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| Cameron and colleagues are enjoying an easy ride. |
Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw a senior conservative on the TV or radio defending the trebling of tuition fees? Although it is their policy, the Conservatives might as well have been lying on a sandy beach on the other side of the world. Nobody seems to care about their motives behind such a controversial policy. People are too absorbed by the Lib Dem pledge-breaking saga, bringing joy to Conservatives as they relax, out of the political spotlight.
Make no mistake about it, the Tory cuts are ideological. If still in government when the economy returns to impressive growth, do you think they will bring back public services they now ‘have’ to scrap? Of course not, don’t be silly. But, anger towards the Lib Dems over tuition fees is having the straightforward effect of preventing anybody from realising or caring about the Conservative’s long term plans. Despite one infamous student protest at Conservative HQ, Clegg and Co have simply become a veil hiding the ideological motives behind Tory support for tuition fee rises and the wider cuts. Now, for a second, imagine the situation if the Lib Dems were not in such turmoil. People left, right and centre would be shouting ‘nasty Tories’ and comparing Cameron’s plans to the divisive retreat of the state which Mrs T enacted in the 1980s. Thus, those at Milbank Tower breathe a sigh of relief as their coalition junior partners feel the heat.
On a side note, minimal scrutinisation of the motives and intentions the Conservatives validate the tuition fee rises with is very telling. It highlights the ineffectiveness of Ed Miliband and the Labour Party to direct media and public attention onto David Cameron and his colleagues. If the Conservatives were under any significant amount of pressure on the issue then serious damage could be done to the heart of the coalition. As it stands though, Labour will gain very little from a surge of distrust towards the Lib Dems. The backbone of the government will remain strong as long as Clegg and Co remain on board, regardless of their popularity. Therefore, the party in opposition will continue to have little sway throughout this Parliament unless they can find a way to seriously harm Conservative popularity.
Make no mistake about it, the Tory cuts are ideological. If still in government when the economy returns to impressive growth, do you think they will bring back public services they now ‘have’ to scrap? Of course not, don’t be silly. But, anger towards the Lib Dems over tuition fees is having the straightforward effect of preventing anybody from realising or caring about the Conservative’s long term plans. Despite one infamous student protest at Conservative HQ, Clegg and Co have simply become a veil hiding the ideological motives behind Tory support for tuition fee rises and the wider cuts. Now, for a second, imagine the situation if the Lib Dems were not in such turmoil. People left, right and centre would be shouting ‘nasty Tories’ and comparing Cameron’s plans to the divisive retreat of the state which Mrs T enacted in the 1980s. Thus, those at Milbank Tower breathe a sigh of relief as their coalition junior partners feel the heat.
On a side note, minimal scrutinisation of the motives and intentions the Conservatives validate the tuition fee rises with is very telling. It highlights the ineffectiveness of Ed Miliband and the Labour Party to direct media and public attention onto David Cameron and his colleagues. If the Conservatives were under any significant amount of pressure on the issue then serious damage could be done to the heart of the coalition. As it stands though, Labour will gain very little from a surge of distrust towards the Lib Dems. The backbone of the government will remain strong as long as Clegg and Co remain on board, regardless of their popularity. Therefore, the party in opposition will continue to have little sway throughout this Parliament unless they can find a way to seriously harm Conservative popularity.
