Monday, January 19, 2004
Tories do a u-turn on tuition fees
The Conservatives demonstrate their commitment to students and to higher education by er.. turning their back on them. As this link to the Independent shows their opposition to tuition fees turns out to be opportunism after all.
I was at Freshers' Fairs in which literature was being distributed by Tories on this subject and in which students joined Conservative Societies on the basis of their stance against fees. Of course now that these recruitment exercises are behind them they have ditched this particular policy and are starting to line up behind Charles Clarke and Tony Blair.
I always thought it was strange that top-up fees had been rejected by previous Tory Governments and that it had taken a Labour administration to bring them in. I still don't entirely understand it but it looks like it has been a political game of chicken all along. In this instance it was Howard who swerved off the road first. The sad thing is that whilst these games are being played with people's futures it is students and their parents, particularly those from a poorer background, who will suffer.
I was at Freshers' Fairs in which literature was being distributed by Tories on this subject and in which students joined Conservative Societies on the basis of their stance against fees. Of course now that these recruitment exercises are behind them they have ditched this particular policy and are starting to line up behind Charles Clarke and Tony Blair.
I always thought it was strange that top-up fees had been rejected by previous Tory Governments and that it had taken a Labour administration to bring them in. I still don't entirely understand it but it looks like it has been a political game of chicken all along. In this instance it was Howard who swerved off the road first. The sad thing is that whilst these games are being played with people's futures it is students and their parents, particularly those from a poorer background, who will suffer.
Labels: Fees
