Government watch

Yes, I agree with "all over the place". They're in panic mode. Heseltine and Chris Patten have spoken about the ageing Conservative vote over the last few days.

Rather than concentrating on short-term fixes such as tuition fees, it would probably be more fruitful to realise that many graduates go on to work in public services and want mortgages, a family and a decent pension. They're not stupid and are unlikely to be impressed with a short-term bung, when their future is looking pretty bleak.

Damien Green, GracesGran.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/01/damian-green-tories-must-modernise-to-win-over-young-voters

He's all over the place, just to get the youth vote. Telling Tories he'll have to put up taxes?

Scrapping tuition fees wouldn't affect the core vote that much. The people who benefit from university education generally go on to have a higher income than average and to come from wealthier families.

The devil is in the detail here. The Tories scrapped means tested, non repayable grants for the 2016 entrants. Restoring those would benefit those who come from poorer families, who tend not to come from families with a history of higher education.

Reducing the cap from the current £9250 to (say) £6000 would help virtually nobody, except the wealthiest. The reason for that is most graduates will never pay back their loans, which are written off after 30 years. It doesn't matter how much is left after the 30 years and the amount doesn't affect the actual repayments.

However, reducing the fees to £6000 would mean that the wealthiest families would probably choose to pay them upfront, which means that there would be no loan repayments. Parents are already paying an average of £20,000pa for independent schools, so university fees are cheap!

Jo Johnson is against scrapping fees, so it will be interesting to see what happens. If they are scrapped, I bet Nick Clegg will be cursing.

PS. If I had a magic wand and a unicorn, I'd reduce OU fees and restore funding for adult education courses. I'd also put more money into primary education and early years (or, at least stop the cuts), because the damage to a child's life chances has already been done long before university level.

Wow, what a birthday to have!
Just checked. None of my family share it. Shame, really.

Interesting conversation with DGDs tonight (17 and 20th birtbhday today).
Both very aware of need to vote and clearly have been thinking about issues and discussing with friends.Also clear that they don't see any rift between younger/older generation. We're all happy to see youngest DGD (7) is very aware of feminist issues since she discovered she shared her birthday with Emmeline Pankhurst!

Just watching the headlines of tomorrows papers Jen.

The Mail on Sunday (for what it's worth) "Tory Chaos over Tuition Fees 'U-turn'" - apparently May is considering a 'dramatic' U-turn to attract younger voters to the Tories (but remember it is the Mail)

The Observer - "Tot Tories revolt against May over public sector cash". They report the revolt is against public sector cuts and she is facing 'pressure' from within her cabinet who are demanding a radical overhaul of state funding for public services.

More wheels within wheels. It's getting worse. I am becoming happier and happier.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/01/brexit-minister-linked-to-group-that-used-loophole-to-channel-435000-to-dup

Good heavens, even Jeremy Hunt has gone against the supreme commander. Real Mayhem now.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/01/top-tories-revolt-against-may-public-spending

It's interesting Jen and whitewave, but the Tories have to be careful they don't take their base vote for granted and loose them by doing these things. It sounds as if they may tie themselves in knots trying to be more Labour than Labour and all things to all men just to stay in power. The demographics seemed to show they won on older, working-class, right-wing votes. By trying to attract the younger - although it was up to 44 not 35 - more highly educated people who appear not to be tribal in their allegiance, or statist in their outlook, and who are socially aware, they well upset those who did actually vote for them.

Rumour saying that the Tories are to look at the student fees!! Blimey Labour is certainly having a huge influence.

inews.co.uk/essentials/news/politics/theresa-may-reaching-needs-friends-can-get/

“It is now clear that the root of our failure to win a majority last month lies in those aged 18 to 35, among whom Labour led the Conservatives by over 30 percentage points.

“Modernisation in 2017 involves, as ever, listening to the complaints of those who are being excluded and developing both individual policies and an overall message which speaks to them.

“A country that works for everyone is Theresa May’s ambition, and it is exactly what we need to aim for, as successful Conservative leaders have in the past.

“If we are to bring young, educated, working Britain back to the Conservative party, we need to make a reality of the promise to build a country that works for everyone.”

How about treating them as adults, giving them housing benefit when they need it, a proper living wage.
Sorry, that's the Labour manifesto, isn't it?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/01/damian-green-tories-must-modernise-to-win-over-young-voters

Brilliant. Obviously doesn't realise that means getting rid of people like him, unless he thinks he's the modern face of conservatism, in which case Labour need have no worries.

He gave a speech yesterday, GracesGran. He's definitely a fracking evangelist. He took over from Anne McIntosh who was voted out by her constituents for not doing enough for the constituency. Somehow I think he might go the same way for wanting to allow fracking in the Yorkshire Moors National park.

Never look at MN but there are quite a few fracking evangelists on here.

Looking at your link Jen, is a 'fracking evangelist' a new euphemism from MumsNet?

Actually I think it would work well for a few on here

38 degrees has a petition to scrap the pay cap.
It has 23,000 signatures already.

I saw that, Gill. He just gives me the creeps. He looks like he's straight out of Dickens.

Gove showed his ugly mug at the Norfol show this week,wandering around making an arse of himself, trying to look as if he knew what he was talking about and making promises, to camera, that there would be no change in farming subsidies from the massive amount that is paid by the EU. So where is that bloody money going to come from? Maybe we should pressgang all the Brexiteers like that woman in the QT audience, and make them work for tuppence an hour picking fruit and vegetables. Would ensure the farmers make a profit and would give all the Brexit supporters a touch of the good old days that they all want to go back to. And no, I don't care if I have offended anyone, I am deeply, deeply angry at this mess you have got us into.

Gove's got help as well in his environment position, from someone else who couldn't care less about the environment.

politicalscrapbook.net/2017/06/tory-fracking-evangelist-appointed-as-michael-goves-private-secretary/

His day job is an estate agent. He set up Hunters in York initially. Anyone who doesn't agree with fracking, don't use Hunters to sell your house.
Fracking is likely to go ahead in his constituency. He should be in the department of business and communities, not environment.

Another Tory telling lies. God, I'm getting depressed.

politicalscrapbook.net/2017/06/watch-minister-claims-tories-have-increased-tax-on-the-rich-but-cant-name-a-single-one/

Actually, I'm getting more and more angry.
If I lived nearer London I'd definitely be going on the People's Assembly march tomorrow.

Says it all.

politicalscrapbook.net/2017/06/watch-tory-mp-blasts-theresa-may-over-her-use-of-public-funds-to-garner-political-control/

Quite funny, really. Does she not know that we know how she voted!

politicalscrapbook.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a424ae15fced56b3bcdaed9be&id=5931b04618&e=66bdcbee4a

The money given to DUP could give evry NHS worker a payrise.

Oh yes I thought odd with a 12 majority but didn't realise it was the lib dems