Ed Miliband's statement today to striking students; " I understand your anger at what is happening on tuition fees" is one of those "I feel your pain " statements which always ring rather hollow and especially so when they come from a politician. He also said that he believes that sixth formers should be able to lose valuable teaching hours by being able to join in outside protests during school time. All very well for him who has completed his education and made his way in the world ,albeit entirely in and around politics, but less good for those who may be borderline cases in getting the necessary grades whne they next face the examiners.
The basic statement comes a bit rich from the leader of a Party which is also all for recovering the costs of university education and probably at much the same levels though possibly through an even more punitive lifelong graduate tax which would be far more of a disincentive to many to even go to university.
Maybe the problem is that Ed is,as labelled by David Cameron ,indeed still student politician who just can't resist jumping on any passing noisy bandwagon, particularly a socialist one, and is really just vicariously joining the demo. He has said before that he was minded to join in such events but has so far failed to show up on the day. Urging sixth formers to do so in his place is perhaps the best he can do, but it is a very selfish suggestion. "Over the top you go,- I'm right behind you" and (unsaid)"I'm staying behind you". He has yet to come clean about exactly what and how Labour would do to fund the costs of university education and do it fairly so that the costs are born by its beneficiaries and not spread across the rest of the population who do not go there. Do we sniff something hypocritical and rather cowardly opportunist in all this from nice understanding Brother Ed?
