Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Liberal Democrat MPs should not abstain on tuition fees

I find it hard to see why there is so much enthusiasm at Westminster for the idea that all Liberal Democrat MPs should abstain when he vote on tuition fees takes place.

Abstention will make our cabinet ministers, particularly Vince Cable, look foolish. At the same time, it will not satisfy the constituents of Liberal Democrat MPs who voted for them because they pledged to oppose any increase.

Sometimes parties in power have backbench rebellions. It is not the end of the world. I would rather see the Liberal Democrats split on the issue than abstaining en masse and satisfying no one.

4 comments:

Dan Falchikov said...

Quite. We can hardly argue we've improved the Browne proposals and got them to more closely match our principles and then not vote in favour.

I've said something similar here:

http://livingonwords.blogspot.com/2010/11/why-saying-nothing-may-be-best-policy.html

John Minard said...

Yes, I agree I've noted this in my post: http://web.me.com/minard/A_Splash_Of_Liberal_Optimism/Splash_blog%21/Entries/2010/12/1_rev_And_The_Headline_News_Is__Agony!_However!.html

but basically we should have kicked the Browne report into the long grass and or - still- do that!

crewegwyn said...

Agree 100%.

Derek Wall said...

I fear your party has been taken over by the 'free market' but strong state borg have a look at this very hostile view of student protest from a lib dem councillor http://tinyurl.com/32xubfm