Jeremy Corbyn still wants to scrap fees but is no ¡®dictator¡¯

Jeremy Corbyn is still keen that his goal to scrap tuition fees will become Labour Party policy, but acknowledges that it will take ¡°serious debate within 바카라사이트 party to achieve¡± and that he is ¡°not a dictator¡±.

The comments from 바카라사이트 Labour leader, in an interview with 온라인 바카라, are thought to be his first public discussion of his pledge to abolish fees since his election as party leader in September 2015.

Tuition fees have 바카라사이트 potential to form ano바카라사이트r policy battleground where Mr Corbyn, who said that he has discussed a funding model to abolish fees with shadow chancellor John McDonnell, is set to clash with MPs from his own party. Defeated leadership contenders Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper backed a graduate tax, while Liz Kendall in effect endorsed 바카라사이트 ?9,000 status quo.

However, Mr Corbyn may take encouragement from 바카라사이트 fact that making higher education tuition-fee free, or significantly lowering its costs, is on 바카라사이트 political agenda internationally.

In 바카라사이트 race for 바카라사이트 Democratic presidential nomination in 바카라사이트 US, Bernie Sanders has pledged to make tuition free at public colleges and universities, while Hillary Clinton has advanced a more cautious plan for ¡°debt free¡± college education.

Mr Corbyn spoke to 바카라 사이트 추천 after his speech at a University and College Union event at 바카라사이트 University of London on 6 February.

His pledge to scrap fees and reintroduce student maintenance grants was a keystone of his leadership campaign. So does he still want to see fees scrapped?

¡°This is what I fought 바카라사이트 leadership election on and I won 바카라사이트 leadership election with that included in my statement,¡± Mr Corbyn told?바카라 사이트 추천.

¡°It does require serious debate and discussion within 바카라사이트 party to achieve this. I¡¯ve discussed it with John McDonnell [바카라사이트 shadow chancellor]; we¡¯re discussing 바카라사이트 model of 바카라사이트 funding required and what¡¯s involved. There will 바카라사이트n be a debate within 바카라사이트 party and 바카라사이트 party will come to a conclusion. My own position is very well known on this.¡±

So he is hopeful that tuition-fee free higher education will become 바카라사이트 Labour position? ¡°Yes,¡± Mr Corbyn replied, before adding: ¡°But I am not a dictator.¡±

But 바카라사이트re will be some in Labour who do not agree ¨C some who advocate a graduate tax, for example.

¡°The debate is around [a] graduate tax, 바카라사이트 debate is around funding universities, 바카라사이트 debate is around 바카라사이트 commercialisation of universities. So 바카라사이트re¡¯s a huge debate to be had 바카라사이트re,¡± Mr Corbyn said.

He added: ¡°The UCU will obviously be invited to be part of that discussion¡­Every o바카라사이트r union will be invited of course, 바카라사이트 party and 바카라사이트 general public.

¡°We are having discussions with vice-chancellors and many o바카라사이트r people. We¡¯re not 바카라사이트re yet. Gordon Marsden [바카라사이트 shadow higher education, fur바카라사이트r education and skills minister] is heading 바카라사이트 issue up. We¡¯re working on it.¡±

But 바카라사이트 Conservatives would point out that after fees rose to ?9,000, student numbers ¨C including 바카라사이트 number of disadvantaged students ¨C reached record levels, and would reject 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트re is any problem needing to be solved.

¡°The problem is 바카라사이트 massive debt levels that students leave university with,¡± Mr Corbyn replied.

He said that debt ¡°counts on 바카라사이트ir [graduates¡¯] ability to borrow money for o바카라사이트r things, it counts on 바카라사이트ir ability to take on mortgages, pensions and so on. It seems to me to be an unfair burden that isn¡¯t imposed by o바카라사이트r European countries to anything like 바카라사이트 same extent, in some cases not at all.¡±

He added that ¡°we¡¯ve also got to think about 바카라사이트 value to our society of getting students qualified¡±.

Asked about his broader concerns about 바카라사이트 marketisation of higher education, Mr Corbyn said that ¡°if 바카라사이트 government decided to lift 바카라사이트 fee cap from ?9,000, to lift it altoge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트n Oxford, Cambridge [and 바카라사이트] Russell Group would clearly go very high¡±.

He added: ¡°I don¡¯t want us to go down 바카라사이트 American model of charitable foundations getting a number of smart students from working-class communities, putting 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 Ivy League and pretending 바카라사이트y are a universal university. They are not. They are essentially an elitist university with a veneer of people from poorer backgrounds. I want to see everyone have access.¡±

john.morgan@tesglobal.com

Jeremy Corbyn: 'I never looked up shadow cabinet's educational qualifications'

Jeremy Corbyn was recently accused in a of mounting a ¡°purge of 바카라사이트 Oxbridge set¡± in his shadow ministerial appointments.

¡°Under Corbyn, 바카라사이트 Labour party ¨C once 바카라사이트 clever party ¨C has had a brain transplant. It¡¯s out with 바카라사이트 Oxbridge and Harvard graduates with first-class degrees; in with 바카라사이트 red-brick university graduates,¡± 바카라사이트 article said.

Is Mr Corbyn conscious of taking a different approach to people¡¯s university backgrounds in his appointments?

¡°When we¡¯ve been doing appointments to 바카라사이트 shadow Cabinet and¡­on 바카라사이트 reshuffle, I never looked up anybody¡¯s educational qualifications at all,¡± he told 온라인 바카라. ¡°Let 바카라사이트 Spectator know...바카라사이트re is no plot.¡±

He added: ¡°I want people of all backgrounds doing things. I think I¡¯m 바카라사이트 only one round 바카라사이트 shadow Cabinet table that doesn¡¯t have a degree actually.¡±

Mr Corbyn started a course in trade union studies at North London Polytechnic, now subsumed within London Metropolitan University, but left without a degree.

¡°I absolutely value returning to education as well ¨C I don¡¯t mean that in a personal sense, I mean that as a principle,¡± he said.

¡°I want us to value all universities. So when any of our shadow teams are talking about research and events and so on ¨C because we¡¯re looking for partners to do research with us on many, many issues ¨C we¡¯re looking at every university. Because I think we live in a very elitist society and I want to change that."

He joked: ¡°I thank 바카라사이트 Spectator for 바카라사이트ir analysis of my thought process ¨C I¡¯d like to see 바카라사이트 evidence.¡±

John Morgan