This week has seen the start of NUS' programme of Town Takeovers where we are taking the debate about student fees, finance and funding to the doorsteps in ten key university towns and cities that could swing the next general election.

In spite of the bad weather,  several hundred students turned out to flash mob in Liverpool city centre and pouring rain didn't stop students in Bristol performing a stunt on college green to represent the increasing way in which students are seen as pound signs by university bosses. We've spoken to hundreds of students in sixth forms, flyered both town centres and city transport hubs. We've knocked on doors to talk to local families and taken to the airwaves on local TV and radio.

One of the most interesting observations I've made this week is the extent to which local party representatives in Liverpool and Bristol have been left in a bind by the muddled or non-existent policies of their national parties. The absence of any clear direction from the Labour Party allowed Cllr Nick Small in Liverpool and Bristol West candidate Paul Smith to oppose any attempt to lift the current cap on tuition fees and suggest NUS' own blueprint as a policy worth consideration. This chimes with conversations I had with prospective Labour candidates during the Labour Party's recent conference in Brighton. Perhaps it's time that Lord Mandelson, who doesn't have to deal with the inconvenience of listening to people on the doorstep, listened to those in his Party that do!

Unfortunately the Conservative Party's Adeela Shafi was unable to make the Bristol meeting, but has agreed to take part in a future event. In Liverpool we had David Dunne, a former president of King's College London Students' Union, who welcomed NUS' blueprint, but again was able to offer little by way of any real policy substance on behalf of his party, beyond reaffirming some of the welcome comments made by David Willetts about the primacy of the student experience.

For the Liberal Democrats we had Paula Keaveney in Liverpool and Bristol North West candidate Paul Harrod . Both were very coy when challenged about Vince Cable's previous comments that student places would have to be cut to fund the abolition of fees. Both candidates were proud of the Liberal Democrats' consistent opposition to fees - indeed, the Liberal Democrats are the only party to have opposed both tuition fees and top-up fees consistently. Paul Smith was somewhat more honest about the current state of Lib Dem policy, re-stating Nick Clegg's position; that the Lib Dems may not be able to abolish fees, that this will remain their 'ambition' and that the Liberal Democrats will have the most progressive student funding policy. This is still hopelessly vague and I hope that the Lib Dems will set out their stall sooner rather than later so that we can see a real competition between the parties on this issue.

All in all this week has been a great start to the programme, but there is much more to do. For NUS there are still eight more Town Takeovers planned before Christmas and for Liverpool and Bristol the hard slog to get students registered to vote and pledging to use their vote begins. It's the only way politicians will feel the heat before the General Election.

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