A group of York students has won the opportunity to have their very own I-phone application developed after winning The App Challenge final, held at the Ron Cooke Hub on Wednesday, January 18.
YUSU Welfare officer Bob Hughes has warned students to be vigilant after a student loans phishing scam has been revealed.
Her Majesty the Queen will be visiting York on Maundy Thursday, 5th April, as part of the 800th anniversary of York’s Charter for the traditional “Royal Maundy” ceremony.
A flood caused by a heating system “failure” forced the university IT services to shut down many essential systems on Sunday night, causing problems for many students on the eve of their exams and assignment due-dates.
By Friday morning the votes had been counted, but it was only following days of backstage talks and negotiations that Britain woke up to a new Prime Minister and a new coalition government. The new Conservative/Lib Dem coalition was described by David Cameron as “historic” and indeed it is, after all it is the first time a coalition has governed Britain for over half a century.
It is an agreement that has seen the Lib Dem leader appointed Deputy Prime Minister as well as four additional Lib Dem cabinet appointments. Notable Conservatives such as George Osborne and William Hague will take the roles of Chancellor and Foreign Secretary respectively. However, senior Lib Dems have also taken on important roles – Vince Cable is the new Business Secretary while Chris Huhne takes over as Energy and Climate Change secretary.
Two questions emerge now in the wake of this historic deal. Firstly, will it work? Secondly, can it last?
Strange Bedfellows
It is a coalition that months, weeks, or perhaps even days ago many may not have seen as possible. It was only two weeks ago that Clegg and Cameron were involved in fiery exchanges in the last Prime Ministerial debates. They clashed during the campaign on issues such as inheritance tax, trident, Europe and perhaps most notably immigration.
Yesterday however the two party leaders stood side by side, not in opposition but as partners in government. It was a press conference that has been described as “humorous” and “cosy” – every bit as warm as their handshake outside of number 10 hours earlier.
One might suggest that the two men have a similar style and it could even be said that the pair are not without chemistry. To look at they are not polar opposites. Indeed, young and comparatively fresh faced, with the same public school background, it could be said that party allegiances aside – the two are cut from the same cloth.
However this is not a coalition that has been built on what appears to be an affable relationship. Rather, it is a government built very much on compromise.
Compromise, Opposition and Uncertainty
It is no secret that the two parties differed greatly in their policies on several issues and resultantly there have been concessions on both sides.
The Lib Dems have agreed to Tory policy on an immigration cap and the like-for-like replacement of Trident. Similarly, the Conservatives have backed down on inheritance tax and will instead implement the Lib Dem policy of increasing the income tax threshold to £10,000. There will even be a referendum on electoral reform – specifically the AV voting system, not PR as many Lib Dems would want.
Not all differences saw agreements however, with the Lib Dems abstaining on votes about Nuclear Power tax credits for married couples.
To some this will be evidence of extant divisions between the parties that may well threaten the stability of the coalition. There will be opposition from both sides, which both leaders will have to work hard to reign in, however much they talk about unity.
Clegg and Cameron may have seemed thoroughly at ease today, but as British electoral politics enters into almost uncharted territory, a cloud of uncertainty will no doubt linger.
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