5th Dec 10
Ed Miliband says tuition fee rises are vandalism
by Adam Richards
Ed Miliband, the Labour leader has accused the coalition government of carrying out cultural vandalism concerning university tuition fees as he tries to re-energize his struggling leadership and take advantage of the growing crisis amongst Liberal Democrat MPs on higher education funding.
In advance of a crucial Commons vote on Thursday and a week of student protests, the Labour leader is taking the high-risk option of remaking the case for a graduate tax even in the face of opposition from shadow chancellor, Alan Johnson.
In an all-out attack on the Tory/Lib-Dem proposals to increase the limit on fees to £9,000 a year he argues that the plan would set back social mobility by a generation, entrench privilege and inequality and discourage students of lower and middle-income families from going to university.
Miliband has dismissed the coalition’s argument that large fee rises are unavoidable saying they could have been limited to a few hundred pounds a year. He said the move was a political choice and a deeply damaging one and that the proposals amounted to a rejection of the recognition that Britain has a collective responsibility for higher education.
The issue of student fees continues to split Liberal Democrat MPs who all signed a promise before the general election in May promising to oppose any rise. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he wanted his MPs to get behind government policy in Thursday’s Commons vote but he admitted there was still no agreement on the issue.
Our Stories
- Tesco store managers see annual bonuses cut
- Royal Mail: half London sorting office to be sold
- Panasonic announces £3.4bn loss
- Thomas Cook attacks government over holidays at home promotion
- Clinton Cards falls into administration
- Wet April sees high street spending fall
- Five tough years ahead for UK jobs market
- Deal struck to save Thomas Cook
- Discount battle leads to sales decline at Morrisons
- Wetherspoon founder: pubs plans to be hit by taxes
- Stores in doubt as Argos profits fall
- Heathrow to increase landing fees
Popular Topics
afghanistan al qaeda amazon Apple ASDA bank of england barack obama BBC british airways china david cameron Debenhams Egypt facebook george osborne Google India ipad iphone ivory coast japan Libya London M&S Marks & Spencer Morrisons nhs North Korea Office for National Statistics pakistan protests russia Sainsbury’s South Korea terrorism Tesco Tunisia UK UK retailers UK retail news UK shopping us Waitrose Wikileaks x factorArchive
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- January 2009
