TORIES OUTRAGEOUS PLAN WOULD INCREASE STUDENT DEBT SAY LIB DEM MPs

Two Liberal Democrat MPs have claimed that students risk huge increases in university tuition fees in eight months time if the Conservatives regain power.

Sandra Gidley, MP for Romsey & Southampton North, and Tom Brake, MP for Carshalton and Wallington have warned that young people will face a rise in tuition fees after the Conservatives suggested they will increase tuition fees to £7,000 if they take power at the next general election, which has to be held by next June.

That would see tuition fees for undergraduates more than double. Currently there is a cap of £3,300 in England and Wales.

Sandra Gidley says such a rise would leave Southampton's youngsters graduating with more than £30,000 worth of debt, over a third higher than current levels.

Labour also plans to allow universities to charge more than at present if re-elected, according to Peter Mandelson, leaving students and their families with the Liberal Democrats as the only party who have made a commitment to scrapping tuition fees.

Commenting yesterday in Westminster, Sandra said: "I look around Southampton, and more and more I see young people returning from university with no job and a bank balance tens of thousands of pounds in the red. What sort of future is that?

"Labour and the Tories are showing their true colours. They don't care about young people - they just want to saddle them with staggering amounts of debt.

"University education should be free and everyone who has the ability should be able to go - and not put off by the cost.

"The Tories plan is deeply irresponsible in this current recession, when money is tight and jobs are scarce. We need to be getting more young people in to university, apprenticeships and training not fewer, which is exactly what will happen with the Conservatives' outrageous plan."

Tom Brake said: after this announcement “Currently in Carshalton and Wallington just over 20% of adults have a degree, that’s nearly half the London average. I want to see more local people able to attend university if they want to, but an increase in tuition fees is likely to deter many.”

Tom continued: “I believe that University education should be free. Labour and Conservative plans will burden a generation of young people with an enormous debt. The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to giving young people the best start by freeing them from beginning their working life thousands of pounds in debt.”