Ever the opportunist, Ed Miliband recognised that university funding could be the
coalition’s first test of resolve. Opposing a tuition fee hike has given him
the chance to serenade disgruntled Liberal Democrats and to discard New Labour’s sheen (which so incensed Alan Johnson, the minister who introduced the fee in such difficult
circumstances). Miliband is determined to mould the Labour party in his image. Speaking on the Politics Show yesterday (16:20 in), he said
that the party, Johnson included, will strive to deliver a graduate tax.
After a summer’s procrastination, the government has run out of time. The substance of Lord Browne’s recommendations is in the public domain and it has caused disquiet on government benches. The numbers are bald: the government will lose the vote if enough Lib Dem MPs revolt, an event that would prejudice the coalition’s long-term stability.
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