[Budgie]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19652449

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjOa1bWYMs8

I am biased as I broadly support the changes, although I think apologising for the very personal pledge each Lib Dem MP made was the right move. I also find this quite remarkable - have you ever seen a politician do something like this before?

Having said that, there are some funny jabs at the Tories and Labour in there.

[Skaterkid]

bit too late for that?

[Alexgadgetman]

(Original post by Budgie)
[have you ever seen a politician do something like this before?

I'd never seen a politician hold up a placard with a single declaration on it so clearly until Clegg and his cronies came along.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...onfeesple.jpg/

Heyho, the Libdems, doing the unexpected and totally ****ing moronic continually. Standard.

[meenu89]

I always wondered why so many students fell for it, it was never going to happen. He was never ever going to have a majority in the House of Commons.

[Matthew_Lowson]

The problem is now is that having waited two years down to try and make this apology, that few will take it seriously. Even those in his own party are dismissing it as too little too late. And on top he insists that it's not an apology for the action taken since. The issue is and I don't he has realised but his children now could benefit from the fee hikes.

Methinks that something is up within the party for him to switch for insisting that he wouldn't apologise to making this apology.

In Ireland during the 2007 election the Green party leader promised that his party would not go into government with the largest party, Fianna Fail. At the end of the election, the Green party members voted to do just that but the Green party leader apologised for the decision that had been taken and announced his resignation before the parliamentary term began.

[chrislpp]

(Original post by meenu89)
I always wondered why many students fell for it, it was never going to happen.

Young, dumb and impressionable.

An example of voters and politics in general, people would rather hear the **** they want to hear rather than a proper candidate admitting cuts.

All in all it is a good pre-cursor for what is to come for the generation developing right now, the bailouts are going to be payed back by that generation for lack of spine and conviction from the generation before.

[kashim91]

He should apologise for breaking his pledge, not for making it in the first place

Edit: Theres only two people I can think of who would have negged this, Nick Clegg and David Cameron

[Snagprophet]

Tbh it wouldn't have made any difference other than slow up the process. How do you expect a minority party in government to defeat the majority party in something they completely have opposite opinions about?

[Alexgadgetman]

(Original post by Snagprophet)
Tbh it wouldn't have made any difference other than slow up the process. How do you expect a minority party in government to defeat the majority party in something they completely have opposite opinions about?

What are you on about.... have you paid no attention to British politics in the last two years?

[JoeWHU]

So Nick Clegg, has just admitted to breaking a pledge, and now he's pledging to never break a pledge.
Something doesn't add up...

[M'Ling]

If I ever get the chance to meet him, I will pledge to his face that he will have my vote come the next election.

Then I will vote Green

Revenge will be sad, but sweet.

[Table dust]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTLR8R9JXz4&feature=plcp

lets not forget this gem

[eff01]

Lol, bit late for that! If the Liberals in government had said no to the Conservatives, tuition fees would not have not increased, it is as simple as that. I don't think his apology now means anything. Election after election the Liberals pledged that they would scrap tuition fees, but when it came to making the decision the Liberal leadership gave in soo badly.

[Budgie]

(Original post by eff01)
Lol, bit late for that! If the Liberals in government had said no to the Conservatives, tuition fees would not have not increased, it is as simple as that.

No, it's not. The Browne Review was set up by Labour in an attempt to depoliticise the issue, and give both Labour and the Tories cover for the fee rises they both knew were coming. In that scenario, a weak Tory minority government would have given way to a majority government of either Tories or Labour after an election, and fees would have risen. Don't forget that Labour did the exact same U-turn in their second term (and with no apology).

The Lib Dems were the only party to pledge not to raise fees and were always going to struggle to implement that pledge.

[eff01]

(Original post by Budgie)
No, it's not. The Browne Review was set up by Labour in an attempt to depoliticise the issue, and give both Labour and the Tories cover for the fee rises they both knew were coming. In that scenario, a weak Tory minority government would have given way to a majority government of either Tories or Labour after an election, and fees would have risen. Don't forget that Labour did the exact same U-turn in their second term (and with no apology).

The Lib Dems were the only party to pledge not to raise fees and were always going to struggle to implement that pledge.

I'm sorry it is. If the Lib Dems during the coalition talks had said to Conservatives that we will not support a tuition fee increase, thus it should not happen, the Conservative Party would have no other choice but not to increase it. The student vote for the Lib Dems was based on this pledge. You can't make a pledge in public, campaign on it during the election and then dramatically U-turn just to form a government. Just because Labour did it doesn't then mean it is acceptable for another party to do it as well. The Lib Dems opposed Labour's decision, but as soon as they came into power they proceeded to act in a similar way. No matter what way you want to dress up, the Lib Dems in government have a significant amount of power, sometimes this power is not even recognised by them.

[electriic_ink]

(Original post by chrislpp)
Young, dumb and impressionable.

Unlike you, of course.

[Snagprophet]

(Original post by Alexgadgetman)
What are you on about.... have you paid no attention to British politics in the last two years?

So you think the minority of government members, the Lib Dems, could take on and defeat a united Tory policy?

[emanuela15]

He's acting as though there's an election coming up. Why the sudden change, Cleggy?

[Alexgadgetman]

(Original post by Snagprophet)
So you think the minority of government members, the Lib Dems, could take on and defeat a united Tory policy?

God forbid there should be anyone else who votes on bills...

[Hopple]

(Original post by Budgie)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19652449

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjOa1bWYMs8

I am biased as I broadly support the changes, although I think apologising for the very personal pledge each Lib Dem MP made was the right move. I also find this quite remarkable - have you ever seen a politician do something like this before?

Having said that, there are some funny jabs at the Tories and Labour in there.

I've never seen a politician sign a written pledge in front of dozens of witnesses and potentially millions more on TV yet still wriggle out of it. He was planning on ditching the pledge even before the Tories 'made him'. He didn't make a mistake by going back on his word, he'd do it again and the only mistake we now need to worry about is students voting for him again in the hope that he'll represent their interests.