The Evening Standard was forced to change its headline this evening after complaints from David Willetts. But student activists stood by to outline the implications of an increase in tuition fees, apparently favoured by the Conservative Party.
The Evening Standard was forced to change its headline this evening after complaints from David Willetts. But student activists stood by to outline the implications of an increase in tuition fees, apparently favoured by the Conservative Party.
The Evening Standard’s headline this afternoon announced, “Students to face £7,000 a year fees.” The article continued, “David Willetts said he would consider demands to raise the annual fee to £7,000.”
But following complaints from Mr Willetts’ office, the online version now reads, “Students to face higher tuition fees after election” and goes on to report, “Students face paying higher tuition fees after the next election as the Tories hint they are prepared to consider raising the current £3,225 a-year charge.” Unusually, the story no longer appears on the front page of the website. The about turn occurred after complaints from Mr Willett’s office. A spokesman for Mr Willetts said, “The quotes and headline didn’t reflect the story.”
Reacting to the threat of a rise in tuition costs, National Union of Students President Wes Streeting said:
“It is of serious concern that the Conservatives seem so relaxed about entertaining the notion of more than doubling fees when they have not committed to a clear policy for students and their families ahead of the general election.
“The issue is not merely whether students would get value for money if fees were to rise. We need to consider the effect the additional financial burden would have on students and their families. Students are already graduating with £20,000 of debt, and we owe it to them and their families to consider alternatives to the disastrous current system.
A report by the NUS shows that the combined cost of tuition fees, living expenses, and interest would leave students facing debts of £37,451 after a three year course if the cap was raised from £3,225 to £7,000 per year.
The Guardian reported on Friday that, “the Tories were prepared to look at increasing fees, but with strings attached.”
11 Responses to “Evening Standard retreats over tuition fees”
Iain Dale
Remind me who it was who introduced Tuition fees and wouldn’t promise not to raise them beyond one Parliament. Ah, it’s coming back to me now…
Wes Streeting
You’re right Iain, but the response of every Conservative commentator can’t be ‘well Labour introduced them…’. Engage with the substance of the policy debate, not a party political knockabout. Not political party comes out smelling of roses on tuition fees at the moment, but the reluctance to have a democratic debate followed by a choice at the ballot box is anti-democratic and an affront to students and their families.
willstraw
Good to have you on here, Iain. As a student activist at the time, I recall the sense of outrage very clearly. “The hardest issue on the doorstep” is, I think, how Blair described it. No progressive government should even consider saddling students with up front debts when the benefits of higher education, at the individual level, are so uncertain.
MikeSC
@Iain Dale: New Labour, the gits. Doesn’t make the Tories any better.
Paul Lettan
Excuse me, Iain Dale, but who began this process of abolishing grants?
statuTory instruments 1991
The Education (student loans) amendment Regulation SI 1991/830
The Education (Fees and Awards) Regulation SI 1991/831
The State Awards (Amendment) Regulation SI 1991/832
Time for the cheapskate, free loading, baby boomer generation to pay a graduate tax, Iain? Perhaps time for all those going to fee paying schools to pay the same level of fees at University?