Lib Dem MEP labels his own party ‘clueless’ and ‘a joke’ on tuition fees

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Chris Davies MEPBy Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

The Lib Dems are having a torrid time over tuition fees – but it’s going from bad to worse for the junior coalition partners. After Sarah Teather made a break for it when Sky News tried to interview her, a senior Lib Dem MEP has called his own party “clueless” and “a joke” over their stance on tuition fees.

Writing on his blog, MEP Chris Davies said that he’d rather his party were thought of as “touch bastards” rather than indecisive, and suggested that the party appears both “divided” “clueless” “weak” and “a joke”:

“Splits weaken parties, and sometimes destroy them. The reputation of the Liberal Democrat brand is being undermined with each passing hour as the impression grows stronger that on the issue of tuition fees we are not only divided but clueless.”

“The case for supporting the recommendations of the Browne inquiry is strong, and if I were in the Commons I would be voting with Nick. The real damage to the party comes not from our adjusting course to take account of changed conditions, nor from rebellion by backbenchers on grounds of individual conscience, but from the impression we are now giving of being all over the place.

“Some Liberal Democrats will vote for the recommendations, some against. Some want to defer the vote, others want to abstain. In short, we are creating the impression not just of being weak, but of being a joke.

“I would rather us have a reputation for being tough (but fair) bastards than for being indecisive.”

To add an extra twist to the story, Davies is working on the Oldham East campaign and opened Lib Dem candidate Elwyn Watkins’ by-election HQ. After NUS President Aaron Porter wrote to Watkins urging him to clarify his position on fees, this will no doubt pile further pressure on him to come clean and say how we would vote.

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