Yes I know no-one is particularly surprised, but I was astounded by the lack of evidence and overall personal bias by this Green Party Counsellor, see below:
"Wednesday, 3 November 2010 The fees disgrace - blame LABOUR
Let's be very clear. It was LABOUR who opened the floodgates to the university tuition fees debacle that is now being imposed on our country. The LibDems have allowed it to happen; the Tories made it happen; but it was Labour who commissioned the Browne report, and it was Labour who set the whole thing up in the first place, by imposing top-up fees. As soon as the argument had been made by Charles Clarke that it was right for students to pay a substantial amount toward their higher education, and that higher education free at the point of delivery was going to be a thing of the past, then full-scale marketization became inevitable. It was only a matter of time. I made this argument at the time, as did Ian Gibson. We have, sadly, been proven right by today's news that the ConDems are going to bring in variable fees of up to £9k.
It is LABOUR who need to take the blame for having created the conditions for this dreadful outcome. (And it is only the Green Party (and the Nats, etc.) who come out of this with clean hands: see http://twitter.com/#!/TheGreenParty)
So: come the next election, let's all be clear about that. If you want to punish the LibDems over this, then there is no point in voting Labour."
Its very inaccurate in several places and just sheer self promotion based on half truths, so I have put him right.
"As usual for a politician you are missing out some vital information here like the introduction of the tuition fees originally in 1998 by Labour was based on the recommendations of the Dearing inquiry see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2004/jan/27/tuitionfees.students/print. Commissioned by the Conservative government under John Major, so I think you'll find is has been driven as part of the ideological conservative (protect the rich screw the rest) agenda for the last 14 years. I don’t believe labour would accept the recommendations of the Browne report in the way that the conservatives have because they were committed to seeing more students going to universities unlike the conservatives who only want it for the privileged few. Claiming that the Green Party would do any different is hollow as you won't have to carry through on your promises, just like the Liberals never thought they would so they too promised the world and surprise, surprise once they are given to opportunity to stand by their promises they show that they have the least integrity of any party in this country.
Rupert why don't you show you have some integrity, put your money where your mouth is and come on the demonstration against the cuts and Browne review next weds will you, I will be there in the midlands camp, why don't you come and say hello.
Regards,
Matthew Watkins BSc MSc PGCE"
Please do check on the accuracy of reporting of your local MP's and Counsellors, this example of defamation is even more extreme than that from those rats in power.
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7 comments:
Matthew,
For someone with a BSc, MSc & a PGCE you really need to check your spelling!
:)
BTW - I don't believe that you need an apostrophe in the title of this post.
Thanks for that Paul, but as someone who spends all his time reading academic papers or writing parts of my PhD thesis I really haven't time too proof read little blog posts that I make. Web blogs, for me are about opinion, discussion and critique and not an exercise in spell checking.
Each to their own though, perhaps if you spent less time checking spelling you could write some of your own original content.
hello Matthew,
Your comment about me spending too much time spell checking - well it wasn't quite like that. You see just by reading the post your errors were apparent without effort. And I'm sorry but the apostrophe in the title is unforgivable!
But then, as you say, 'each to their own'.
As to me writing some original content of my own, all I can say is that with a business to run and a young family to spend time with... I do have limits on my time.
However, if you'd like to read some content you're welcome to. As to its originality - well I guess that's for others to judge.
Perhaps in another life you could be an English teacher Paul. My mother is in fact an English teacher just down the road from you, I know Suffolk and Norfolk fairly well.
I just think it is real shame that you pick on my spelling when we obviously have other things in common that you could more widely comment on such as sustainability or design for instance there are several posts here in that realm. Perhaps even Tesco's I can't make out if you dislike the brand as much as myself in your post discussing a new local store (I don't have a word press account to comment I'm afraid), but the fact that they are permeating every part of our nation and damaging community life is something you might like to come back on, see a rather angry rant I made on the 28th December 2009 'Boycott Tesco's' for instance.
Unfortunately it seems that you allegiance to the Green Party is the only reason you decide to be critical of me, because I made a perfectly valid comment, regarding the accuracy of political reporting against a Norwich North Green Party Councillor. Is Rupert such a close friend of yours that you to want to discredit me based on my spelling?
For the record the BSc was in Industrial Design Engineering, the MSc in Rapid Manufacturing, so no real importance placed on spelling really. Yes I was a secondary school teacher hence the PGCE, but in the Design and Technology curriculum no marks are deducted for spelling in either the coursework or exam, overall competency in the subject is considered far more important, than a misplaced apostrophe.
So please, enough on the spelling and grammar. I am going to leave the apostrophe in on purpose because I think it draws attention to the post, feel free to comment on content from the basis of opinion or interest.
Matthew,
Actually in another life I would like to have been an architect...
My comment about your misspelling and incorrect apostrophe use is not a shame as I didn't focus on it to the detriment of your views. I didn't really have any inclination to make a comment whatsoever about your post content. I can be quite flippant but with no intention to be detrimental. But unfortunately, as is well discussed, intent is lost over the Internet. So please do not read to much into my comments regarding your grammar :)
Now that I know you exist I'll drop by occasionally but not necessarily to comment.
As far as my allegiance to the Green Party is concerned it played no part in my intention to comment. And yes, you did make a perfectly valid comment (please do comment more at Rupert's) and no, Rupert is not a close friend of mine. And I was not discrediting you.
I'm sorry to hear that in your higher education spelling is not important and even more sorry that in the D&T curriculum it's not important. If you were my daughter's teacher I'd be wanting to meet with you to discuss your lack of respect for spelling... but perhaps it's a generational thing? I am part of that generation that bleats every summer about exams getting easier and easier.
BTW - you should be able to post a comment at mine regardless. Let me know if you can't as it would mean something is broke.
Fair point about the Green Party, in Ireland the Greens are junor partners in coalition; they make the Liberals look good!
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