The Liberal Democrats' remarkable u-turn on tuition fees

By Tim Montgomerie

The LibDems' tuition fees u-turn, expertly executed by Vince Cable in the Commons, was the right thing for the higher education sector. As the Business Secretary said, it is "no longer feasible" to oppose tuition fees given the debt situation. I also applaud Mr Cable's attack on what he called the "misguided" target of getting 50% of young people into university. I found myself nodding vigorously when he said that an apprenticeship could be just as valuable as a degree; "if not more".

But before we move on it is worth noting that the Liberal Democrats' policy on tuition fees wasn't any ordinary policy. Nick Clegg and most other LibDem MPs and candidates signed a pledge promising to vote against an increase in tuition fees. The party's website set out a timetable for scrapping all fees. At the last two elections, twinned with the party's anti-war stance, it was a policy that was vital to LibDem success in a number of university towns. It's time for promises to be kept, said Nick Clegg. This video records the LibDem leader's words:

Although I'm pleased that the LibDems aren't sticking with their old position and therefore endangering sensible funding of Britain's universities, voters, partricularly student voters, won't quickly forget the dishonest campaigning of Britain's third party. The fiscal situation isn't any worse than was obvious at the time of the General Election. LibDem candidates in university constituencies deceived voters and there should be a price for that.

65% of Liberal Democrat members see themselves as left-of-centre

By Tim Montgomerie

LibDem delegates in Liverpool have just voted AGAINST the Coalition's free schools policy and we shouldn't be surprised. A new YouGov survey of 566 Liberal Democrat members finds broad support for Nick Clegg's decision to form a Coalition with the Conservatives but it also reveals that, at heart, the party leans Left:

• In a hypothetical hung Parliament situation where the Liberal Democrats could form a majority government with either party, and both offered equally good deals, 46% of Lib Dem members would prefer a deal with Labour. Only 26% would go with the Conservatives.
• Lib Dem members reject the idea of an election pact with the Conservatives at the next election by 21% to 66%.
• On a left right scale 65% of Liberal Democrat members identify themselves as being left-of-centre.

More at YouGov.

The Guardian leads today on Mr Clegg's pledge that his deal with Cameron is a one term deal. There'll be no electoral pacts of the kind floated, first, by Mark Field MP and, last week, by another Tory MP, Nick Boles. This may be the case now but the attitude might change if LibDems like Chris Huhne are facing annihilation at the next General Election without a non-agression pact with the Conservatives.

> Earlier today ConHome noted the Coalition's latest concessions to the Liberal Democrats.

Harriet Harman launches massive attack on Liberal Democrats

Harriet Harman's response to the Budget was remarkable for the ferocity with which she went for the Liberal Democrats. The plain text does not capture the anger and loathing she demonstrated for the junior partners in the Coalition but here it is:

"This reckless Tory Budget would not be possible without the Lib Dems.

The Lib Dems denounced early cuts; now they are backing them.

They denounced VAT increases; now they are voting for them.

How could they support everything they fought against?

How could they let down everyone who voted for them?

How could they let the Tories so exploit them?

Do they not see that they are just a fig leaf?

The Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary is just the Chancellor’s fig leaf.

The Deputy Prime Minister is just the Prime Minister’s fig leaf.

The Lib Dems’ leaders have sacrificed everything they ever stood for to ride in ministerial cars and to ride on the coat tails of the Tory Government.

Twenty-two Liberal Democrat ministerial jobs have been bought at the cost of tens of thousands of other people’s.

The Liberal Democrats used to stand up for people’s jobs, but now they only stand up for their own.

Look at the Business Secretary, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable).

The House has noticed his remarkable transformation in the past few weeks from national treasure to Treasury poodle.

They have no mandate for this Budget; this Budget has no legitimacy.

Even if the Lib Dems will not speak up for jobs, we will.

Even if they will not fight for fairness, we will, and even if they will not protest against Tory broken promises, we will."

Graphic from Tom Harris MP.

There is no sign - yet - in the polls that the Liberal Democrats are suffering for being part of the Coalition but I expect Labour's number one aim - once a leader is chosen - to significantly erode Liberal Democrat support in Scotland, Wales (where there are elections next year) and in northern cities.

If the LibDems start retreating badly in left leaning parts of the country I expect Clegg/Hughes/Cable will look for an early opportunity to break free. Once, of course, they have electoral reform in the bag.

Tim Montgomerie

Simon Hughes could be the man - one day - to tell Nick Clegg that the Coalition is no longer in the Liberal Democrats' interests

We learnt yesterday that Simon Hughes will stand for the deputy leadership of the Liberal Democrats.

A vacancy has arisen because of the decision of Vince Cable to step down in order, he explained, to focus on being Business Secretary.

Mr Hughes - seen as on the Left of his party - was a staunch defender of the Coalition deal after it had been sealed. He was hardly off the airwaves, appearing on TV's Question Time and Radio's Any Questions in the space of 24 hours - breaking the normal convention that no guest appears on both programmes in the same week.

That loyalty does not mean that Mr Hughes will stay true to the Coalition. He could become the champion of the party's Left if LibDems do disproportionately badly in future elections.

Bumpy times certainly lie ahead because of the looming public spending cuts. A new Labour leader's first task will be to fight the Liberal Democrats in next year's Scottish and Welsh elections. Labour will then turn its fire against the Liberal Democrats in major urban centres, particularly Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle. The Labour message will inevitably be 'The Liberal Democrats are keeping the nasty, cutting Tories in power'.

Tim Montgomerie

How could a Lib-Lab coalition be negotiated when a leadership election is in the offing?

Another thought, further to my post earlier suggesting that a Lib-Lab coalition was most certainly not what the country had voted for.

How on earth could the Lib Dems negotiate a deal with Labour under Brown when a Labour leadership election is about to take place?

Quite apart form the whole issue of having anohter unelected Prime MInister, what happens if some of the contenders run on a ticket which is at odds with the terms of the deal?

It is a recipe for serious political (and economic) instability.

Jonathan isaby

A Lab-Lib coalition is the last thing the country voted for

So just when the negotiations between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems were reportedly yielding good progress, it turns out that the Lib Dems are also opening up talks with Labour, now that Gordon Brown is resigning.

Is this a tactical move to seek further concessions from the ongoing negotiations with the Conservatives? We'll have to wait and see, but I suspect that the public will not be impressed.

The last outcome that the country indicated it wanted at the general election was a coalition between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The voters' verdict was clear in that they sent fewer Lib Dem MPs back to Westminster and far, far fewer Labour MPs - showing their desire for Labour to be ejected from office.

Would it not be outrageous for those two parties to cobble together an arrangement - under yet another unelected Prime Minister?

Jonathan Isaby

1,000 protestors gather outside meeting of LibDem MPs demanding proportional representation

The crowd demanding 'fair votes' has just been addressed by Nick Clegg. The Liberal Democrat leader received a petition from 20,000 voters in support of electoral reform. The protest illustrated the difficult position facing Mr Clegg. If he doesn't secure a promise from Mr Cameron on electoral reform he'll face a backlash from his base. An Ipsos MORI poll - reported earlier today - found that 46% of Liberal Democrat voters preferred a deal with Labour and just 31% preferred a LibCon pact.

Tim Montgomerie

Lib Dem activist arrested and held over alleged vandalism of Conservative election posters in Eastbourne

The BBC has more details of the story:

"A man believed to a volunteer for the Liberal Democrats has been arrested by police investigating vandalism and theft of Conservative election posters. The 38-year-old from Eastbourne, East Sussex, is being held by Sussex Police on suspicion of theft and harassment. He surrendered himself to officers in the company of his solicitor just after 1800 BST on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the Liberal Democrats said he would no longer be helping them with their election campaign. He added: "A Liberal Democrat volunteer did attend the police station this afternoon. He will be playing no further part in our election campaign." The man is not a candidate for the party.

"A Sussex Police spokesman said: "Police are investigating the vandalism and theft of political campaigning election signs from locations across Eastbourne. "They have this evening arrested a man on suspicion of theft and vandalism. He is currently in custody and will be questioned this evening."

Jonathan Isaby

The Liberal Democrats say one thing and do another

There's also this video... Last Thursday, on Question Time, Vince Cable said he doesn't know where the figure of 600,000 people being eligible for the LibDem amnesty comes from... it comes from Nick Clegg as the video reveals!

Tim Montgomerie

See Nick Clegg's flip-flopping on a hung parliament exposed when you spin the Lib Dem Wheel of Misfortune

Tory HQ has put together this website which exposes the utter inconsistency and flip-flopping of Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems over whether or not they would back Gordon Brown and Labour in the event of a hung parliament.

This is of course all part of the pushing of the point that you can only be guaranteed real change and be rid of the Brown Government if you vote Conservaitve on Thursday.

Jonathan Isaby