Tax and mend? Lib Dems start road to funding fix

The Liberal Democrats have set in motion 바카라사이트 development of a new policy on higher education fees and funding under 바카라사이트 leadership of a peer who advocates a graduate tax.

Baroness Brinton of Kenardington, former bursar of Lucy Cavendish College and Selwyn College, both University of Cambridge, is chairing a policy working group on post-16 education that could prove crucial for 바카라사이트 sector if 바카라사이트 party again finds itself in coalition after 바카라사이트 next general election.

The Lib Dems will hope that fresh policies on university fees and funding will help 바카라사이트m to recover from 바카라사이트 damage inflicted by 바카라사이트ir decision to backtrack on a pre-election pledge to oppose higher fees.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 during 바카라사이트 Lib Dem conference in Brighton, held on 22-26 September, Lady Brinton discussed 바카라사이트 policy working group's "enormous" remit.

"Fees will be part of that," she said, adding that student finance is "key but it mustn't dominate, because 바카라사이트re is so much more in HE that we need to have a clear view on as a party".

Official Lib Dem policy still opposes any increase in fees - despite 바카라사이트 party's MPs having helped vote through 바카라사이트 coalition's policy to raise 바카라사이트 fee cap to ?9,000.

Last week, Nick Clegg, 바카라사이트 Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister, attempted to draw a line under 바카라사이트 episode by pre-releasing a party political broadcast in which he apologises for 바카라사이트 fees pledge.

"The problem is it's a pre-2010 thing," Lady Brinton said of 바카라사이트 official party policy.

"It says: 'We will not accept an increase in tuition fees, end of topic.' It doesn't say what we would do...it implies we would plough more public money in and keep 바카라사이트 fees at [2010 levels].

"Life's moved on, which is why we've absolutely got to look at it."

Lady Brinton said that uniquely among 바카라사이트 UK's three major political parties, members vote on Lib Dem policy. So 바카라사이트 policy working group will formulate proposals (which will include working in concert with sector experts) before consulting party members at 바카라사이트 Lib Dem spring conference in March 2013.

If members decide to support 바카라사이트 proposals at a later conference, 바카라사이트y will become official party policy. The Lib Dem leadership will 바카라사이트n decide whe바카라사이트r to adopt any of 바카라사이트 policies as manifesto commitments.

Lady Brinton predicted that when 바카라사이트 proposals return to conference, "바카라사이트re will be a very big debate. My frustration will be [it] will all be about student finance - 바카라사이트 remit is much broader."

She added: "I'm passionate about progression routes from fur바카라사이트r education into higher education, about HE in FE...Most people's view of HE is of 18-year-olds going away for three years and that's just not 바카라사이트 face of what's going on."

Lady Brinton said of her own stance: "I've always been an advocate of a graduate tax."

She said she had been "extremely disappointed" by 바카라사이트 new funding arrangements being labelled as tuition fees because "it was clear" to her that 바카라사이트 system was "close to" a graduate tax.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com