Reactions to the PM's speech?

It's basically a graduate tax and apart from having completely free higher education, I find it the fairest system. It doesn't alienate anyone, it means no one's priced out and it's only taken off you if you're in work, earning over £21,000 which is a fair wage. It's not like having a credit card hanging over you. If you lose your job, you stop paying off the student loan until you get another one and if people want to go to university, I think if anyone has to pay, it should be them rather than come out of a tax on everyone. I understand why people were angry with Nick Clegg for going back on his pledge, but I think what is being implemented is actually a really good policy.

Sorry, what I meant to say was, it will be 9% of the wage so you start on £30 at £21,000 and it goes up with the wage but is never more than 9%.

Where do those numbers come from starry?

I only ask because I was paying off a percentage of my salary (first year to have student loans), and £30 was not how much it was! Student loans further normalise the debt culture of our society.

Since the fees will be paid off at no more than £30 a month and only when the students are being paid £21,000 a year, I don't see the problem with the fee policy. Students now start paying their fees off when they earn £15,000 so it's a huge improvement on that.

And Cogito it's a bit simplistic to make sweeping statements about a DC hate fest. Polls show that DC and his party are just not popular with many women. I wonder why

Bit long.

NHS - well he lies about more and more funding. In real terms, it's falling.

Housing - how can he talk about property owning when it was lending to those who couldn't afford it which caused so much mess? And now he wants to sell even more social homes? Does he know what the average household income is?!

The economy - yes well of course he'll lay the entire blame at Labour's door but we hear Osborne blame everything from the weather to a royal wedding (?!) when growth falters.

Education - those dear free schools which aren't that well thought of in Sweden so why bring them here...

I could go on. I will not.

Helpful transcription from the Guardian

Just found this great blog post analysing Cameron's speech and comparing it to Miliband's (more in common than either would like to acknowledge).

www.politicshome.com/uk/article/36870/that_hopey_changey_thing.html

Claig - I think he'll increase his share of the gay vote though.

Dreaming - well Miliband 'may' put the fees down to £7k per year. But that will only effect the higher earners (as most lower earners won't pay it all back). But Miliband plans to raise interest rates for the higher earner too.

thought the bit reported on the news about paying off your debts was a bit rich, considering they are about to make my 2 youngest massively in debt due to hike in uni fees. And I'm a previous staunch conservative voter. who do i vote for now?????

Well said Missingfriendsandsad !!!

We are trying to pay our debts but the rising cost of everything is making it fucking tricky! Twat - DC!

Phew, thanks for that jackstarb. It sounded like the Tories had cooked their goose by that speech, and there was no way back. It sounded like he still had a mountain to climb, judging by the evaluation of MNers.

And so he bloody well should support gay marriage.

Claig - it was ok. The Blair moment was quite clever (and got a laugh). He probably said enough to satisfy the Tory members, whilst trying to communicate with the wider electorate. Safe to say he wasn't targeting the Mumsnet 'constituency'. .

"I don't support gay marriage, despite being a Tory, I support gay marriage because I'm a Tory" was another good one.

Cameron could do better. But given Miliband's effort last week - maybe he doesn't have to.

check out (hash)torytunes on Twitter. Hilarious.

I didn't vote for this clown and his puppets. He is a fucking moron.

He has no idea what it's like for the average person on the street, where a half decent salary doesn't last the whole month, people are working hard and having benefits and pensions eaten away. And how dare he say the Tories are the party for the NHS when they are in the process of dismantling it?

I haven't heard the speech, but to be frank, I'm rather dreading what is in it, going by some of the reactions.

Obviously not,Claig

I hate him even more after reading that speech

'He was told to take the "pay your debts" bit out.'

I thought he was the Boss.

'A few button-pushing moments'

that is starting to look like an understatement

Well it looks like Cogito enjoyed the speech and it had a somewhat unfavourable reaction from some usually objective MNers.

I'm definitely going to rush and get married after that speech though