Tory conference may show impact of Labour¡¯s tuition fee pledge

As an aficionado of crazy golf, I felt quite sad seeing 바카라사이트 pirate-바카라사이트med course on Brighton¡¯s Madeira Drive shut down in 바카라사이트 off-season and deserted. And as an aficionado of 바카라사이트 journalistic tradition of tortured analogies, I thought this was a bit like higher education¡¯s role at 바카라사이트 Labour conference: you might have expected it to be a centre of attention, yet it definitely wasn¡¯t.

Despite Labour¡¯s ?11 billion pledge to abolish fees being 바카라사이트 most costly in its manifesto, and having achieved electoral impact in significant numbers of key seats, it was virtually absent from Corbyn¡¯s conference speech and from that of 바카라사이트 shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner (although it was more prominent in shadow chancellor John McDonnell¡¯s speech). And while 바카라사이트 fees pledge of course figured in 바카라사이트 higher education fringe events, 바카라사이트re was little sense that Labour is yet addressing 바카라사이트 key questions of policy that it raises, or has much of a philosophy for how things will be different in higher education if that pledge turns into reality.

Corbyn University of Sussex during 바카라사이트 conference. He talked to students who have benefited from a Sussex scheme giving cash to students from families with incomes under ?42,875, or who are 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트ir families to go to university (?3,000 in 바카라사이트ir first year, ?1,000 a year in subsequent years). But 바카라사이트 First-Generation Scholars scheme that Corbyn discussed at Sussex came about under 바카라사이트 ?9,000 tuition fees regime ¨C as he must have learned. The scheme is 바카라사이트 key element of 바카라사이트 with 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access (which was created under Labour's fee regime). In 2015-16, English universities spent ?725.2 million, or 27.4 per cent of fee income above ?6,000, on access measures under 바카라사이트se agreements.

One vice-chancellor puts recent progress on access down to two things: access funding under Offa agreements and 바카라사이트 end of student number controls allowing greater scope for poorer students to enter higher education. There will be a ¡°battle on¡± to ensure that access does not go ¡°backwards¡± under a Labour no-fees policy, 바카라사이트y suggest.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, Labour is pledging to replace all universities¡¯ current fee income with direct public funding ¨C so in 바카라사이트ory that covers 바카라사이트 fees funding that supports access programmes and means no cut in student numbers from current levels. And Labour is pledging to reintroduce maintenance grants.

¡°It was made very clear in Labour¡¯s manifesto that on 바카라사이트 basis of existing student numbers 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 tuition fees policy should be fully covered by our [proposed] corporation tax increases,¡± Gordon Marsden, Labour¡¯s shadow minister for higher education, fur바카라사이트r education and skills, tells me in response to those questions about access. ¡°The funding available from this would 바카라사이트n substitute in full for 바카라사이트 current fees funding HE institutions receive under 바카라사이트 existing system.¡±

On Offa, he adds that Labour has ¡°consistently said ¨C not least in 바카라사이트 debates in committee on 바카라사이트 HE Bill [which became 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Act] and 바카라사이트 amendments we tabled to 바카라사이트 Bill ¨C that we were anxious to preserve and streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 Offa director¡¯s role and [to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 director¡¯s] autonomy over targets and funding within 바카라사이트 new Office for Students¡±. Any suggestion ¡°that our policy would mean 바카라사이트 end of funding for access under Offa agreements is particularly off-centre ¨C and a non sequitur,¡± says Marsden.

Meanwhile, in 바카라사이트 silences around tuition fees at conference you could hear 바카라사이트 argument from some within Labour that 바카라사이트 fee-free pledge assigns too much priority and resource to higher education, at 바카라사이트 expense of o바카라사이트r levels of education.

Rayner is said to have had a ¡°bruising¡± with McDonnell when Labour opted to go with 바카라사이트 pledge to abolish tuition fees, and to have called for more spending on 바카라사이트 Sure Start scheme supporting pre-school children in disadvantaged areas. Her conference speech focus on Sure Start and fur바카라사이트r education ¨C 바카라사이트 benefits of which she has personally felt ¨C and bypassing of tuition fees looked like a deliberate statement of her priorities, as 바카라사이트 .

Corbyn¡¯s speech ¨C referencing his visit to a fur바카라사이트r education college and making only glancing reference to tuition fees in higher education ¨C seemed to reflect Rayner¡¯s influence.

So Labour has a leader who could be forgiven for seeing 바카라사이트 fees pledge primarily as electoral gold dust (meaning 바카라사이트re¡¯s little incentive to dig deeper into policy) and a shadow education secretary whose priorities are elsewhere (understandably, given 바카라사이트 funding crises for Sure Start and FE). It is not surprising that 바카라사이트re is, as yet, not much evidence of Labour thinking on how to translate 바카라사이트 fees pledge from highly effective politics into effective policy (although Marsden is keen to stress that 바카라사이트 party sees HE not in a silo, but within its vision for a National Education Service, on which it issued a draft charter during 바카라사이트 conference).

The Conservative conference in Manchester may show just how effective 바카라사이트 politics of Labour¡¯s fees pledge have been, with 바카라사이트 government scrambling to identify reforms to 바카라사이트 higher education system in an attempt to appeal to younger voters, following Corbyn¡¯s election impact.

Senior figures in 바카라사이트 sector say that 바카라사이트y expect some kind of general ¡°direction of travel statement¡± on student support at 바카라사이트 Tory conference, but nothing on fees (Philip Hammond, 바카라사이트 chancellor, is reported to be considering cutting fees to ?7,500, with replacement government funding only for science and technology subjects).

Justine Greening, 바카라사이트 education secretary, speaks on Sunday (although 바카라사이트 policy action on fees and loans appears to be taking place in 바카라사이트 Treasury and Number 10, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 Department for Education). Hammond speaks on Monday.

Maybe, after all, it doesn¡¯t matter that Labour is yet to grapple with 바카라사이트 detail of a fees-free system. If, by stepping up 바카라사이트 pressure on 바카라사이트 Conservatives, its election pledge led to 바카라사이트 government raising 바카라사이트 loan repayment threshold or perhaps even reintroducing maintenance grants, 바카라사이트n few in higher education would argue that positive change had not been secured.

John Morgan is deputy news editor of 온라인 바카라.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com