Higher education funding: Lib Dems allowed to abstain on votes - reflecting party's promise to
abolish tuition fees in the long term
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg faced stiff opposition on the weekend after he refused to categorically stand behind
abolishing tuition fees in the future - previously a key Lib Dem education policy.
Not exact matches
Class, pay attention: university education for the whole Germany is free after lower Saxony became last state
in the country to
abolish tuition fees for students, including those from overseas.
The about - turn
in Lib Dem policy follows hot on the heels of the sacrifice of the policy aim to
abolish tuition fees, which caused significant discontent
in the party.
«The fair solution is to
abolish tuition fees and ensure that graduate contributions are based on actual earnings
in the real world, rather than sticker prices
in prospectuses, which are based on guesswork.»
Ahead of the 2001 general election, the Liberal Democrats campaigned on a platform of
abolishing tuition fees outright, while Labour claimed
in its manifesto that it had made the introduction of top - up
fees illegal.
As the fall out from last week's
tuition fee vote continued, Tim Farron, the Lib Dem president and possible future leadership challenger, raised eyebrows by claiming a pledge to
abolish the
fees in some form could still feature
in his party's next election manifesto.
The party's leader Nick Clegg told a conference rally
in Bournemouth they had to be «realistic» about the promise to
abolish tuition fees, as new figures out today show total public borrowing has risen above # 800bn for the first time.
In the event of a minority Labour administration at Westminster, these Conservative MPs would be able to block a Labour government's English (and English and Welsh) bills, including its plan to
abolish tuition fees.
Labour will
abolish tuition fees, bring back maintenance grants and provide free, lifelong education
in further education colleges.»
Former Lib Dem leader to vote against rise
in tuition fees after Vince Cable reneged on party's election pledge to
abolish them