When Simon Hughes MP (deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, advocate for access to education, abstainer on fees and patroniser of young people everywhere) announced he would be visiting Cornwall College, I raised my eyebrows, held back my own opinions and organised a group of students to meet with him.
As part of his grand tour – here consisting of Merseyside and “somewhere in the Midlands” – of Colleges in the UK, Simon came down to talk to staff and students about their experience of access to Education. To get their opinions. Or rather, to talk about their opinions.
I have never been prouder of a group of students whilst doing my current job. One exchange between Hughes and a group of the students went a little like this (I almost burst with pride):
SH: So young man, what would you like to do at University?
Student 1: Well I wanted to go and study photography but I’ve been put off by the expense
SH: AHA! You needn’t be put off by the expense! You’ve obviously been fed misinformation about the loan system. Did you know you won’t have to pay anything back until you’re earning £21,900 per year? You’ll probably not earn enough to repay your loan fully anyway! Tally-ho and off to University with you.
Student 1: No, I know that. I’ve just always been brought up not to owe people money.
Me: I’d like to reiterate that the people in this room aren’t stupid. Nor are they completely ignorant. What you need to realise is that just because someone disagrees with you, doesn’t mean they don’t understand the issue. The fear of debt is a reasonable cultural one, and is one which you will never be able to appreciate.
Student 2: If half of us aren’t going to repay this debt, won’t that just add to the country’s deficit?
SH: Oh you needn’t worry about the deficit. That’s not your problem. You let the treasury get on with that.
Student 3: If I don’t need to worry, then why are my public services being cut?
Student 4: Yeah, and it’s my parents who are being made redundant
Me: These people are constantly being told to be aware of the deficit, to make sacrifices because of the deficit, and you brush it aside like it doesn’t impact on them?
Aren’t we all in this together?
Simon proceeded to talk of such glorious things as “Careers Tutors” (no one in the room had ever had one). He suggested that pupils should be offered work experience at age 11 (not recognising that half of those in the room had never had work experience due to a lack of placements). He talked about a dream world in which Schools provide Information, Advice and Guidance that is truly impartial. For someone who describes himself as a listener, he does a lot of talking.
He asked if one young person worked on commission. At Tesco.
Now, I don’t dislike Simon Hughes. In fact, I think he probably does want to do the right thing for young people (he’s just not exceptionally good at doing it). But what I do find contemptible is that he is a prime example of a problem endemic within our political system. Those in power have absolutely no idea what it is like to live an average life in the UK.
When was the last time George Osbourne stood on a petrol forecourt, looked up at the price of unleaded and had to make a decision between visiting his family and taking the children to school?
When was the last time Nick Clegg had to withdraw his entire life savings to pay for a broken boiler to be repaired?
When was the last time William Hague simultaneously found out one of his sons was losing his job and the other was going to war?
When was the last time any of these people required a sure start centre, a rape crisis centre or an evening class at their local FE college?
Does Eric Pickles lie awake at night wondering where his next meal is coming from?
So what am I driving at? That these people shouldn’t be in power purely because they have no experience of being on the poverty line? No. No, if these people are the democratically elected leaders of our country then so be it.
But for all our sakes, show some humility.
Accept that we all know we are not in this together.
Ask what it is really like. And then stop talking. Listen.
