With a vote of 323 to 302 the Coalition won the Parliamentary vote on tuition fees, despite criticism from Labour and rebellion from Lib Dem and Tory backbenchers. The coalition's proposed rise in tuition fees has led to the resignation of two ministerial aides – Mike Crockart and Jenny Willott. Two former Lib Dem leaders, Charles Kennedy and Sir Menzies Campbell, were among the 21 Lib Dem MPs who rebelled against the government proposals. Eight Lib Dems also abstained, although two were due to being at the climate change summit in Mexico.
As the debate was under way students were protesting outside parliament. After initially starting peacefully protests started to become violent towards the evening (as news of the votes result spread through the crowd), resulting in clashes with police, vandalising of the Treasury building with graffiti and window smashing and even an attack on the car of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla as they were unfortunate enough to drive past a group of protesters. Officers with riot shields and helmets charged at the protesters in an attempt to control them and there has again been reports of unnecessary violence (with one person even being knocked unconscious) and injuries to both protesters and police.
As stated in my previous post on tuition fees protests I am very much against the rise in tuition fees, so I am extremely disappointed in today's result. These rises are avoidable (80% university teaching budget cuts? C'mon!!) and students really don't need the large amount of debt University education will now bring. On the plus side the Lib Dems look unlikely to get anywhere in government for a long time after abandoning their pledge (although some did show they have principles and stuck to their promises). Despite these controversies I am still an avid Conservative; at least they didn't throw away a promise which got them most of their votes.
Showing posts with label Tuition Fees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tuition Fees. Show all posts
Dec 9, 2010
Nov 30, 2010
Student Protests - Part 3
Today, in England, saw the third wave of nationwide student protests against the plans to triple tuition fees.
Despite freezing weather thousands of university students, sixth formers and even younger secondary school students took to the streets. Unlike the previous two protests today's have been relatively peaceful with only a few minor problems such as the London protest deviating from the route agreed with police, clashes with police as they tried to forcefully clear Trafalgar Square at nightfall, and a number of scuffles at Bristol University. A large number of protests took the form of occupations of certain university rooms or buildings, with up to 32 still being occupied since the second round of protests last week.
There were chaotic scenes in London when 4,000 students marching towards parliament attempted to evade what they believed were police trying to 'kettle' them by dispersing across the city in separate marches, causing trouble for police attempting to control protests. The Met denied intentions to 'kettle' protesters despite the presence of metal barriers and rows of police officers along Whitehall. Instead, they blamed the protesters for all the confusion by beginning the march at an earlier than planned time.
Others marches in the country were more peaceful. In Newcastle students occupying a university building marched through the city centre peacefully with Northumbria police saying they had "nothing but praise" for the protesters with "no arrests and no reports of any trouble of any kind". Similarly peaceful protests took place in Cambridge, Edinburgh, Belfast and Nottingham. There were some troubles in Brighton after 600 protesters marching through the city attempted to force their way into Hove town hall before 100 scaled the roof of a car park and proceeded to throw missiles at police. However, no arrests were made. Students in Liverpool also scaled a roof, with two arrests made. In Birmingham around 40 protesters stormed a council hall building, prompting a stand-off with security and police - Leeds and Oxford saw similar events. Bristol also saw troubles as 1,000 protesters lit flares and marched through the city, ending in ten arrests and the M32 being closed then the march seemed to be heading towards the motorway.
The scale and spread of protests this month has shocked authorities who fear movements against various government cuts could spread. There are further marches planned for the 9th and 11th of December, and again on the day the vote on tuition fees takes place (rumoured to be mid December).
I have strong feelings against the rise in tuition fees but unfortunately have had little chance to take part in any of the protests held so far. I understand that a rise may be necessary but I see tripling them as far too unacceptable even if you don't start repaying the debts until you start earning £21,000. I can only hope that the frequent protests will get to MP's (in particular those slimy Lib Dems) by the time the vote takes place and convince them to vote against the rise.
Despite freezing weather thousands of university students, sixth formers and even younger secondary school students took to the streets. Unlike the previous two protests today's have been relatively peaceful with only a few minor problems such as the London protest deviating from the route agreed with police, clashes with police as they tried to forcefully clear Trafalgar Square at nightfall, and a number of scuffles at Bristol University. A large number of protests took the form of occupations of certain university rooms or buildings, with up to 32 still being occupied since the second round of protests last week.
There were chaotic scenes in London when 4,000 students marching towards parliament attempted to evade what they believed were police trying to 'kettle' them by dispersing across the city in separate marches, causing trouble for police attempting to control protests. The Met denied intentions to 'kettle' protesters despite the presence of metal barriers and rows of police officers along Whitehall. Instead, they blamed the protesters for all the confusion by beginning the march at an earlier than planned time.
Others marches in the country were more peaceful. In Newcastle students occupying a university building marched through the city centre peacefully with Northumbria police saying they had "nothing but praise" for the protesters with "no arrests and no reports of any trouble of any kind". Similarly peaceful protests took place in Cambridge, Edinburgh, Belfast and Nottingham. There were some troubles in Brighton after 600 protesters marching through the city attempted to force their way into Hove town hall before 100 scaled the roof of a car park and proceeded to throw missiles at police. However, no arrests were made. Students in Liverpool also scaled a roof, with two arrests made. In Birmingham around 40 protesters stormed a council hall building, prompting a stand-off with security and police - Leeds and Oxford saw similar events. Bristol also saw troubles as 1,000 protesters lit flares and marched through the city, ending in ten arrests and the M32 being closed then the march seemed to be heading towards the motorway.
The scale and spread of protests this month has shocked authorities who fear movements against various government cuts could spread. There are further marches planned for the 9th and 11th of December, and again on the day the vote on tuition fees takes place (rumoured to be mid December).
I have strong feelings against the rise in tuition fees but unfortunately have had little chance to take part in any of the protests held so far. I understand that a rise may be necessary but I see tripling them as far too unacceptable even if you don't start repaying the debts until you start earning £21,000. I can only hope that the frequent protests will get to MP's (in particular those slimy Lib Dems) by the time the vote takes place and convince them to vote against the rise.
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