“ Politics is not a matter of uttering the truth, but rather a question of being believed.
Niccolò Machiavelli
As thousands of unemployed graduates flood the jobs market, Britain’s most disadvantaged young people are being pushed to the back of the queue. These young people may have come from households where no-one works, with no positive role models, or struggled at school, leaving with few qualifications.
A-levels are so dull and uninspiring it’s a wonder anyone stays on at school after the age of 16. Without a nagging mum to raise you saying education is the be-all and end-all, it’s no surprise that people drop out. It’s just not that obvious at the time that one has to sit through all that boredom to ever be accepted as a productive member of society.
Quote from a spokesman for The Prince’s Trust, via BBC News (Rise in youths out of work and education in England)
The Department for Transport’s recurring problem is that it focussing on large scale, long-distance journeys rather than the short ones people make every day. Bath’s ‘Two Tunnels’ project falls in the latter category, using old railway tunnels to forge a link between Midford and the centre of Bath.
He (Norman Baker) will meet volunteers and representatives of the environmental charity Sustrans to talk about the link being driven through two old railway tunnels between Oldfield Park and Midford.
This is a most pleasant surprise to see a
transport minister will be visiting the project today! Hopefully this signals a welcome change in direction and renewed interest in cycle infrastructure.
Nick Clegg visited Bath last Friday - one of the Lib Dems’ few safe seats - for a public question and answer session. The Guildhall audience dominated by students, it was bound to be heated, but the vocal and rowdy audience obviously took Clegg by surprise - not his typical image of heritage city Bath, I imagine!
Firstly, the bravery of a serving cabinet member to do this is refreshing. It brings politics out of the proverbial smoky back rooms and even more importantly, out of Westminster village. There is little better to get people involved in politics. That said, it cannot be looked past that this may well all be for show.
So his actual response? I was somewhat disappointed by the questions asked. Although on all essential subjects, none were asked in a challenging way, and his answers were predictable. The tuition fees betrayal? His “progressive” plans to enable lower economic entry barriers were quoted. Terrible conjunction of constituency boundaries and alternative vote bills? “I’m fixing British politics”. Massive issues such as the misplaced priorities displayed in legislating for the rise in tuition fees months before a (yet to appear) new solid system of aid to entry was created were not addressed in the slightest.
To give credit to the man, his staunch defence of democratic values was impressive and his mentions of new projects interested me greatly. The Green Investment Bank (another long promised project yet to appear!) was only touched upon, but if it receives suitable government capital investment, it could be an excellent system to promote investment in the urgently required renewable energy and sustainable transport infrastructure. His excitement at prospect of reforming the House of Lords (“something that has been discussed for over 150 years”) was distinctly visible. How this comes to fruition will be of interest, but whether he succeeds or not it will be a mighty legacy for him.
I found him interesting and engaging, if not enlightening, and I was disappointed to miss the opportunity to ask him a question myself. Whether any of this allows Don Foster to keep his largely student-supported seat at the next general election is something for which we will have to wait and see.
It reassures me to see that the upheaval of a political elite in a developed nation is possible in the 21st century. It reassures me that a pseudo-dictator, attempting to foster a cult of personality, can be overthrown by the youth in a nation in an age when a youth with an interest in politics is often thought not to exist.
I await the time when the same thing is required here. We have five to eight years to fix the climate issue and a political elite unwilling to tackle long term issues. Massive civil unrest is inevitable.
