Archives for May 2011

We've seen protests against public spending cuts and marches against the increase in tuition fees. But a group of students from Hull University have taken part in a demonstration with a difference.

The Rally Against Debt took place in Central London on Saturday and was organised to highlight the scale of the national debt - which currently stands at somewhere around the £1 trillion mark - or the equivalent of £40,000 per household.

The rally attracted around 350 people, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Public sector unions have criticised the march, claiming it's an insult to the vulnerable groups who've been adversely affected by spending cuts.

Nikki Knowles and Simon Schofield are members of Hull University's Conservative Future branch. They both told me they were going on the march because they were worried about their debts being passed on to their children's generation.

The students deny their support for cuts is ideologically based, pointing out that it's the basis of good housekeeping not to spend more than you earn.

If that sounds familiar, it's worth remembering that today's first year students weren't even born when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister.

The rally hasn't been organised by any political party, but it's fair to say there is a distinct right-of-centre feel to the line up - with the Taxpayers' Alliance being one of the main sponsors.

So could this be the start of British-style 'Tea Party' - the US grassroots organisation which is opposed to big government?

Dr Simon Lee - a senior lecturer in politics at the University of Hull - thinks not. Dr Lee believes we have a different political culture in the UK, based largely around the welfare state and the NHS. He argues our concept of big government is very different to our American cousins.

However, the organisers of the Rally Against Debt believe there is a silent majority of the British public who accept the need for deficit reduction and would like greater scrutiny of how their money is spent by Whitehall.

After five years as the high profile leader of Hull City Council, Carl Minns lost his own seat and was dumped out of office in a truly disastrous election for the Liberal Democrats.

Carl Minns

The scale of the Liberal Democrat meltdown in Hull was clear for all to see. Of the twelve seats being defended by the Lib Dems, Labour won ten, making them the largest party by a sizeable margin.

Following his defeat, Carl Minns told me he was frustrated that the debate over spending cuts had overshadowed other aspects of government policy.

He said: "The Government has been dreadful at developing any narrative outside the cuts agenda and a lot of positive polices that benefit people in northern cities have been lost in the white noise."

Elsewhere in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire - Labour gained Lincoln from no overall control, but lost North Lincolnshire to the Conservatives, prompting tears of joy from jubilant Tories.

Meanwhile it was the end of the road for the Boston Bypass Independent group, which lost power to the Conservatives - four years after they elected to deliver a bypass to the Lincolnshire town.

But the headlines were dominated by the collapse of the Lib Dem vote in Hull and a council leader forced to look for alternative employment.

In a city that's long been divided on sporting grounds, Hull's political leaders are preparing for their latest showdown.

The Liberal Democrats stormed to power in this former Labour stronghold four years ago. And this is one of the few councils in the North of England where the Lib Dems still have outright control.

Critics of the Lib Dem-run authority believe the tide is about to turn, due to the impact of spending cuts which will see around 1400 council posts axed and £65 million wiped off the budget.

The Lib Dems' poll ratings nationally have plummeted, but on a visit to Hull last week the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said voters should judge the party on its record locally under the leadership of Carl Minns.

Mr Clegg said that Hull - as recently as 2004 under Labour - was branded the worst council in the country.

Dr Simon Lee - a senior lecturer in politics at the University of Hull - told me: "Hull is a weathervane for the policies of the Coalition government. Hull is an economy overly dependent on public sector jobs, so unless we see evidence of an economic recovery, we are not likely to see it in other parts of the United Kingdom."

Those who choose to vote in Hull will decide the result of one of the most fiercely contested election battles in the country.

With a close contest on the cards between the Lib Dems and Labour, there's every chance the city's two Conservative councillors and two Independents could end up playing a pivotal role.