Quote of the day: Keighley & Ilkley Lib Dem edition

Local (both Bradford and Keighley) Lib Dems do seem to have principles. When I was Web-master for the Keighley Local Branch, I made sure that the preamble to ‘our’ constitution appeared on every page of the site.

Nick Clegg seems to have different principles. He seems – according to what he’s sent to members of what I used to think of my party – to think that the only beneficiaries of a university education are the graduates.

I think that graduates are folk who’ve worked hard and are ready to pay that back to the country – think doctors, nurses and vets and their patients, think of teachers. Some are less directly contributors: graduates in media studies and sports studies and so on. Even these folk – if they are going to get jobs -will have to pass on what they’ve learned to others.

The real beneficiaries of university education aren’t the graduates themselves, but the rest of us.

Of course, many graduates will get paid above the average wage, but they’ll pay more than average income tax too because of that .

This isn’t to denigrate the contribution made by those who collect garbage and recycling, or who spread grit and salt on snow – and many other necessary tasks – they too are worthy of their hire.

Rather it is to praise those who are exceptional enough to achieve a degree and put more back into society than they took out while being trained. Progressive income tax will pull back as much as their higher pay gives them. They shouldn’t be expected to pay more than others who get high pay.