Nick Clegg has been hit by a major rebellion with more than 100 Liberal Democrat candidates demanding that he opposes the coalition's plans to raise university tuition fees.
The deputy PM is under mounting pressure from his Tory coalition partners to ensure Lib Dem ministers vote for plans to triple the annual degree charge to £9,000.
But 104 ex-election candidates say the party faces years "in the political wilderness" unless MPs vote against it.
They signed a petition that Derek Deedman, who stood for the Lib Dems in Arundel and South Downs, put on his website. It states that many MPs signed a pledge with the National Union of Students that they would vote against the increase.
It adds: "The wording clearly indicated that this would be unconditional, regardless of whether the party was in power."
Protests against the tuition fees increase have spiralled into violence and the Lib Dems are down to 9% in the polls.
The NUS wants to use "right to recall" powers, which let voters sack local leaders. Mr Clegg has written to the group, begging them to stop targeting his MPs. He said the powers should only be used against politicians caught out over their expenses.
Source http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/11/30/lib-dem-rebellion-over-tuition-fees-115875-22751197/
The deputy PM is under mounting pressure from his Tory coalition partners to ensure Lib Dem ministers vote for plans to triple the annual degree charge to £9,000.
But 104 ex-election candidates say the party faces years "in the political wilderness" unless MPs vote against it.
They signed a petition that Derek Deedman, who stood for the Lib Dems in Arundel and South Downs, put on his website. It states that many MPs signed a pledge with the National Union of Students that they would vote against the increase.
It adds: "The wording clearly indicated that this would be unconditional, regardless of whether the party was in power."
Protests against the tuition fees increase have spiralled into violence and the Lib Dems are down to 9% in the polls.
The NUS wants to use "right to recall" powers, which let voters sack local leaders. Mr Clegg has written to the group, begging them to stop targeting his MPs. He said the powers should only be used against politicians caught out over their expenses.
Source http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/11/30/lib-dem-rebellion-over-tuition-fees-115875-22751197/
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