tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8437303161015737280.post5893116531672085783..comments2015-04-15T12:20:44.766-07:00Comments on JR: The Dream Dissolves ...jamesryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865382084760843577noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8437303161015737280.post-61201376784268930532011-02-21T04:04:25.868-08:002011-02-21T04:04:25.868-08:00Thanks for the largely supportive comments. I took...Thanks for the largely supportive comments. I took no joy in writing the article. I really believed that the LibDems were different, a breath of fresh air and would bring this country a new politics. I felt proud to be a part of it. Instead, they have aided a Tory party that failed to garner support at the ballot box to deliver a right-wing agenda that Mrs Thatcher could only have dreamt of. I had thought they could tempter the excesses of the right - in fact all they have done is legitimise it. It's all very sad. Tim Farron is a good man indeed - though I have been disappointed by some of his (no doubt diplomatic) utterances since becoming chair. But the LDs in Govt have shown scant regard for the Party hierarchy or its members - I can see nothing changing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8437303161015737280.post-20637835517351564292011-01-18T01:07:35.347-08:002011-01-18T01:07:35.347-08:00A founder member, I now can't sleep properly a...A founder member, I now can't sleep properly at night as I struggle to come to terms with the fact that my teenage children will be expecting to go to Uni and will be exiting with some £60,000 of debt each (fees and living expenses). As parents we've had no chance to budget for this over their life to date. If it's such a great thing to pay for your Uni education, why not slap a £30 a week tax on all graduates earning over £21,000 from April 1st this year. Answer is the Government would be too scared to. Renew my party membership? What do you think?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8437303161015737280.post-16875423774173406932011-01-16T22:58:24.604-08:002011-01-16T22:58:24.604-08:00I agree with so much of your thoughts, especially ...I agree with so much of your thoughts, especially on tuition fees and free H.E. The broken pledge is Nick's 'two jags' label which will stick to him and the wider party for a generation. It was an amazing omission from the Coalition agreement - just amazing! Our coalition special conference should have thrown it back - it didn't. Cable should have thrown out the Browne report - he didn't. I am perhaps more pragmatic on what is achievable with the current deficit and set more store in getting that burden down. We have to, then, regain the policy initiative of social-economic freedom and inclusivity on the conference floor whilst the likes of Tim Farron tries to improve our image and bolster the party's radical base.JohnMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12880436007058091917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8437303161015737280.post-87903905213371112022011-01-16T14:07:41.978-08:002011-01-16T14:07:41.978-08:00Anthony, we have an entirely Tory scheme in place ...Anthony, we have an entirely Tory scheme in place now, its just that we have Lib Dem fingerprints all over it, so we get the blame.<br /><br />Jules, a brilliant article.<br /><br />Left Lib indeed Yes, I'm waiting in the yellow corner for Farron, or for a chance to vote against Clegg. It's the number one reason for me to remain a Lib Dem, to be part of the renewal that will be needed to put right the mess we are in now.Nich Starlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04237390959601973501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8437303161015737280.post-27791719612614052432011-01-11T14:48:00.197-08:002011-01-11T14:48:00.197-08:00I got this far, "Have the LibDems betrayed th...I got this far, "Have the LibDems betrayed their voters? In my opinion, the answer is unequivocally 'yes'."<br /><br />And then I'm afraid, I realised I would disagree.<br /><br />"What is worse – far worse – is that LibDem ministers have been the architects of this policy. They could have stood aside on the issue and abstained – better still they could have opposed the changes, as they had campaigned to do. "<br /><br />And ended up with an entirely Tory scheme. Brilliant. Well done. Voting in favour, breaking the pledge - a terrible price for making the scheme as fair as it could be. The vast majority of the electorate voted for parties that would increase fees. So what do people expect?<br /><br />"Graduates may well be paying off their loans when they are grandparents."<br /><br />Only if they're grandparents before they're 51 - as the loans have a max time limit.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14726791152439067293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8437303161015737280.post-15864860771727195222011-01-11T14:02:23.794-08:002011-01-11T14:02:23.794-08:00Stick around. Tim Farron may become leader soon an...Stick around. Tim Farron may become leader soon and the party can then head in a new direction again.Left Libhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06363370783879139149noreply@blogger.com