Vince Cable says he will back tuition fee proposals

Common sense has broken out as Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable has said that he will vote for the tuition fee proposals.

He told his local paper that he would vote in favour next week.

I think this means that the party has accepted the inevitable - that there will be a 3 way split on the vote next week. That, to me, is a good thing.

There's no getting away from the fact that this is a tough time to be a Liberal Democrat MP and I know that many of them are going to struggle. Whatever happens on Thursday, I hope that it can all be worked through without recrimination and upset. 

Vince made another important point in that interview - that once he's had the chance to speak to students and explain the full situation to them, they understand why he's made this decision a bit better.

“Whenever I get the chance to discuss the situation with them face-to-face and I am able to explain it I think there is more understanding of the problem - that we had to take very substantial cuts in my department."

 I'm sure that doesn't mean to say they like it, but I hope they'll realise that the situation isn't as bleak as NUS and others have tried to paint it.