Student's Blair blast (From Stroud News and Journal)

Student's Blair blast

A UNIVERSITY student from Stroud had Prime Minister Tony Blair on the back foot this week in a televised debate that turned into an ambush.

Martin Bayly, 21, a Newcastle University politics student from Whiteshill, was plastered across the front page of the Daily Mail after being among Mr Blair's interrogators in last Wednesday's Channel Five programme Talk to the Prime Minister presented by Kirsty Young.

Speaking the morning after seizing the opportunity of a lifetime, the former Archway student told the SNJ: "The question that I ended up asking him was why he had gone against his 2001 manifesto pledge not to introduce top up fees in the next parliament."

Martin, manager of the university radio station, was less than gratified by the reply.

"He's a genius at media handling. Sometimes you look back over what he said and think did he say anything.

"I was not very pleased with it. It was the usual spiel, along the lines of needing more funding.

"I understand the funding issue but I'm not convinced that burdening students with the majority of funding is the best way of going about it.

"The system is inherently unfair on students from lower income backgrounds.

"This Utopian vision that everyone can go to University is not matched by reality."

Afterwards the PM, to whom the channel had devoted the day with a series of four programmes, mixed with the audience.

"There was a general feeling among the group that he did not really offer us anything new," said Martin, whose composed demeanour belied butterflies.

"I was very nervous," said Martin. "It was quite good that a few people had gone before me. I don't know if it came over on TV but I was shaking a bit. I wanted to make some explicit points not just rant at him but I was definitely nervous. He's the Prime Minister."

Proud Dad Jonathan, a doctor and former Rowcroft Medical Centre GP, said: "We're very proud of him. We only knew 24 hours before that he had been accepted on to the panel.

"I think it would have been very nerve-wracking for anyone. He looked ever so serious. I think he needed to smile. I was very pleased for him. It was a good experience."