Tories Seal the Deal?
When arch Labourite Wes Streeting is sucking up to the Tories you know they must be scared...
NUS WELCOMES CONSERVATIVES' BACKING FOR STUDENT VOICE IN FEES REVIEW
• Willetts warns universities are yet to properly account for £3,000 top-up fees
• Case not made to students and their families for even higher fees
• Shadow Universities Secretary says he would probably oppose higher fees if a vote took place today
Thursday 29 October 2009
The National Union of Students (NUS) today welcomed comments from Shadow Secretary of State for Universities, David Willetts MP, who this morning told an audience of student delegates at NUS’ Higher Education Zone Conference in Manchester that the student voice must be heard in the imminent review of fees.
David Willetts also said that if there was a vote on the fees cap today he would probably not support any increase, as universities had not properly accounted for £3,000 top-up fees or shown the benefits of higher fees to students and their families.
Wes Streeting, NUS President, said:
“I warmly welcome David Willetts' call for the student voice to be heard in the imminent fees review, and his consistent argument that the student experience must be at the heart of the ensuing debate on higher education funding.
“Students are now expected by those in power to contribute significantly to its costs. Therefore, we have a direct and unique interest in a review that will determine the future of fees."
The NUS has spent decades bashing the Tories so the fact that they are so blantently screaming for attention proves they have given up on Labour.
The times they are a'changin'.
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3 comments:
Nah, you're flailing all over the place with this one, TB.
Streeting may be a shamelessly partisan careerist Labour hack, but this is hardly an attempt to crawl towards the Tories. He's saying exactly what you'd expect a President of the NUS to say when they've been told that they're going to be consulted over bad news.
Students have it far too easy.
They should get a book of vouchers worth about £15k at age eighteen and universities should charge what they like.
Commercial loans should fund living expenses - or second jobs - and courses should probably only run for two years, 45 weeks a year, 40 hours a week - Buckingham style.
Why should taxes fund a three year drinking holiday?
Hahah amusing to see this coming up here - I was there this morning. Many NUS types seemed distressed to have such a credible minister stand up and talk about HE, but be definitely conservative. As I said in my query to David, Privatisation won't work with HE - but if we're going to pursue a "free at point of use" policy (a la NHS) then it needs to happen rapidly...