Shamik Das
Clegg under fire over fees as violence mars student protest
Nick Clegg came under renewed pressure over his tuition fees u-turn at Prime Minister's Questions today as 50,000 students marched on parliament in the biggest protest against the government since it came to power. However, violent scenes at Millbank Tower, home of the Conservative party, cast a pall over the demonstration.
Cost of studying for a degree to double by 2012
The annual cost of studying for a degree will double by 2012 - having already risen 300 per cent since 1988, through a combination of grant cuts, rising living costs and tuition fees, which the government last week confirmed would increase to a maximum £9,000 per year. The news comes as thousands of students prepare to march on Westminster today to protest the coalition's "looming, savage education cuts".
More immigration cap anger from small businesses
Fast-growing small businesses are the latest group to speak out against the immigration cap, saying the restrictions on hiring non-EU migrants are forcing them to turn away work because they are unable to hire the right people. The news follows twin criticisms of the cap last week from the prime minister's election speechwriter and the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee.
Look Left – Browne Review begins to bite
More details of the impact of the Browne Review emerged this week. Twenty four universities look set to see their entire teaching grants scrapped, including LSE and SOAS, with 73 universities seeing their teaching budgets slashed by more than 75 per cent.
Lib Dem foreign minister’s French slur
Foreign office minister Jeremy Browne was accused of racism by a heckler on Question Time last night after remarks about the French. Talking about the Anglo-French defence treaty signed by the prime minister and President Sarkozy this week, he said: "We're not merging our Army with France. Our soldiers won't be required to speak French or wear onions round their necks or stripey t-shirts, or ride bicycles."
More government confusion over impact of immigration cap
There is further uncertainty over how the government will achieve its stated goal of reducing net immigration to the "tens of thousands" - an aim reiterated by David Cameron in a speech on new technology in east London this afternoon. Yesterday, the prime minister said intra-company transfers would be exempted from the immigration cap - an area over which immigration minister Damian Green came unstuck on Newsnight last night.