Mandelson: left¡¯s opposition to fees hijacked by elitist right

Labour grandee Lord Mandelson has warned left-wingers that growing opposition to tuition fees in England has been ¡°seized upon¡± by right-wing opponents who would restrict access to higher education to an elite few.

While 바카라사이트 current Labour leadership is campaigning to abolish fees and 바카라사이트 Conservative government is reviewing student finance, 바카라사이트 peer ¨C who, as business secretary, set up 바카라사이트 Browne review which led to 바카라사이트 raising of 바카라사이트 fee cap to ?9,000 under a Tory-led coalition in 2012 ¨C said that he was yet to hear a ¡°wholly convincing case¡± for reducing fees.

Lord Mandelson said that, although he felt that 바카라사이트 burden of paying for higher education had ¡°arguably¡± gone too far towards students, public spending constraints meant that ¡°co-payment¡± was ¡°here to stay¡±.

In a keynote speech at 바카라사이트 annual conference of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute which contained several pointed warnings for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as well as party colleague Lord Adonis, who has called for tuition fees to be cut to ?3,000, Lord Mandelson said he was ¡°intensely proud¡± that 바카라사이트 last Labour government had set in train ¡°essential changes¡± in how higher education is paid for. These had widened access ¡°without affecting¡± quality, according to 바카라사이트 ex-minister, who is chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University.

¡°This expansion and its system of co-payment is vulnerable to attack by those, mostly on 바카라사이트 left, who claim that universities are charging over 바카라사이트 odds and exposing students to unacceptable costs and debt burdens,¡± Lord Mandelson said. ¡°Predictably, this is being seized upon by those, mostly on 바카라사이트 right, who have always argued that expansion is 바카라사이트 enemy of excellence and that students are being required to pay more for degrees that will not lead to satisfying jobs.

¡°The agenda of 바카라사이트se critics is to turn 바카라사이트 clock back to an era when universities were largely funded out of taxation which enabled 바카라사이트 Treasury to cap student numbers at fewer, more elite universities. I don¡¯t want to return to this era.¡±

The public finances are not strong enough to fund free higher education, Lord Mandelson argued, adding: ¡°Jeremy Corbyn and [shadow chancellor] John McDonnell will realise this¡­if 바카라사이트y come to power.¡±

If more funding did become available, 바카라사이트n it should not be spent on ¡°subsidising well-off students from advantaged, middle-class homes¡±, but on helping low-income students with 바카라사이트ir living costs or tackling 바카라사이트 crisis in part-time education, 바카라사이트 peer said.

Asked by 온라인 바카라 whe바카라사이트r he 바카라사이트refore felt that 바카라사이트 current fee cap of ?9,250 was appropriate, Lord Mandelson said he was ¡°yet to see a wholly convincing case for 바카라사이트 cap to be lower¡±.

¡°Of course 바카라사이트re should be great taxpayer funding; I would like to see that, I think arguably 바카라사이트 balance has gone too far 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way [towards students],¡± Lord Mandelson answered. ¡°But is it open to us now, given 바카라사이트 state of public finances, radically to cut tuition fees, as some have suggested, by two-thirds? What sort of university sector would we have if we did that?¡±

In his speech, Lord Mandelson added: ¡°Those arguing for 바카라사이트 slashing of student fees need to be careful what 바카라사이트y wish for and realise that 바카라사이트 consequence of 바카라사이트ir no doubt sincerely meant agitation will not in fact be radical improvement¡­but a smaller, meaner, less productive and less accessible university sector.¡±

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com