Bugger.

It's not like we didn't know this was coming. We know the Tories too well now, and those who voted for them (that otherwise wouldn't have) were fools to think they had changed.

"Richest students to pay for extra places at Britain's best universities"

An article from the Guardian today describes government "proposals [which] could allow UK students to enrol in university of their choice as long as they pay vastly higher fees up front."

Now, I see where this is going. There will be the usual left versus right thing about "the privileged few being able to buy their place" versus "opening up the higher education system to allow more places to be created without taxpayer money" blah. There are arguments for and against and I can see both, which kills me as the reddish-coloured membership card of a certain UK political party is screaming at me to not even entertain the other side.

But that wouldn't be very enlightened of me now, would it?

For you see fortunately, I was one of many young people of my particular generation who were lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the magnificent increases in investment in education and go to university - my modest background not making the slightest difference in my ability (be it financial or academic) to continue my studies in Higher Education. Granted I had to work part-time throughout, but this kept me in the "real world" so to speak, rather than being wrapped up in the "uni-bubble".

Despite the reforms that had already taken place by the time I enrolled at the University of Sheffield (great place, great uni), I still felt OK about taking on the responsibility of paying back my student loans after my studies and, felt OK also about going to university and not being surrounded by snobs and rich people who I might not be able to relate to.

Some criticise the introduction of tuition fees and the subsequent top-up fees and they are quite right to. I don't like them myself, and I disagree with them in principle. However, there was a university funding problem at the time which needed to be solved (Jesus, I sound like he-who-should-not-be-named..... Cameron). Unfortunately I'm not sure it is so simple to compare England's situation with Scotland's. It should rather be contrasted, as their tax revenues and funding agreements are somewhat different. I'm 22, I have no clue what would be the best solution, but I bet that there was more than enough talking done about it, but not enough different people with different opinions and ideas.

On university funding, I don't think New Labour came up with the goods, as they didn't have a radical policy like those that had characterised their early days in office, but rather the easy way out that simply ruffled the Left's feathers because it appeased/pleased the Right (and probably the pushy Chancellors/Vice-Chancellors of the Russell Group of universities).  Long story short, I believe the funding of education should be a collective effort of society, as it benefits everyone. I also know that this view is somewhat outdated, and most certainly unpalatable to the vast majority of our society today, especially with the current economic climate.

I think that because of Tony Blair's decision to ignore the pledge in their 2005 manifesto that there would be no top-up fees, this left the door wide open for the Tories to walk right in and break down the last few bricks in the wall, that otherwise would have prevented the Higher Education system becoming a market, allowing the richest to buy their way into universities who are desperate for funding. Unfortunately, I very much doubt that this article will be the last to enrage me and many others, but I certainly don't doubt that the Conservative-led government will do everything it possibly can before their time runs out. When it does run out, is up to the Liberal Democrats (I hope).

Come on, Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems, go out with a bang! Bring down the Tory government while you still can, and stop them from doing any more permanent damage to our country.