Toby Atkin-Wright

Student tuition fees was the big issue in English politics today. Clegg defended his position at PMQs, while the NUS marched outside. There was potential to damage the coalition, particularly with the politically opportunist change of heart on fees by Labour.

But then it all went wrong for the students: the protests descended into violence and confrontation, and the news channels were filled with students expressing astonishing levels of entitlement. Students justifying their bully-boy tactics made for pretty unpleasant listening. I felt great sympathy for the people working in the Millbank Tower and at 30 Millbank, and in the surrounding area.

The students' message appeared to be that they want taxpayers to give them money, and if they don't, violence will follow. Isn't that a protection racket?

What a nasty bunch.

Student tuition fees was the big issue in English politics today. Clegg defended his position at PMQs, while the NUS marched outside. There was potential to damage the coalition, particularly with the politically opportunist change of heart on fees by Labour.

But then it all went wrong for the students: the protests descended into violence and confrontation, and the news channels were filled with students expressing astonishing levels of entitlement. Students justifying their bully-boy tactics made for pretty unpleasant listening. I felt great sympathy for the people working in the Millbank Tower and at 30 Millbank, and in the surrounding area.

The students' message appeared to be that they want taxpayers to give them money, and if they don't, violence will follow. Isn't that a protection racket?

What a nasty bunch.

Just as Newsnight told us that the NUS protest march consisted of an estimated 50,000 English students, pictures showed a banner from the University of Strathclyde. Which I found rather amusing.

Did the students and staff have neither lectures nor labs today? It seems odd to have a protest march mid-week when the participants should have been at their studies. Maybe it was their Wednesday-afternoon sporting fixture.

Just as Newsnight told us that the NUS protest march consisted of an estimated 50,000 English students, pictures showed a banner from the University of Strathclyde. Which I found rather amusing.

Did the students and staff have neither lectures nor labs today? It seems odd to have a protest march mid-week when the participants should have been at their studies. Maybe it was their Wednesday-afternoon sporting fixture.

Today the government failed in its attempt to bring in minimum unit pricing on alcoholic drinks, and also failed to raise the off-licence purchase age to twenty-one. Labour’s amendment to restrict the caffeine content of alcoholic drink failed too, but changes to ban promotional offers on booze have passed.

I’m broadly happy with that result. The proposed changes would have penalised all drinkers; they were ill-targeted. And the caffeine issue is really geographically limited — is there something genetically wrong with people in Lanarkshire that sends them silly when they imbibe caffeinated alcohol?

However, it does seem that all the debate about alcohol centres around problem drinking, and the negative social and health impacts of alcohol. I would like to see politicians emphasise the benefits of drink. Government should support the social cohesion that pubs that give to communities, and should promote responsible drinking, particularly with traditional drinks like real ale.

Today the government failed in its attempt to bring in minimum unit pricing on alcoholic drinks, and also failed to raise the off-licence purchase age to twenty-one. Labour’s amendment to restrict the caffeine content of alcoholic drink failed too, but changes to ban promotional offers on booze have passed.

I’m broadly happy with that result. The proposed changes would have penalised all drinkers; they were ill-targeted. And the caffeine issue is really geographically limited — is there something genetically wrong with people in Lanarkshire that sends them silly when they imbibe caffeinated alcohol?

However, it does seem that all the debate about alcohol centres around problem drinking, and the negative social and health impacts of alcohol. I would like to see politicians emphasise the benefits of drink. Government should support the social cohesion that pubs that give to communities, and should promote responsible drinking, particularly with traditional drinks like real ale.