With top-up fees firmly on the statute books, and higher education issues at this year's Labour Party conference repeatedly dismissed with the line "been there done that", it is understandable that the students' and lecturers' unions have fewer lobbying opportunities compared with previous years. But it can't help that the National Union of Students, the Association of University Teachers and lecturers' union Natfhe are forced to commute to the conference from Eastbourne - the renowned retirement seaside resort, miles from the Brighton conference where the hotels are either full, or extortionately priced.