I think the Lib Dems and their Tory partners in crime will in future stick to attacking with impunity the poorly educated,the weak and the needy who are far less equipped to stand up for themselves.This along with the child benefit cuts are attacks too high up in the food chain to succeed.Significant too is that these attacks hit the journo in the pocket too ensuring longer more sustained campaign against.

The interesting ones to watch are Bob Russell and Sarah Tether see which way they fall. If they vote for then the Lib Dems are finished for good. Someone should open a book on it and give the proceeds to the NUS.

Very well put Nick.
I just wonder, if this were the Labour party, fighting among themselves, the Tory press would be hammering them by now. Truth is, if the Lib dems pull out, it damages the Tories and this 'would be terrible for the country'. I don't think so, it's this dangerous coalition that is ruining our country. We need a general election now!

Sarah Teather is a Tory through and through. It is so obvious that she hates Labour and was seen to mouth the word 'Bollocks' to the opposition, a couple of weeks ago in the commons, it was a real 'spitting venom' moment.
I really don't know how the likes of her, can call herself a Lib dem.

The four way split, the latest sweetener regarding the poorest students fees being waived if they qualify for free school meals shows the ill thought out, shambolic even, policy.

I know people who don't get free school meals because they are one pound above the cut off point for eligibility - can it be fair that someone only a pound better off but still amongst the poorest will not get their fees waived?

Have to agree with Lou its beginning to look like policy on the fly,made up on the back of fag packets in the commons bar.

What a shambles.

Oh and on my last say on this matter the list of libdem mps who will vote against will get ever shorter as vote draws near,by the end it'll be down to 2 or 3 at most.

Sarah Tether is the spitting image of Queen Victoria and should have a comfortable job as her lookalike when she leaves the Commons at the next GE. 2 minor Lib Dem aides to MPs have discovered a conscience and said they will vote against.

We could save this whole tuition fees malarky by cutting funding to stupid degrees, making it harder to get into universities in this first place! Once we've got rid of the 'BBC' candidates with their Social Policy and Media Studies degrees out of the system, we could probably afford to increase funding and have no tuition fees at all!

Paddy Ashdown's statement that students are not listening, misses the point. Students understand and lsiten to every word that Nick Clegg says; they just do not happen to agree with him. How the coalition government can think that tokenistic gestures on a scholarship fund will assuage student concerns, shows that the coalition do not understand what students want. The government too is just not listening to the general public or to Liberal Democrat MP's.

Pleased Mike Crockart is voting against it, he was the one I was most concerned about living in Edinburgh

Hopefully the West Lothian Question will now be reopened as Danny Alexander is clearly damned whatever he does.

The Manchester Student Occupation,

With you in spirit. Keep up the fantastic work, keep raging against the machine that is this Government.

In fact, all LibDem MPs have said, in writing, as part of their election campaigns, that they will vote against any attempt to raise fees in this parliament. They were elected on that basis. If they vote in favour of raising fees they are no longer legitimately Members of parliament.

Lib Dems owe it to their core vote- hundreds of students to vote against the rise in tution fees. They cannot justify anything else and will surely be absolutely mashed at the next election. If it takes Ministers to resign so be it, they would be and look stronger and couragious that way. I can vote next year but with the Lib Dems current performance, I'm unsure if Ill be voting for them come 2015. As for EMA cuts without EMA I would not be able to go and study the Alevels of my choice at the college of my choice. I don't wish this to be taken away from anyone. The coalitons policies on education are flawed. Higher education benefits the whole economy and should be provided free. Labour can critise the government but which fuckers introduced tution fees! Labour have created the stepping stones for the Tories to walk over. I'm fast losing faith in our political system.

Hair shirts - fergit it! All that sub-text on T-shirts promoting the Secretary of State for Culture & Ragbags. Back burner.
Latest LibDem scam. A little masochistic, maybe. Apology T-Shirts. Yes, shirts!! It was a little like women fighting over remnants at a sale.
Nick grabbed the top with the text 'I'm Sorry!' - 'I'm Sorry!' - 'I'm Sorry!' on the torso.
Vince was stuck with the T-shirt advertising it's wearer's excuse - "It's All My Fault!"
Timmy Farron's T-Shirt proclaimed 'You're Right, I'm Wrong as Usual!'
On the back of Nick's T-Shirt the instruction: ' Dave, please kick me!'
Vince's begged: "Please Dave, Kick me hard!
Timmy's implored: ' Please, please Dave, Kick me harder still.'
These public school hijinks! Daft! And dangerous! Could upset the old grey matter.
By the way, has Danny Alexander been toning down the Titian locks by any chance. Danny ran a 'fun fair' you know. He has the experience.
What Larks

I think that disaffected Lib Dems, who will not join Labour, should consider joining the Liberal Party.

They wont do it,power is nice and i know its near Christmas time but i don't see to many turkeys in asda that would have voted to be there same goes for the libdems.

I''m a student at the University of Westminster and am studying for a BA in Arabic and English Language. I chose to study these languages for personal fulfilment and job security. I have four years experience of teaching English as a foreign language. Consequently, I have a genuine interest in my degree and the various modules that I study. My concern is therefore not just passing the next exam but also to better understand the languages that I am studying. Unfortunately, many students seemed to be studying for a degree merely for the sake of having a degree which would perhaps be fine except for the fact that they seem to have no or little interest in the subjects they have selected. Furthermore, I've heard students say 'the degree is heavily subsidised so what the hell, right? Only my travel expenses to take care of". Anyway, I am all for the raising tuition fees. Doesn't affect me so that is probably why!