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December 11th, 2010

Students protest again as the Liberal Democrats implode over university fees and the Wikileaks saga rumbles on: blog round up for 4 – 10 December

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Blog Admin

December 11th, 2010

Students protest again as the Liberal Democrats implode over university fees and the Wikileaks saga rumbles on: blog round up for 4 – 10 December

4 comments

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Amy Mollett, Avery Hancock and Paul Rainford take a look at the week in political blogging

Weekend 4th and 5th December

Women’s Views on News cover a new report by the Women’s Budget Group which claims that the spending cuts represent an “immense reduction in the standard of living and financial independence of millions of women”.

Reflecting on the student protests and sit-ins of the last week, Open Democracy comment on the inaccurate portrayals of the protest movement in the media.

Left Futures consider the targeting of Philip Green’s Arcadia stores by tax avoidance protesters, calling the protests “a triumph of organisation”. Dizzy Thinks has a rather more pessimistic take on the protests however.

Adam Ramsey at Liberal Conspiracy believes the British public have “reached breaking point” and we can expect growing support for all forms of protest.

Monday 6th December

The Fawcett Society were today refused permission to challenge the legality of the government’s emergency budget. The F-Word report that Mr Justice Ouseley ruled the application “unarguable – or academic”.

Labour Uncut discuss the leaked internal memo criticising David Cameron’s defence review.

Political Betting look at Radio 4’s nightmare day of mispronunciations and impersonators, whilst Total Politics compile their top 5 political swearing gaffes.

Left Foot Forward warns that it would be wrong to dismiss completely the possibility of a ‘double dip’ recession in the UK, despite positive forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility.

The Financial Times blog looks at the Liberal Democrats’ bungled position on student fees.

The Staggers suggest that the biggest challenge for the pro-AV campaign is that its own supporters aren’t keen on the system.

Tuesday 7th December

Mark Pack reports that the Lords changed the legislation on the AV referendum so that it has to be held before 31 October 2011 rather than 5 May 2010, but expects it will be overturned by the Commons.

The Wikileaks cables on the Megrahi release might boost the Scottish National Party ahead of elections in May, according to Political Betting.

Liberal Conspiracy has more FOI data to back up David Lammy’s report that Oxbridge is failing on racial, class, and geographical diversity in its admissions.

Labour Uncut reviews Gordon Brown’s new book and thinks it should be used as a tool to remind the country that Brown’s leadership in the global financial crisis helped ‘save the world.’

What exactly is the Big Society? Even after a book on the subject by Conservative MP Jesse Norman, The Adam Smith Institute still doesn’t see through the void.

Wednesday 8th December

The FT reminds us that there is still an Iraq inquiry going on, and despite its drift into irrelevance it could still provide some reflection on a war that was ‘badly mishandled.’

Left futures recommends cautious support for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange after his arrest in London for charges of sexual assault, while Though Cowards Flinch reports how the case threatens to divide liberals and feminists.

Touchstone criticises the NAO’s latest public sector pension report, which claims that costs were ‘stabilisted’ before CPI indexing.

Harry’s Place reports on the new all party parliamentary group to tackle Islamaphobia, which cut off ties with a Muslim organisation allegedly linked to radical Islamist politics.

The government’s new European Union Bill got a cool reception from many Tory MPs, according to Conservative Home.

The Coffee House calls a victory for Ed Miliband at PMQs.

Thursday 9th December

Left Foot Forward takes a look at the effectiveness of the Education Maintenance Allowance and provides five reasons to oppose the trebling of university fees, while Michael White wonders whether the Liberal Democrats should rebel.

The Staggers provides a list of all those who did in fact vote against the tuition fees bill as Nick Robinson calls the result of the Commons vote but suggests that the debate is far from over.

Next Left provides a detailed analysis of the Liberal Democrats dramatic own goal over tuition fees.

Thetorydiary suggests that the issue of tuition fees is obscuring Ken Clarke’s battle with the right wing press over his prisons policy and reports that 79% of Tory members do not want the coalition to continue beyond the next election.

Iain Martin at the Wall Street Journal believes that certain Tories are enjoying the discomfort of their Liberal Democrat coalition partners.

Sally Bercow at Labour Uncut emphasises the cost to women of the Coalition’s cuts.

Robert Preston argues that the new bank levy will hit big banks hardest as the TUC ask whether we really are all in this together.

UK Polling Report shows Liberal Democrat support down to 8%, the lowest such figure for almost 20 years, while the Yes campaign has pulled ahead as we count down to the AV referendum.

Friday 10th December

Alastair Campbell argues that the focus on the Liberal Democrats’ tuition fees debacle has shielded the Tories much of the criticism over the issue.

Liberal Conspiracy wonders whether the momentum of the protests can be maintained.

Thetorydiary tries to distinguish Mainstream Conservatism as different from Liberal Conservatism as The Coffee House predicts a forthcoming battle between the two strands within the Conservative Party.

David Allen Green at The Staggers attacks the contemptible suggestion that the Met Police showed restraint by not shooting protestors.

The Party Lines Blog provides some pictures of the student protests.

The Staggers explores who would benefit most if the Liberal Democrats had an electoral meltdown.

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