TUITION FEES REVISITED?

Remember when the departure of Blair was going to be the magic bullet? Not exactly worked out that way....... But I remember how everyone got terribly fired up by the rebellion over tuition fees in 2004.
At the time, it was said that if Blair lost the vote then he would go down. And he almost did - until Gordon Brown told his almost namesake Nick Brown to take the tanks off Number 10's lawn. The Prime Minister now of course advocates tuition fees and everything else - and more - which Blair stood for.
And where we are is with a situation where a vote against the Government is spun as "no confidence" and therefore eminently whippable. The Frank Field amendment, which seems to be the focus of attention, actually does not go far enough IMHO.
The 10p tax rate cut could and should be restored - I simply don't believe that it's impossible. Look how much money has been poured into Northern Rock , Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is the issue which will cost Labour hundreds of seats next week - and probably the next election. Promises it will be sorted out in 2009 simply won't wash with the millions affected by the loss of hard-earned money. Gordon Prentice, a splendid local MP who is "one of us" on the left, said that on Newsnight last night. And let's be honest. The issue of the low-paid being penalised affects far many more than the tuition fees issue ever did.