical" in your head.
That irritates me, it really does. What is it you want?
Anyway. I'll still be fighting for the scrapping of top-up fees. If Nick Clegg comes to conference and tells me it is a SIMPLE CHOICE between affording massive changes to early education to reduce child poverty in a liberal and long-lasting way... or me being in debt? I'm afraid I'll have to take the debt.
Its horrible. It sucks. But now there's no money I'd rather there be money for the really needy as opposed to the needy.
Of course if the choice isn't that simple and we can find the money? Heck yes! We're scrapping top-up fees.
Does that answer your question, Anonymous?
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3 comments:
To be fair the Lib Dems have been consistent as long as theyknow they won't have to actually act on their so called "promises". In Scotland students were let down by the Libs in government. And now Clegg thinks he might get into coalition he is handily dropping the policy in Westminster.
Lets see if Kirsty treats this as a red line issue at the Assembly election. Expect to be disapointed.
I think your ghoing to regret your recent vitriol over this subject.
I probably will. But then politics wouldn't be half so exciting if students like me weren't allowed to foam at the mouth occasionally and spout vitriol. Kill me if I ever become a politician who lives with a ten-year plan in my head.
IF a Liberal Democrat government DOESN'T support the scrapping of top-up fees, it will be for a major reason, like it can't physically in any way be afforded. And I KNOW that the moment the money becomes available, the Liberal Democrats WILL scrap them.
So whilst I may have to reluctantly swallow my vitriol in the very short term, as soon as the money becomes available, I can spit it right back up and show people. :D
Thanks for your comment. Looking back at the above blog piece, maybe I shouldn't blog under the influence of swine flu. It makes me mildly angry. ;) Once again, thank you, and keep contributing!
Ol
Wil_CC - huh? I'm afraid you're going to have to show me where/how the Lib Dems "let students down in Scotland". Because I was under the impression that Scottish students at Scottish universities don't have to pay up-front tuition fees at all... thanks to the Lib Dems pushing for it whilst in coalition. But of course if I'm wrong, I'll be happy to correct myself.
Also, can I make it clear that Clegg is NOT dropping the policy of top-up fees. It's typical of newspapers to sensationalise stories and twist words to make better headlines, but what he actually said is twofold:
1) Very serious and tough decisions need to be made in deciding what policy proposals can and can't be funded.
2) There should be no 'sacred cows' in doing so.
So yes, if the abolition of tuition fees cannot physically be afforded, then of course the Lib Dems wouldn't pretend to be able to afford them. That's just common sense.
But if they can be afforded, maybe after getting rid of excess funding in other departments, then the abolition of tuition fees will remain a priority. Where's the problem / hypocrisy?
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