UKIP's Gawain Towler talks exclusively to Left Foot Forward about his party's position on tuition fees.
On the day of the government’s controversial tuition fees vote there are huge protests uniting people of all political persuasions in Westminster and throughout the country. Whilst the parliamentary opposition is coming from the Labour benches, Nationalists and a handful of coalition rebels, they may have some unexpected political bedfellows in the shape of UKIP, the United Kingdom Independence Party.
Whilst UKIP have had no sitting MPs in Parliament since 2008 and therefore no way to influence the vote directly today, they have a number of elected MEPs.
Talking exclusively to Left Foot Forward, Gawain Towler, a spokesman for UKIP in the European Parliament, outlined the party’s unequivocal opposition to the coalition’s reforms.
Despite having criticised past policies of both Conservative efforts in “screwing over polytechnics” and Labour policies “designed to hide unemployment”, Towler announced that if UKIP were to have representatives in the House of Commons they would definitely oppose the legislation:
“We would be against rises, without a doubt, wholeheartedly….. whacking great fees on them (students) doesn’t get you very far…. we don’t think education is just there to tick an economic box”
While UKIP’s official position is that too many people currently attend university, the widely criticised Government legislation has managed to unite everyone from the left-wing of Labour to the Eurosceptic, right-wing party. Perhaps some issues transcend the ideological divide?
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.
24 Responses to “Tuition fees backlash gains momentum on the right”
Anon E Mouse
Chris – Thought you’d seen Ed Miliband on TV last night articulating a non position on fees himself and given up on Labour like 5 million others. Nice to see you still here.
I wouldn’t be facing the “billy club wielding TSG thugs” because as soon as fires were lit and buildings smashed I realised that any sympathy anyone may have had for these selfish little pricks and their personal greed went out of the window.
I’m not expecting the tax avoiding property millionaire (never done a real job and cheated to get the Leadership of Labour) Ed Miliband to make a decision and comment on this – he’s a worse ditherer than Gordon Brown – but my first point stands.
At some point (and no one ever listens to McDonnell) Labour will get connected to this and as in the strikes in the 1980’s the party is facing oblivion.
Ed Miliband is a busted flush – like the majority of the PLP you know I’m right Chris and it’s only time before that useless ditherer is booted out on his arse and for Labour the sooner the better.
Where is Ed Miliband’s condemnation of that circus in London last night? Political opportunity is all it is and the Labour leader is on the wrong side of the curve again…
Mr. Sensible
Mr Mouse, the NUS president has condemned the violence, and it is entirely right for him to do so.
However, since we’re talking about that I think we must ask questions of the policing operation. How were the demonstrators allowed to get that close to Prince Charles’s car?
And 13Eastie that’s just Coalition spin.
The fact is that this proposal won’t just hit students; I think it could also hit the taxpayer in 2 ways.
First, the government will have to fund more student lones, and second, write-off costs could well go up by 8.5P in the pound.
And as for the programme to fund fees for those on free school meals. Where’s the money?
That and the announcement about increasing the threshold in line with inflation were nothing more or less than distraction tactics.
I think it is interesting that UKIP have now come to the party opposing this.
The Lib Dems should have some courage, stick to their pledges, vote against and then if necesary, yes, lets have a general election. Lib Dem voters voted against early cuts, they’ve got them. They voted against higher tuition fees, they’ve got them. They voted against increasing VAT, that’s going up in January.
Anon E Mouse
Mr.Sensible – If the demonstrators were peaceful then why would it matter how close to Prince Charles they got?
In a civilised society people should be allowed to go about their lawful business unimpeded.
Where is Ed Miliband’s condemnation of these actions?
As a Labour supporter, who I am sure hates the violence we’ve witnessed you must be furious with the latest leader of the party – a bigger ditherer than Gordon Brown it seems…
Chris
@mousey
Stop posting on company time! Get back to work you sloth. You’ll never reach the dizzy heights of £6 per hour if you spend all your time polluting this blog with your pathetic drivel.
“I wouldn’t be facing the “billy club wielding TSG thugs” because as soon as fires were lit and buildings smashed I realised that any sympathy anyone may have had for these selfish little pricks and their personal greed went out of the window.”
Yawn, how do you know whether people are sympathetic or not? You’ve got to understand that just because you think something in your tiny mind doesn’t mean everybody else thinks the same. And who gives a fuck if ultra conservative nut jobs like yourself support the demonstrators or not? No demonstrators in history would have your support from the chartists to the poll tax you’d be sat in your little windowless room foaming at the mouth.
“Where is Ed Miliband’s condemnation of these actions?”
Try looking you stupid moron – http://bit.ly/eWcPYm
Mr. Sensible
Mr Mouse I think Ed has condemned it in the media, and Chris has posted the Labour Party’s article on it.