Lib Dem leader insists party can 'move forward without rancour' despite rebellion of more than a third of its MPs
The Lib Dem leader today appealed for the party to "move forward" from the tuition fees vote, insisting there was no "rancour" in the parliamentary party, even after more than a third of its MPs rebelled.
Nick Clegg said it was "no surprise" that the vote to treble tuition fees to �9,000 a year would be "a difficult issue for us", after he and other Lib Dem MPs signed a pledge during the election campaign that they would oppose any such move. "The party has discussed this in a calm and respectful manner which I think will now allow us to move forward without rancour and in a united way... so that we can deliver the liberal, fair things we want for Britain as a whole."
He was backed by the business secretary Vince Cable who said: "We will go forward and I think the coalition will be stronger not weaker for this experience."
But critics said the vote, though passed by the Commons, exposed the limits of Mr Clegg's authority within his party, after 21 of the party's 57 MPs voted against the measure and five abstained, while only 16 voted in favour ( a number were away and did not vote). There were also six Conservative rebels and two Tory abstentions.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/10/nick-clegg-tuition-fees-vote
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