Labour and Tories colluding to raise tuition fees

10.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 28th Jul 2009

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman for Newcastle East Greg Stone has expressed concern at remarks made by Lord Mandelson in a speech to university vice chancellors at Birkbeck College, hinting at increasing student tuition fees in a review of university funding expected in the next year.

Greg Stone said "Newcastle East has one of the highest student populations of any constituency and yet it is represented by a Labour MP who was instrumental in introducing fees, breaking Labour's manifesto commitment. Now we see the unelected Lord Mandelson preparing to raise student tuition fees with the encouragement of his Conservative opposite number, but conveniently seeking to delay the announcement until after the General Election."

"At a time when senior Labour figure Alan Milburn has berated the Government for its failure to improve social mobility, Labour are seeking to make it even more difficult for those on middle and low incomes to go to university by increasing tuition fees. At the same time, they are making cuts to university budgets.

"Students and their families cannot trust Labour on the issue of tuition fees. Only the Lib Dems are campaigning to scrap fees."