Brace yourselves, CoffeeHousers. Today is the day of the tuition fee vote, along with
all the froth and fury that will attend it. The government’s motion will most likely pass through the Commons – yes, even
without the support of Simon Hughes – but the wider repercussions are, as yet, uncertain. The main question is what the Lib Dems will achieve by walking through the fire, as Nick Clegg
puts it. Will they emerge from the other side, a more credible party of government in the public’s eyes? Or will they just get burnt to ashes?
At the very least, the yellow bird of liberty is stuttering this morning. As Anthony Wells reports, the latest YouGov poll has them at 8 percent – what appears to be their lowest level of support for 20 years. You might say that polls don’t really matter, especially at this stage, and I’d sympathise.
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