The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Will David Davis’s anti-tuition fees vote remain a “rebellion of one”?

Tory whips are nervous that MPs may not turn out to vote, but out-and-out opposition seems unlikely.

By Samira Shackle Published 07 December 2010 10:45

The Conservative MP David Davis has confirmed that he will rebel against the government in tomorrow's Commons vote on raising tuition fees.

Davis, who stood against David Cameron in the 2005 leadership election, and is seen by many as a right-wing standard-bearer, voiced concerns about the implications of trebling tuition fees.

He said that the changes would gravely affect social mobility. "The kids being helped are the very, very privileged indeed," he told the Guardian. "Free school meals being the bar [for the government's financial support plan] means quite a lot of aspirant working-class kids will not be helped."

Speaking to the Telegraph, he added: "I simply don't agree that university should be this expensive. "I'm concerned about the effect this would have on social mobility and the huge level of debt we are encouraging young people to take on. People in their twenties are very much more indebted than I was when I was a student and that is something I don't believe we can allow to continue."

While his position is consistent – he voted against top-up fees in 2004, in common with most other Tory MPs, and spelled out his views on the matter in the Daily Mail last August – it will still cause embarrassment to the government. Just today, Nick Clegg has published an article in the Financial Times insisting once more that the plan will protect social mobility and fairness.

But will it have any impact on other Conservatives? Since losing out to Cameron in 2005, Davis has made no secret of his distaste for his rival's brand of liberal Conservatism, and has been a focal point for disaffection among the right wing of the party. In a ConservativeHome poll of right-wing backbenchers, 70 per cent said that Davis represents their views.

Yet his politics are increasingly individualist, independent and defined by opposition, partly because he now has no designs on leadership and has nothing to lose. His announcement has increased nervousness among the Tory whips that not all of their MPs will turn out to vote, but in terms of out-and-out opposition, it is likely that Davis's own assessment is correct and this will remain "a rebellion of one".

Even if it does not, it is unlikely that enough MPs will defect to stop the government from winning the vote.

UPDATE: Not a rebellion of one, after all. The former frontbencher Julian Lewis will oppose the move, while the office of Lee Scott, a parliamentary private secretary, indicated that he will, too. The backbenchers Bob Blackman and Andrew Percy may also refuse to support the fee hike. While this unexpected defection from within the party is destabilising for the coalition, it is unlikely to jeopardise the government's victory in Thursday's vote.

Tags: tuition fees David Davis

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20 comments

Thu, 2010-12-09 08:50 — Nick9

I can't abide Tories and their current views, but Davis is to be admired for making a stand. Cameron is getting hot under the collar over the prospect he may lose. I'm also pleased to hear Simon Hughes saying he will vote against. Cameron's ridiculous sales pitch that the poorer student will be better off is rebutted by an IFS report which says they won't be. It's good to see individual MP's stand up for what they believe in, that's what matters to their constituents; the people these MP's represent in parliament.

The students are resolute, if they lose today, they will go on protesting until the law is changed.

The Coalition is becoming increasingly unstable, the fractures are showing, no Government this unpopular has a cats chance in hell of sustaining a long term political future.

Cameron has shown a contempt for listening to the people, he failed in China, he failed to make good the World Cup bid, he's gone soft on crime, he's becoming increasingly transparent to even the most ardent supporter. Well hidden DWP forecasts actually indicate benefit expenditure will increase under Cameron. We've yet to make any in roads towards deficit reduction under Cameron.

Clegg is an absolute joke, he's a lamb to the slaughter, he's finished the Liberals.

The Big Society shrinks each day Cameron utters another word. This lot are sinking, let others follow the students and shows that the voice of protest is far more powerful than Cameron's shallow spiel.

Tue, 2010-12-07 11:01 — jamil (not verified)

wow a tory mp saynig something i agree with! and a right-wing one at that! these ARE changed political times

Tue, 2010-12-07 11:04 — ang (not verified)

Didn't Nick Clegg say that 'we cannot burden the future generations with more debt', when speaking about cutting the deficit in June?
He is all over the place and should resign.
I hope it isn't just David Davis, who has the nerve to say how it is.

Tue, 2010-12-07 11:15 — ang (not verified)

The free school meals concession, is an attempt by the govt to appear to be 'caring' for the poorest students, but we all know that many hardworking families, who are just above this threshold, will find that their children will be deterred by the debt, how is that fair.
The only winners are the rich, as they will be able to bail their kids out if need be.

Tue, 2010-12-07 11:16 — swatantra nandanwar

DD does not speak for the majority of Tories and should resign.

Tue, 2010-12-07 11:25 — ang (not verified)

Swatantra nandanwar: I hope he resigns after his 'no' vote on Thurs.
I believe that there must be a few more Middle-class Tory backbenchers and their constituents, whose own children will be pcking up the tab for the rise in tuition fees, just when they are setting up house etc. They 'must' know that is is deeply unfair, they just need to be brave.

Tue, 2010-12-07 11:28 — jamil (not verified)

ang, why do you want DD to resign if you think he is right?

and swatantra - he isn't claiming to speak for the majority of tories, so i don't see why that is a resignable offence either. he's just a backbench mp,it's his democratic right to oppose it if he wants to.

Tue, 2010-12-07 11:32 — Tessa (not verified)

DD is spot on with his analysis that many youngsters from working class families will be deterred. My father worked in a factory and there is no doubt I would have not gone to uni with such a high level of debt in prospect. As it was I had to wait until my fifties before attending uni. It will be very interesting to see if any other Tories abstain. Clegg is more and more out of touch with reality every day.

Tue, 2010-12-07 11:52 — ang (not verified)

jamil; sorry, I thought it was obvious that I was being facetious, as I too did not understand swatantras remark.

Tue, 2010-12-07 11:57 — swatantra nandanwar

Theres going to be a 3 line whip, and he's voting against.
If the Lib Dems split 3 ways, the coalition could actually lose the vote, and this is a key policy enough to bring down the Govt.
In the end, the policy will probably get through with a small maj of 5, the same I think with which Lab pushed through its policy on loans.

Tue, 2010-12-07 12:08 — jamil (not verified)

ang - sorry, i am slow on the uptake today!

swatantra - it's unlikely it will go against the coalition. and "the majority of tories" voted against top-up fees in 2005.

Tue, 2010-12-07 12:44 — Lou (not verified)

A FOI request about black students attending Oxford and Cambridge has uncovered the fact that Oxford's Merton College had admitted no black student for 5 years and only 3 students in 10 years. nor a black student has been admitted in to any of 21 Oxbridge colleges in twelve months.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23904554-oxford-college-f...

The defence is disproportionately high figures apply in certain fields but what of the other fields? Why the disproportionately low or non existent numbers of black or ethnic minority students generally?

Any MPs abstaining or voting for should really think again in light of today's news. The argument that the fees rise will make for a more elitist system can only be strengthened, not to mention that Unis will be more selective.

Tue, 2010-12-07 13:26 — Stuart Eels (not verified)

DD is a bloke who knows what it is to struggle, he was from a single parent family and has worked hard to get to where is and was. I've a feeling that the Tory Party would be a very different animal if he had won against Cameron in the vote for Leader.

I hope that this vote does bring down the Government and I certainly won't be voting Libdem at the next Election.

Tue, 2010-12-07 13:47 — swatantra nandanwar

DD may be from the working class but like most once in the Tory Party have forgotten their roots. John Major was the same. And Thacher abandoned the middle classes. The Tories under DD would have been even worse, more right wing.
But its an absolute disgrace that Merton and other Colleges have not admitted a black student for ages. A fine should be imposed on them.

Tue, 2010-12-07 15:04 — iainburnshill

The government must welcome all the fuss over tuition fees ("nasty, unwashed young people") to divert attention from the overall deficit problem. Let us draw back for a moment and reassess the situation. The solution requires 4 initiatives :

Re-examine the bank situation and fine the banks every penny possible, with new legislation if necessary. Only then will the public accept the sacrifices necessary on their part. Labour was also partly responsible, and has paid a heavy price, so the banks must follow.

Look again at welfare and make the system more sensitive to individual claimants. Someone with 25 years work record deserves an entirely different treatment from someone who has never bothered to work. In that context, make all possible savings.

Seek out all public sector waste, and close unnecessary serves, but not a wholesale bonfire of jobs.

Raise taxes including income tax to cover the remaining deficit. Thiis will hurt me personally a great deal, but rather that than see people lose their jobs unnecessarily, or destroy the hopes of a student generation.

Tue, 2010-12-07 17:03 — Robert (not verified)

I, too, admire DD's stand.

He, like many of us born in the fifties, will know of many working parents of that generation who were educated before WW11 and were bright enough to go further in secondary education but whose own parents could not afford to let them go on.

My late father was in that generation of teenagers who had to leave school because his parents could not afford more.

Normally I cannot stand DD's politics but here he is spot on.

Tue, 2010-12-07 20:08 — Dave C (not verified)

"Will David Davis's anti-tuition fees vote remain a "rebellion of one"?"

No. He's being joined by Julian Lewis, Philip Davies, and Lee Scott.

"Another Conservative MP looks set not to back plans to increase tuition fees in England to £9,000 per year.

"Lee Scott's office indicated that the Ilford North MP would not support the fee rise in Thursday's vote."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11937946

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20101207/tuk-clegg-and-lib-dem-mps-fail-to-ag...

Sun, 2010-12-12 06:34 — Ivan Miletitch

Sometimes, one redeems the lot! There is at least 1 conservative MP who has the honesty to admit that high university fees will deter MANY poor (& middle-class) families from sending their children to university. This is as simple as that. Advocating to the contrary is dishonest

Wed, 2010-12-08 02:02 — Dan (not verified)

David Davis 's stance on tuition fees is to be admired .I hope he can persuade other to vote down this regressive piece of legislation .Top up fees will deter millions of aspiring young people to got to university .David Davis is of that post war generation that benefitted from a free university education and understands that money must not be a barrier for people to fulfil their potential .The cabinet is composed of millionaire public school boys who have limited connection with the real world .They have know idea what life is like and the financial barriers people face to fulfil their academic potential .Its great to see working class tories making a stand against the Government .lets mobilise to defeat this vile government .Lets campaign for free education which should be a right and not a privilege .