Greg supports NUS campaign against top-up fee rise (Newcastle upon Tyne Liberal Democrats)

Newcastle upon Tyne Liberal Democrats <info@newcastle-libdems.org.uk>

Greg supports NUS campaign against top-up fee rise

November 12, 2009 6:22 PM
Originally published by Greg Stone

Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle East Greg Stone has endorsed the NUS's campaign against a rise in student tuition fees as part of the review of tuition fees recently launched by the Government.

The NUS held a rally at Westminster earlier this week where many Lib Dem MPs signed up to support the campaign, amid reports that the NUS intends to "name and shame" MPs who will not support them on this issue and instead support the "conspiracy of silence" between Labour and Conservatives to postpone a rise in tuition fees until after the General Election. The NUS has advised that it intends to mobilise the student vote in university seats and say that "our message is clear: candidates must vote with us or students will not vote for them", adding that "students are making it clear to politicians that if they refuse to speak out against raising the cap on fees, we will hit them where it hurts - at the ballot box."

Greg Stone said "I am well aware of the strength of feeling on this issue in the constituency, with nearly 20,000 students living here, and have written to NUS president Wes Streeting to let him know that although I could not attend the rally in London, the NUS campaign has my support. The Lib Dems have consistently opposed tuition fees, unlike Labour and the Conservatives"

"In Newcastle East, students will have a choice at the General Election between a Labour candidate who was instrumental in introducing tuition fees in 2004 after previously claiming to oppose them, a Conservative candidate who belongs to a party campaigning to double tuition fees, and a Lib Dem candidate campaigning to oppose them".