The Liberal Democrats justify breaking their pre-election pledge by claiming that compromises have to be made in coalition. But the Liberal Democrats were never going to form an administration on their own. They therefore knew that they would not be bound by any manifesto promises or this pledge. Which raises the question of why they made it in the first place, other than that it was a likely vote winner.

Abstention is the choice of the weak, or for those to weak too chose. Legislators are elected, and paid, to decide. Yes, things are sometimes not clear, but they are supposed to weigh the legislation up, and come down on one side or the other. Abstention is a cop-out. Abstention is saying that you don’t want to approve but you don’t want to disapprove. If those who abstained yesterday had voted against the government then the majority would have been cut to near single figures.

The media coverage was unsurprising, but still disappointing. (See the BBC roundup here.) The most important story is what has happened to universities, and the protests and occupations against; not the protests in themselves, as an opportunity to talk about ‘violent Britain’. And if the protests are the focus, then it should be on something other than what happened to a royal car. [Update 12.43 – such as this and this (see also this)]

Am I the only one to find politicians’ use of the term ‘violence’ to condemn protests inappropriate given the systematic violence being done to higher education and social mobility? Or the violence of the wars initiated or supported by those doing the condemning?

Yesterday York and Durham (where I live and work) felt a long way from London. Until just a couple of months ago this would have been right on my doorstep. Some good photos here. Some more and analysis here. Quite a difference to the BBC gallery here.

The NUS, the UCU, and Universities UK have not come out of this with any credit.