Brown backs plans to remove tuition fees in England and Wales

12.00.00am GMT Fri 8th Jan 2010

Glasgow Liberal Democrat MSP Robert Brown has welcomed moves by Liberal Democrats to move to scrap unfair tuition fees in England and Wales.

Tuition fees were scrapped in Scotland at Liberal Democrat insistence in 2001, however any increase in tuition fees south of the border could have serious consequences for higher education in Scotland.

Now the UK Liberal Democrats propose to phase out tuition fees for the rest of the country over the course of the next six years - ensuring the policy is affordable during the economic crisis.

Currently students in England and Wales pay top up fees of up to £3,000 per year of study when they attend University.

The cap of £3000 was set when tuition fees were passed by the House of Commons in 2004, on a majority of just 5.

Labour and the Conservatives have so far refused to address the issue of fees and there is a real danger that both would lift the cap on fees in England and Wales after the next election, resulting in even more debt for students when they leave university.

Any increase in top up fees in England could have a huge knock on effect to Universities in Scotland - providing higher education down south with considerable additional funds for research and teaching - leaving Scottish Universities behind as the poor relations.

This in turn could put pressure on the Scottish Government to look at alternative sources - including student tuition fees - of boosting University income north of the border.

Robert Brown said:

"I have always believed that it is fundamentally wrong to penalise people who want to make the best of themselves by saddling them with huge debts from the day they graduate.

"Especially in this time of economic crisis when graduates are finding it harder than ever to gain employment and face periods of unemployment and low paid labour, we can't make life harder for students.

"I am proud to say that it was the Liberal Democrat and Labour coalition that secured free University tuition for students in Scotland.

"If Labour or the Tories increase top up fees down south, the disparity in funding across UK Universities could provide a major challenge here and leave our free education policy in Scotland under heavy threat.

"Liberal Democrats think that is wrong and this new policy will prevent it happening.

"It's clear that people from disadvantaged backgrounds are far more likely to be put off going to university if it costs them tens of thousands of pounds.

"In a fair society, university admissions should be based on your grades and intelligence, not the wealth of your parents. You should decide whether going to university makes sense for you - and you shouldn't have to make the decision based on your bank balance.

"Liberal Democrats were right to oppose tuition fees from day one, and have been right to continue to oppose any lifting of the cap on the limit of fees in England and Wales.

"The UK government has been obsessed with artificial targets on how many people should go to university, while putting barriers in their way in the shape of fees.

"Our priority really should be making degrees affordable, and that means scrapping these unfair fees.

"At this time of economic crisis it is extremely important that we do this properly. That's why we have agreed together to lay out a financially responsible timetable to scrap fees, step by step, over the six years after the General Election.

"The message to students is clear: we remain the only party that believes fees are unfair, and the only party with a plan to get rid of them for good - wherever you study in the UK."

ends