It seems to me that with respect to student money matters all politicians act like old fashioned variety hall magicians. What ever the colour of their capes, red, blue, yellow….they all deliver surrounded by smoke and with mirrors strategically placed
In response to an article on wonkhe that suggests politicians on the left don't understand the system - I am not convinced. What I believe is that politicians devise, like all good magicians, ways to deliver the same old trick with a different spin. Some of their audience are wily “seen it all before” types looking out from the start for the sleight of hand,distractions and not in the least bit impressed by the showmanship. Others in the crowd do know it’s not what meets the eye but just can't help fall for that pesky double dealing. Some in the audience will take it all on face value and depending on how they feel about the illusion will applaud, reel back in horror, or tremble in fear, In fact some may avoid the show all together having heard just how scary it all sounds.
When Ed Miliband was shouting “roll up, roll up watch me slice a £9K fee to £6K by laying it in my magic box” some folk may have fallen for the trick.This will have included those who never quite grasped the “see this fee loan and this HEFCE grant – I put it in this envelope – give it a shake pass to the student – open it up – the fees haven’t changed really -- Ta da!”. Those who saw how the envelope trick worked shared their insight so by the time Ed came up with his £6K smoke and mirrors version the audience was not that impressed, he seemed like nothing better than a one trick childrens party magician.
Before Ed though came Nick Clegg with a very naughty trick indeed.
Nick was disgruntled at playing glamorous assistant when he reckoned he had all the skills of a master magician. He had promised audiences he would be the next David Blaine of tuition fees (make them disappear altogether) but he never made it beyond sidekick, sitting pretty, yet muted at David Cameron's shoulder. To appease him he was allowed to play a little and came up with a Chad Valley style magic kit, a cash sweetener for the half time interval called the National Scholarship Programme (NSP). Nick sent the box of tricks to the universities who received it with a bored sigh. Some read the instructions fully, others less so. Some delivered the trick with aplomb making sure some audience members received their promised incentive. Other Unis though saw a way to be even more tricky, pocketing the audience watches while they were reaching eagerly for a fee waiver golden ticket. Imagine the students disappointment to later to find the ticket was nearly worthless and the uni had banked their cash prize.
Anyway like a lot of these tricks the NSP was just a flash in the pan.
What students and their families need are Penn and Teller type politicians who are prepared to let them in on how it's actually done. To be fair, audiences are all the more impressed in the full knowledge. Creativity isn’t stifled, new and more effective ways to deliver the trick are still explored and devised – but without the smoke, the mirrors, the watch stealing and the vainglorious – pull the wool over your eyes – showmanship.
The audiences are ultimately happy to be in on the act - as the late great Paul Daniels would say "now that's magic!"
