Today I have made the first step on what will hopefully turn out to be journey of good-intentions and self-fulfilment. I have joined New Labour; the mainstream political party that currently holds power at the national level of government here in the UK. In doing so I have compromised on two of my principles, but ultimately feel that if you truly wish to beat them, you must join them. I am against the invasion and occupation of sovereign nations that could otherwise have been curtailed through the good offices of the United Nations. I am against the increase in fees that University students must pay from the next academic year onwards; my brother starts University at the end of this calendar year, and due to accident of birth, must now pay £3000 more a year than me.

I have thought long and hard about the fringe movements that litter most university campuses all over the UK; I have witnessed and, on occasion, played an active role in their non-violent demonstrations against certain government decisions over the last ten years of Tony Blair’s rule. However, upon Gordon Brown’s rise to power and his promises of a more transparent governmental process I have truly been inspired.

I shan’t deny it; much of my new found faith in Westminster depends overwhelmingly on the cult of Brown’s personality and his particular methodology. I find his proposals of a ‘bill of rights’ tempting, and his promise to open up the debate on whether or not to declare future war upon foreign nations to the House irresistible. He has also mentioned the fact that students aren’t all that keen on the heavier debt burden, and looks set to ‘modify’ the current decree on top up fees, I doubt very much that my brother shall escape this near intolerable debt; but the future looks bright for the next generation in so far as education goes. Brown has more than once uttered the tripartite sound bite ‘education, education, education!’, and looks set thus far to be more a man of deed rather than word.