I believe the AS markings are not harsh at all. They will add the appropriate grade boundaries for varying difficulties of exam papers.
I see many people get full UMS in many exams. So, in my opinion, the AS markings are very, very fair.
If AS markings were to be soft, then what is the point of exams? They need to be harsh to measure a person's capabilities successfully. If they lower the standards, the quality of education and potential employees will decline. People will always get the grade they deserve (except for certain reasons such as medical reasons of course).
Edit: I understand if some people have achieved very poor grades; the poor grades should be a wake up call for these people to work harder and/or alter their revision methods, rather than spending this time giving me a thumbs down. The harshness of markings will prepare you for the real world - prepare you for the standards of work that your employer expects from you. Higher grade boundaries motivate people to work much more harder and it raises standards. You think life and the world of work is easy? Nope, it isn't. Without standards, then as a country (United Kingdom), we won't be able to succeed and surpass other countries. Many second world countries have surpassed USA in terms of education already! Why? USA has low grade boundaries and there are too many people achieving an A. An A will be worth less if markings were to be less harsh. For example, the exam system wouldn't work if everyone who sat an AS exam achieved an A, would it? The 'A' wouldn't mean anything in this case as it cannot be used as a measure of capability for universities and employers. Although, feel free to thumb me down if it really makes you feel any better... Don't give up, keep your head high and try your best! People who face trouble often blame it on others as a way out; instead of blaming the exam boards, blame yourself - it's not the exam's fault, the exam system is not harsh - it may be your revision method, exam technique and/or perhaps you didn't put enough hardwork into it. It's up to the candidate whether they can achieve a good grade or not. Don't blame your friends and family either, if your friends asked you to hang out, you are free to stay home and study, no one's forcing you and at the end of the day, you have free will. Remember this is not GCSE standard. An A Level qualification will no longer be a valid achievement if it was too easy for everyone - I mean... look at GCSEs, GCSEs are not that valuable.