The approaching weekend in unlikely to provide any real relief for Lib Dems who continue to wriggle on the hook over tuition fees. Although a handful of MPs have made noises that they will not be supporting proposals to introduce charges of up to £9000 a year, the prospects of a parliamentary rebellion are already diminishing.
A party whip (Lib Dem) has briefed lobby press that he did not think there were sufficient numbers to inflict a defeat on the government. He seemed less sure about the effect of large scale abstentions which can be expected when details are voted on in December.
This will not be enough however for student groups who are expecting MPs to actually honour their pledges. NUS Wales is putting Lib Dem Cardiff MP Jenny Willott under pressure to let her actions speak for themselves. They suggest that she should step down as Parliamentary Secretary to Energy Secretary Chris Huhne. No sign of this happening so far though.
An added misery that the recent YouGov poll for the Sun which showed Lib Dems scoring 9% support among voters. This is first time that the party as dropped into single figures.
This dismal showing probably explains why talk abounds of a possible first & second choice election pact between Conservatives and Lib Dems next time around - should AV make it through. Such a move would have been considered suicidal just a few weeks ago. Now it looks decidedly pragmatic to Lib Dem MPs who feel they might as well get hung for a sheep as a lamb.
Will the same symbiotic arrangements apply next May in Wales, we wonder? After reneging so publicly on their pre-election pledges, the Lib Dems appear capable of anything.
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