Lib Dems should back Martin Lewis' campaign

The ever excellent MoneySavingExpert - Martin Lewis - has launched a campaign to rename student loans - graduate contributions.  For two years he has been trying to explain the new student finance system and keeps coming across young people who are being put off university becauseof fears of going into debt.

Martin Lewis says of the new system: 

"Labour and the National Union of Students (NUS) on the other hand want a graduate tax. Frankly, in reality, that’s close to what we have now, as the repayments are more like a tax than a loan."

Perhaps if Clegg and the Parliamentary party had been a bit more bullish about the changes - instead of the defensive dithering that ended up with Clegg's mea culpa - then Lewis' campaign would be unneccessary.

But Lewis is right - the name is important - and a formal change to 'graduate contribution' should be made as soon as possible.  Over to you Vince.

Davey shows Lib Dem ministers how to do it

Having been in his new job for less than a day, Ed Davey, has made an immediate impact with a single phone call.

The call was to the excellent Martin Lewis - the money saving expert - to talk about how collective consumer led switching of energy suppliers could work in the UK. Switching energy suppliers can save individuals around £300 - so a voluntary collective approach could bring big benefits for those who sign up.

It's the sort of principled Liberal policy other Lib Dem ministers - using their executive powers - ought to be pursuing. And working with respected websites like Money Saving Expert - with more than 13 million visitors a month also shows the way forward. One mention by Martin Lewis is worth approximately 52 mentions in the Guardian or Times.