Are the fees proposals going to get through?

With it looking increasingly likely that almost all Lib Dem MPs will abstain on the student fees issue government business managers have come up with a wheeze that they hope will ensure the measure goes through – the vote will take place in the evening a week tomorrow.

The idea according to Sky’s Jon Craig, is that , “MPs from smaller parties like the Democratic Unionists, Scottish and Welsh Nationalists will be missing” because they generally they can’t be arsed staying around much beyond mid afternoon on Thursdays.

The LD plan looks controversial given that the key minister is Vince Cable but perhaps we’ve all got to get used to different procedures applying now we are in a coalition.

There’ll be lots of squealing and it does look mighty unusual – but it seems a way of mitigating some of the yellow’s dilemma. Acting as a party in unison looks sensible though it won’t satisfy the Simon Heffers of this world – though nothing would. At least he will soon be behind a paywall!

Mike Smithson