Nick Clegg's apology

[SS2]

So he makes a pledge not to increase tuition fees. Then he increases (triples) tuition fees. Then he apologises.

His apology is for making the pledge in the first place, not for breaking it. As someone on the radio pointed out this is like getting married, screwing around with other women then apologising to your spouse by saying "sorry, I should not have pledged to be faithful in the first place".

Is this the worst apology ever?

Grade A tosser in my opinion.

 

[DappaDonDave]

No, tuition fees needed to go up if only to maintain the usefulness of degrees. If every joe smith has one, they are meaningless.

The auto tune of the apology is epic

 

[Doon frae Troon]

When I first started to work for Local Authorities my old boss said.

Be cautious with the councillors, many will lie, cheat and say anything that will help them get elected next time.

Clegg has wiped out the strong Liberal vote in Scotland and opened the door for the SNP.

Gordon Brown trussed Clegg up like a turkey when he tried to get smart with him.

 

[Foxholer]

I'm afraid that, in recent years at least, the value of an apology seems to have gone from having quite an amount of shame attached to the standard route through which the offender informs the offendee that that's the end of he matter!

My instant reply to organisations, that simply expect you to accept an apology,is to ask 'How are you going to compensate me for the inconvenience and cost that you have caused me?' Their reaction, or lack of it, governs my future dealings with the company.

 

[DappaDonDave]

When I first started to work for Local Authorities my old boss said.

Be cautious with the councillors, many will lie, cheat and say anything that will help them get elected next time.

Clegg has wiped out the strong Liberal vote in Scotland and opened the door for the SNP.

Gordon Brown trussed Clegg up like a turkey when he tried to get smart with him.

I can agree with that our local authority has always had a steady turnover of apprentices, usually appoint and backfill their apprenticeship. But now we have switched from Tory to labour, labour are now publicising their use of apprentices. Which, hasn't really increased or decreased, thy are jut trying to win votes.

 

[Hobbit]

No, tuition fees needed to go up if only to maintain the usefulness of degrees. If every joe smith has one, they are meaningless.

So only rich kids should have a degree? I thought it was about intelligence, not affordability?

As for Clegg... now there's a guy who is clueless if ever there was one. Totally out of touch with the majority of the population...

 

[bobmac]

Why is anyone surprised at anything a politician does or says?

"How do you know when a politician is lying...........his/her mouth's open" (Connolly B. 1976)

Nothing has changed since 1976

 

[MegaSteve]

Sadly under Cleggs leadership Liberals have got too high an opinion of their place in goverment... Reckon, because of this, their vote will evaporate at the next election... Which can't come too soon for me...

 

[Mungoscorner]

No, tuition fees needed to go up if only to maintain the usefulness of degrees. If every joe smith has one, they are meaningless.

The auto tune of the apology is epic

So a degree should be about wealth then ?
My niece was a single parent living on benefits after the breakup of her marraige.As soon as her children were old enough to attend school she applied to study for a 2+2 through the "access for all" scheme.She passed with flying colours and was encouraged to study for her masters by one of her lecturers.She voiced her concerns about the financial implications of studying for her masters whilst being a full time single mother,her head of department said she would employ her as a researcher and this would help ease the financial burden.
She attained her masters,and is now doing a PHD,whilst continuing to work part time for the university.
Are you suggesting she shouldn't of had this opportunity,and that finance's should decide whether or not somebody is able to attend university and better themselves ?

 

[Doon frae Troon]

No, tuition fees needed to go up if only to maintain the usefulness of degrees. If every joe smith has one, they are meaningless.

The auto tune of the apology is epic

Just how useful are degrees............My daughters circle of friends at Uni all seem to be working in areas that did not require a degree.

I left school at 15 and was at a training lecture on quality managment once when my boss turned round to me and said, look at that lot, they have all got degrees except you and me and virtually all are cluless managers.
I was inclined to agree with him.

 

[SS2]

The auto tune of the apology is epic

But Clegg has said it is ok to release it as all proceeds go to charity.

 

[MegaSteve]

Just how useful are degrees............My daughters circle of friends at Uni all seem to be working in areas that did not require a degree.

I left school at 15 and was at a training lecture on quality managment once when my boss turned round to me and said, look at that lot, they have all got degrees except you and me and virtually all are cluless managers.
I was inclined to agree with him.

Back in the day when we left school our 5 'O' levels opened the door for the vast majority of employment avenues... That, sadly, is no longer the case... Uni degree seems to be the minimum requirement for any 'realistic' career path... So its absolutely right the goverment maintains this education opportunity to all NOT just those that can afford it...

I laugh my spherical objects off when politicians talk of apprenticeships these days... Back when I left school there were most likely more apprenticeships available on my 'doorstep' than the whole of the UK these days....

 

[chrisd]

So he makes a promise that he had absolutely no control over when he became the minority makeweight in government, and then apologises for renaging on the promise that was totally out of his hands and was in no position to deliver?

Is it only me that thinks it's all a load of nonsense?

 

[d2cko]

So a degree should be about wealth then ?
My niece was a single parent living on benefits after the breakup of her marraige.As soon as her children were old enough to attend school she applied to study for a 2+2 through the "access for all" scheme.She passed with flying colours and was encouraged to study for her masters by one of her lecturers.She voiced her concerns about the financial implications of studying for her masters whilst being a full time single mother,her head of department said she would employ her as a researcher and this would help ease the financial burden.
She attained her masters,and is now doing a PHD,whilst continuing to work part time for the university.
Are you suggesting she shouldn't of had this opportunity,and that finance's should decide whether or not somebody is able to attend university and better themselves ?

I agree that it should be available to all but I disagree that the tax payer should fund it! If you wan't to go to Uni then you have to accept a large student loan and paying it off for the rest of your life. The country is in a shocking state of financial affairs and we need to make savings where possible. If that means people can't afford to go to Uni then that's a shame but we all have to suck it up somewhere!

 

[Ethan]

Nick Clegg is a two-faced contemptible scumbag who, even through his narcissism, probably realises that he has sunk his political career. Right now he is probably sucking up to as many companies with directorships available preparing for his post-political career.

The introduction of these fees was a huge retrograde step, which will have closed doors for many deserving kids from poorer homes. The payoff from a degree comes in the PAYE tax paid to the exchequer every month. I have paid back plenty of tax and Nat Insurance in return for that degree. The country benefits in many other ways from educated people doing good jobs. I utterly reject the argument that degree holders should pay because they earn more. They already pay plenty and benefit the country in many other ways. in the US doctors emerge from Med School with $250,000 debt, but after the first few years of residency, they can earn much more than doctors in the NHS. It is a specious argument to compare the two, and is wrong on the facts as well as the politics.

OK, there are examples of millionaires who left school at 14, blah, blah, blah. But these are as rare as hens teeth and prove nothing except that rare things happen rarely. I would certainly not have dome medicine, and probably not a degree at all, if there had been these fees when I was a lad and I know many others who would have been in the same boat. I also know the stupid kids from richer backgrounds who would have taken our places.

I voted LD at the last election. How I wish I could take that back now*.








*Admittedly it was in a safe Tory seat and taking it back would make no difference at all.

 

[Yerman]

Nick Clegg and Saint Vince Cable are two faced lying ....... otherwise know as politicians. The autotune apology is pathetic, the man deserves defenestration not that feeble nonsense.

 

[Mungoscorner]

I agree that it should be available to all but I disagree that the tax payer should fund it! If you wan't to go to Uni then you have to accept a large student loan and paying it off for the rest of your life. The country is in a shocking state of financial affairs and we need to make savings where possible. If that means people can't afford to go to Uni then that's a shame but we all have to suck it up somewhere!

What did you finance as a tax payer ?
A University education is paid for by the student (loans) regardless of finance's.
Nobody gets a free ride,but considering the massive skills shortage in this country maybe we should encourage people to better themselves by abolishing fee's for those that can't afford them ?
Then again,maybe we should all be as shortsighted and ignorant as you and Mr Clegg ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

A politicians apology. Worthless. Not worth the air expanded making it

 

[FairwayDodger]

So he makes a promise that he had absolutely no control over when he became the minority makeweight in government, and then apologises for renaging on the promise that was totally out of his hands and was in no position to deliver?

Is it only me that thinks it's all a load of nonsense?

I know where you're coming from but the LDs made such a big play of this (and their infamous broken promises video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTLR8R9JXz4) that they should, on principle, have insisted on it in the coalition agreement or refused to go into government, IMO.

By failing to do so they lost lots of credibility and any prospect of me (regular LD voter) voting for them again any time soon.

Trouble is that doesn't really leave anyone to vote for!

 

[daymond]

It is not so much about the quantity and quality, but the 'promise that with a degree the world is your oyster'. That's all well and good if your degree is aimed at pearl fishing.