Change for real, Change for good?

As temperatures plummet across the country things are hotting up at 4 Coward Street SW1, Liberal Democrat Headquarters, where the Parliamentary Lib Dems are under fire from their constituencies over tuition fees. 104 Lib Dem candidates, who did not win seats at the last election, have called on all 57 Lib Dem MPs to demonstrate some integrity and vote against the increase in fees.  

  

Nick Clegg's decision to back increases in tuition fees has brought about the first real test to the Coalition. During the election campaign every one of the 57 Lib Dem MPs signed a pledge to axe tuition fees. Of these, 15 are now ministers and so will not be able to rebel without losing their jobs. So far no ministers/whips have threatened to resign over the matter, although 13 backbenchers including ex-leaders Charles Kennedy, and Ming 'the merciful' Campbell have said they will vote against.

Derek Deedman

Four Tories also supported the pledge but with a government majority of 82, the rebels are a long way short of the 41 MPs required to defeat the proposal. The petition has been organised by a 19 year old student with the support of Arundel Lib Dem, Derek Deedman. They argue that the Liberal Democrat candidates made an unconditional pledge to vote against any increase in fees and they believe that promise must be kept. They also argue that the party's integrity is at risk and it could face "many more years back in the political wilderness". Well, Derek, I think you have been a bit slow on the uptake. 

The petition argues that, "There is one thing that sets the Liberal Democrats apart from other political parties; this is that when we say we will do something during election campaigns we then do it in government.” Student protesters have targeted the offices of Lib Dem MPs whilst according to the BBC, Nick Clegg has personally been persuading MPs to abstain rather than vote against the measure and he believed they becoming "comfortable" with the policy as they studied the details. The details of the wine list? 

It is has been reported that the  coalition agreement allows the Lib Dems to abstain in any parliamentary vote on fees. This is not true. As the Guardian recently noted, 'The wording of the coalition agreement is: "If the response of the government to Lord Browne's report is one that Liberal Democrats cannot accept, then arrangements will be made to enable Liberal Democrat MPs to abstain in any vote". However, since Lib Dem ministers have given their full support to the measures and , indeed, stressed their own part in forming the policy, it seems abstaining should not be an option. By offering the MPs the right to abstain Clegg is breaking the Coalition agreement. I'm sure the Tories will turn a blind eye if they win the vote but the cracks are opening up.

"What we stand for" - from the official party website

Is this how the Liberal Democrats are different? I'm afraid that the 'hope' lasted right up to the moment when they got a sniff of power. Could anyone have guessed that 'a fresh start' meant becoming Tories? After all those years of appearing to be like the good-natured but eccentric and bearded relations of politics - it is rather sad to see that Uncle Clegg and Auntie Cable are just as bad as all the others. Broken pledges, coercion of MPs and the relentless pursuit of personal ambition. Haven't we seen it all before?

Someone should send Clegg a copy of Faust. At least he can read it in the original German.  Unfortunately for the Lib Dems, the only 'change for good' that I can foresee is a final blow to their electoral credibility and, more importantly, they will weaken the case for electoral reform. Now that really would be a tragedy.

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