Tuition Fees Protests

So today saw 50,000 students marching through the streets of London at the proposed rise in tuition fees to £6,000 and £9,000. If you were to switch on the news, you'd probably get the impression that this was a mob of rabid students tearing through the capital destroying everything in sight, but thankfully it looks like the majority of the protest was carried out peacefully. The Police sensibly showing restrain for once, but probably underestimating the number of officers needed.

Protesters outside Conservative Party HQ - AP

The breaking into Tory HQ wasn't good, but I was surprised how quickly Aaron Porter (NUS President) and others condemned it. Well not so much surprised - I mean their number one concern is their own reputation, it would seem - but if there had been no word from NUS straight away about the violence, I can't help but feel it would have sent a stronger message to the government. Perhaps a feeling of "crap... this is only going to get worse..." Instead, the 'anarchists' and 'Trotskyites' have been blamed and NUS shuffles off into the corner looking embarrassed at a peaceful protest gone wrong.

I'm certainly no fan of violence and it's a big shame that those on both sides were injured (3 police and 6 protesters, is the latest), but it had happened, and surely it's better to play that to your advantage to shock the government and to get a message across? The breaking of a few windows and desks are a tiny dent in the pocket of the Conservative Party in comparison to the damage of saddling a whole generation of new students with millions of pounds of debt every year...

Defeated

And this is where I should have a post saying how Labour have suffered badly! How not only the Torys, but also the LibDems have made great gains! How the LibDems have safely held South Norfolk!

But NO!
Labour have suffered moderately (in england at least), the Tory's have done well - too well, and often at the expense of the LibDems and NOT Labour!
The Conservatives gained 6 councils from the Liberal Democrats (including my own), and only 6 again from Labour; gaining 35 from NOC.
So now, for the first time in my life, I unfortunately live in an area with a Conservative council. What I want to know is how did the South Norfolk Liberal Democrats manage to loose 20 of their 27 seats to the conners? They go from a 8 seat majority to having 32 seats less than the Torys! Anyway, I am off to cry.

Congratulations to Mr Little who now has another friend on Norwich City Council after the Torys gained a seat. The Cons now make up 7.7% of the council, and are the forth party below Labour, Lib Dems and Greens (with only 3 seats).


Feel free to leave comments about the results in your area and your disappointment/happiness.

Parliamentary Debating Club

Our politics class, plus a few more stragglers, are now part of a Parliamentary Debating Club organised by the one and only Mr. Little.
Mr. Little plans to use our debating skills to take over the world by entering us in a competition, for which we have to record a video of our own PMQ's and another of a Parliamentary Debate.
Yesterday, Mr. Little (who is still suffering from man flu, and apparently "only being kept alive by lemsips") decided who would be who in our first attempt at a PMQ's. We have 6 Labour MPs (led by PM Sophia), 5 Tory MPs, and 3 LibDems. Due to my excessively long hair last week, I was given the job of backbencher LibDem, which I have no problems with, and its possibly the position that best suits my beliefs.
By next Friday I need to have thought up some questions that I can ask the PM, as well as decide upon the name of my constituency (I've thought up some great options!)

More updates on this later - with any luck, Labour will ask some pointless questions praising the PM, the Cons will batter the PM like anything, and we will ask some sensible questions that no one really cares about, and it will have been a realistic PMQ's!

1 in 10 think Tory's have had it!

An ICM poll for the guardian in december found that 12% of people asked thought that the Conservatives may never be returned to power.

The question asked was "When do you think the Conservatives maybe returned to power?"
The majority suggested it would be in one of the next two elections, but 12% of the sample of 1006 (thats 121 people!)
Perhaps it was because they surveyed lots of left wing "tory-haters", or perhaps it was because favour is still moving against the Conservatives?

Next election: 37%
Not until two elections time: 30%
Not until 3 elections time or later: 7%
Will never return to power: 12%
Don't know 15%

You can see this pole and other polls from December 06 Here. Including the voting intentions poll, which shows the conservatives with a majority (40% to Labour's 32%.) So it looks like the world is going crazy... or just the country... or just the Tories... no, they were always crazy... no, I'm just joking!

Side-note:
Accorting to politicalbetting.com, Hilary Clinton is odds on to be the 2008 president of the USA (and obviously she is odds on to be the Democrat Candidate, and the Democrats are odds on to win...) However betters seem to have lost hold of their hats, and the odds for a female president are lower than for a non-female president. Either the betters believe Hilary Clinton to be a man, or they are betting like idiots.... I shall leave my reader(s) to contemplate the intelligence of the American population...

Cameron's Speech

Hmmm, how peculiar. I have to say that I enjoyed the Tory leader's speech today, but for a change it isn't because I was severely disagreeing with it.

For once David Cameron's speech seemed to make sense; he spoke about the NHS, stopping crime at its source and same sex ceremonies, while at the same time standing in front of his "Tree".

I haven't seen what anyone else thought about this yet (except Channel 4) however I think he's shown that he can be the Blair of the Tory party. Depending on who becomes Prime Minister over the next year, the Tory's are in with a tradgicly fantastic chance of winning the '09 election - especially if Labour field Gordon Brown or John Reid as their leader.

I would however have to advise him that if he doesn't change his hair style to something less waxed then the swing voters will all go for the bald guy. Did you hear that Sir Campbell? I Said did you hear that Sir Campbell?!? I do apologuise - I believe our friend has fallen asleep. Oh well... at least he isn't drunk.