Liberal Youth in final lobby against Tuition Fee rise

Liberal Youth, the youth and student wing of the Liberal Democrats, will today lobby Lib Dem MPs in a final effort to vote down the proposed rise in Tuition Fees.

Explaining the organisations actions, Liberal Youth Policy Officer and Southport Branch Chair Sarah Harding said:

“Over recent months Liberal Youth have nationally and locally been working with our Liberal Democrats Parliamentarians to encourage them to vote against increasing the cap on fees.

While Labour have been caught up in rank hypocrisy on this issue, the Liberal Democrats in government have put forward proposals that are better than Labour’s discredited policy. However, Liberal Youth simply do not think it is right that any government asks young people to start their working life in huge personal debt, even under an improved pay back system.

Southport Liberal Youth are delighted that John Pugh MP has already pledged to vote against the proposals, and urge others to follow his lead."

Opinion: Browne, thanks but no thanks

Labour failed a generation of young people and students in this country. They left them with debt, with unemployment, and with a deficit worth £25,000 to each person. But in their final months they did do something to help.

Commissioning the Browne Review in Higher Education Funding reopened the debate on education in this country; it allowed those interested to have their say, and more importantly be listened to. It gave the Coalition Government the chance to reform the education system.

For Liberal Youth, our primary aim is to represent our membership, to do our best for them, and as such we set up a Post-16 Education Working Group, a committee consulting on everything from FE and HE, to adequate apprentice support. The Working Group’s primary evaluations concluded the vast majority of participants support the goal of universal free education paid for by general taxation. Not free at the point of access and pay later. Simply free.

Objectively speaking, the Browne Review has good intentions; increasing student choice, greater investment and widening access to disadvantaged groups, are all honourable aims. The problem is we disagree with how to achieve them.

Expanding the availability of grants and bursary’s, increasing the minimum income threshold and finding a long term funding solution must happen. Nevertheless, if Lord Browne’s recommendations are accepted, we will fail those who need our help the most; increasing tuition fees and interest on loans are regressive steps, the physical and mental consequences of debt are ignored and some people who deserve to go to university will be priced out of the market. Our aim must be universal free education at all levels.

The worst news we’ve heard this morning is perhaps not the content of the Browne Review, after all, it does not have to be accepted, it is that the proposals are to be rushed through. When all organisations were promised six months to consult their memberships, hearing that it is to be fast-tracked is the worst crime. For people who received a free education to restrict our access to one without talking to us is fairly disingenuous.

The Browne Review is devastating to the long-term goal of education based on ability, rather than the ability to pay. The Student Finance Plan, whilst being a thorough and pragmatic solution to university funding during difficult economic times, does not meet the needs of those who will use it. Its aims are laudable, but it is not the solution.

Parliamentarians work for the people, not for themselves. To all parties; I ask on behalf of Liberal Youth, to work for the students of this country, to find a Plan B, and a step towards our aim. Fight for free education, and honour the pledge to vote NO to increased tuition fees in any guise.

Education is worth more than any price tag.

And Lord Browne? Thanks, but no thanks.

Sarah Harding

Policy Officer, Liberal Youth

Chair, Southport Liberal Youth

Article reproduced from the Times online newspaper

This is what REAL progressive politics looks like...

I, along with Sarah H and a delegation from the Southport Liberal Democrats, attended a mega training day put on by Chris Davies our regional MEP. It was a great day, with lots of training events to keep us all up to dat ewith the latest campaigning techniques and messages.

The highlight for me was listening to Andrew Stunell, MP for Hazel Grove and our Minister in Government for Communities and Local Government. He was also one of our four MP's who negotiated with the Conservatives to give us our Coalition Government agreement.

The word 'revolutionary' is often overused in politics, but I think it can truly be applied to the localism agenda that will form a key feature of this Parliament.

Localism is all about decentralising and detaching the strangling tendrils of central Government. Its about realising that different areas have individual needs and priorities and that Whitehall diktats dont work. One example of this was the Regional Spatial Strategies, housebuilding targets imposed from the centre on to communities. These gave no leeway to local opinion. RSS has now been abolished by the new government.

This is relevant to all of us. It will mean that town, parish and local Councils will all be able to have a say about local budgets and local services.

We need look no further locally than the stalemate over the Childrens Walk in Centre for Southport. Its clearly a service that local people want and need, yet nothing is happening.

There is nothing that will invoke electoral apathy more than this sort of situation. You can understand why people are turned off voting if they think that they have no real say or any real possibility of having one. This is even further entrenched if people also feel disillusioned with their ability to enact any change through their votes. Its not hard to see how people then think, ' well whats the point voting, I cant change anything can I?' Or, 'well, i really like that candidate and that party, but they cant win here, so my vote will just be a wasted one.'

A new and progressive politics has to challenge and eradicate the 'whats the point,' and 'why bother' attitudes that the Labour Government certainly didn't tackle. Localism and political reform in the shape of fairer votes, will truly radicalise the political system as we know it.

Next May's referendum on a fairer voting system will be a great opportunity, not just for the Liberal Democrats, but for all those that don't feel they have a voice.

Its time to shout loudly!

BOTY Awards

As was saying yesterday, Lib Dems like a lot of things, and another of our favourite things (very Sound of Music-eque) is blogging.

So every year around this time, as Conference fever hits, are the Lib Dem Blog of the Year awards. This years shortlists have just been announced and are as follows:

Best new Liberal Democrat blog (started since 1st September 2009)

Jeremy Rowe
Libdem Child by Maelo Manning
Nick Thornsby’s Blog
Spiderplant Land by Lisa Harding
Virtually Naked by Charlotte Henry

Best blog from a Liberal Democrat holding public office (The Tim Garden Award)

A Lanson Boy by Alex Folkes
Anders Hanson
Birkdale Focus
Liberal Bureaucracy by Mark Valladares
Lynne Featherstone MP

Best use of blogging/social networking/e-campaigning by a Liberal Democrat

Bridget Fox for her challenge to the Digital Economy Bill
Daisy Benson for Daisy’s Campaign Diary
Nick Barlow (with Justin McKeating) for the hashtag: #nickcleggsfault
Simon McGrath for the Facebook group Vote Clegg, Get Clegg
Tamora Langley for her online campaigns as 2010 Parliamentary Candidate for Lewisham Deptford

Best posting on a Liberal Democrat blog (since 1st September 2009)
An Open Letter To The Labour Party by Andrew Hickey
Considering the Evidence Means You Must Consider Your Position by Alex Wilcock
Day 3401: Memo to the Labour Party – We Hate You Too by Millennium Elephant
Keeping my child safe – an over-anxious mum writes by Caron Lindsay
Ten reasons why, if you’re considering voting Labour, you should think again by Liz Williams

Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog

And Another Thing by Tom Harris MP
Left Foot Forward
Mid-Wife Crisis by Molly Bennett
Penny Red by Laurie Penny
The Charlotte Gore Blog

Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year 2010

Caron’s Musings by Caron Lindsay
Lynne Featherstone MP
Mark Reckons by Mark Thompson
The Very Fluffy Diary of Millennium Dome, Elephant
Politicomaniac by Joe Jordan

So who are we supporting??

Personally, I feel there are many, many worthy candidates for the coveted titles, but I would LOVE to see Birkdale Focus Blog come out of on top of the pile for the bes blog belonging to a Lib Dem hldig office.

The blog is mainly written by Sefton Councillor Iain Brodie Browne of Birkdale Ward, and contains comments about possibly one of the widest ranges of material i've ever seen. The blog is highly intelligent and is generally good for a laugh. My best advice? Check it out. There's a link above or to the left of your screen.

Also a mention to Charlotte Henry's Virtually Naked blog, great content, witty articles and a slight obsession with Spurs.

Regardless of the winner, the whole thing is #nickcleggfault

Committees, Raffles and Beer

There are perhaps two or three things a Liberal Democrat likes beyond all others; committees (note the plural), raffles (again the plural) and beer. And whilst I'm not for one moment condoning excessive alcohol intake, I maybe should have said beers.

I, and another LY rep have just returned from a good committee.

Occasionally there are times when you have to say "screw the rulebook, we're going to do what is right", and tonight was one of those nights. The local party executive had to make a decision, not a giant one like 40% cuts or where we stand on academies, but, on whether we could dole out punishment for a problem we only noticed after all was done and dusted and lived happily ever after.

No-one shall be enslaved by ignorance, I like that (paraphrased) line in our constitution. It means we don't hurt others for what they've blindly done to us, and we help them out rather than punish them when they do. An eye for an eye makes us all blind.

So we decided not to punish the gentleman involved, but to help him out- give him a second chance- and pray he's free for delivering the newspaper sometime next week. As a local party we've learnt some vital lessons, but as people, i think we did what was right. After tonight's meeting, I'm proud my local party and of my Lib Dem membership card.

I know I've revealed no details of what happened, and you may be thinking what was the point of this post, but it's simple.

Tonight, I like the Liberal Democrats. Because say what you want about us, we've got a heart.

And with that, I'm off to get another beer.

Greener and Cleaner Futures

Southport Liberal Youth members, Sarah Harding and Lauren Keith had a great time at today's' Green Fayre.

Stalls included the RSPB, the Fair Trade Shop, and local traders and visitors were able to experience free massages and a bee-keeping demonstration amongst other events.

Supporting local renewable energy firm, Alter-Native Energy, we had a fantastic time and it was a innovative way of getting people young and old excited about our energy future and how we can help our environment.

A big thank you to organisers Transition Town who put a huge amount of effort into today's very successful event.

Green Fayre

Concerned about the environment and the future of our planet or just want to enjoy a fun day out ?

Hesketh Park is tomorrow holding a Green Fayre. Alternative energy, eco and Fairtrade information and goods, free municipal compost, bee-keeping display [my favourite-Ed.], DJ, street dance, free massages, health and well-being marquee, and other attractions.

This free event (11am-4pm) is organised by Southport's branch of the national Transition Town environmental movement, which works towards creating a responsible, sustainable future for our area.

It's time to be Greener and Cleaner.