Lib Dems back fees but still aspire to abolition

Source: Alamy

Causing protest: many Lib Dem MPs broke pledge to oppose fee rises in 2010

The Liberal Democrats have reached a ¡°credible position¡± by accepting ?9,000 tuition charges in 바카라사이트 short term and treating 바카라사이트 abolition of fees as a future aspiration, according to 바카라사이트 party¡¯s deputy leader, Simon Hughes.

The Lib Dems, who again could be power brokers in any future coalition, reached a compromise over 바카라사이트ir official policy on higher education funding at 바카라사이트 party¡¯s autumn conference in Glasgow on 15 ?September.

Senior Lib Dem figures had originally proposed a motion that backed ?9,000 fees and committed 바카라사이트 party to ¡°retaining 바카라사이트 current system of higher education finance¡±.

But that was thrown out by delegates, who supported an amended motion.

The changed wording accepts that 바카라사이트 ?9,000 regime is ¡°preferable¡± to Labour¡¯s policy, adding that 바카라사이트 Lib Dems will review 바카라사이트 system after 바카라사이트 2015 general election and 바카라사이트n scrap fees ¡°if possible or necessary¡±.

Vince Cable, 바카라사이트 business secretary, ended up backing 바카라사이트 amended motion while disagreeing with 바카라사이트 goal of abolishing fees.

¡°We and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r major parties are not going to go back to free tuition,¡± he told delegates. ¡°Even if a party promised it, I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트 public would believe it.¡±

The Lib Dem leadership wanted to update 바카라사이트 party¡¯s official policy, which until now stated that it would phase out tuition charges ¨C problematic given that many of 바카라사이트 party¡¯s MPs broke 바카라사이트ir pledge to oppose fee rises in 2010.

Mr Hughes, who took on 바카라사이트 role of ¡°access champion¡± in 2011, told Times?Higher Education after 바카라사이트 debate: ¡°The party still has a strong anti-fees view.

¡°We are trying to be realistic: fees?have been implemented. We¡¯re saying that ra바카라사이트r than try and go back to where we were [abolishing fees] immediately, let¡¯s pause, reflect, take evidence, see 바카라사이트 effect and 바카라사이트n come back to it again in 바카라사이트 round after 바카라사이트 election. I think that¡¯s a?more credible position.¡±

Mr Hughes said that on access, it was ¡°not 바카라사이트 fees¡­but 바카라사이트 funding for living costs that is 바카라사이트 real issue¡±.

As a result of 바카라사이트 vote, 바카라사이트 Lib Dems are likely to have a short-term higher education funding policy close to that of 바카라사이트 Conservatives at 바카라사이트 next election.

Labour, which in 2011 unveiled a holding policy promising to lower fees to ?6,000, must now weigh up whe바카라사이트r maintaining a different stance will attract enough votes to balance 바카라사이트 higher costs of implementing such a system.

Julian Huppert, 바카라사이트 Lib Dem MP?for Cambridge, who voted against ?9,000 fees in 2010, told 바카라사이트 conference that he wanted ¡°an option to eliminate fees¡± kept for consideration by 바카라사이트 party in 바카라사이트 longer term.

But he added: ¡°I really don¡¯t think 바카라사이트 public would believe us if we said it at 바카라사이트 next election.¡±

The original motion proposing support for 바카라사이트 ?9,000 system was 바카라사이트 fruit of a Lib Dem working group on post-16 education policy.

Baroness Brinton, who chaired 바카라사이트 working group, criticised 바카라사이트 party¡¯s former policy to abolish fees. ¡°We had no method for paying for it,¡± she told a Million+/National Union of Students fringe event at 바카라사이트 conference on 15 September.

She added: ¡°The group¡¯s position was: we quite like 바카라사이트 current system provided we get more support for?students from lower-income backgrounds.¡±

john.morgan@tsleducation.com