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Tuesday, January 27, 2004 ( 3:25 pm ) Rachel Education, education, education? I am spending today becoming more and more depressed. I've known for days that Labour were probably going to win, but I've been clinging onto some small hope that they might not. I guess that hope is not gone for another four hours, but it is disappearing. Up until I read of Nick Brown's announcement (I think through this article) I have been questioning what has happened. I almost wrote him an email through the parliament website, but I guess although his timing is very bad, I do feel sorry for the guy - I am sure he has been under a lot of pressure. That is enough that he deserves my sympathy, although also enough that he has lost the respect which he had been gaining in my eyes over the past weeks. William Hague, however, has perhaps regained some of my respect this afternoon - he pointed out how bad this victory will make democracy appear. It is not a point I had considered before, but an important one: people struggle to differentiate between the parties, and to believe that their vote is of any value even now - if we can no longer trust our politicians to do what they said, what is left? Barry Sheerman, however, as I have just looked up, is making some silly claims. If higher education, as he claims, is really rigged to help those from privileged backgrounds, then this bill will do nothing to help. I disagree with his claim - having attended one of our 'elite' universites, I believe the concern of the vast majority there is to let in the best, regardless of background. The only way in which treatment differs, is the reasonably significant amounts of money which are made available to any who might struggle financially. Barry Sheerman is now defending his point, claiming that he thinks Offa will achieve his aims. # |
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