Local MPs' votes in Higher Education Fees Bill

By LiseS | Friday, December 10, 2010, 10:08

Highgate's local MPs were split on last night's crucial Higher Education Fees Bill, which saw the coalition government win a narrow 21-vote victory after a backbench rebellion by Lib-Dem and some Conservative MPs. The bill sought to raise the cap of university tuition fees to £9,000, prompting large public protests from current university and college students.

The Higher Education Fees Bill sparked widespread protest

Lynne Featherstone MP signed a pledge prior to the May elections promising to oppose any increase in tuition fees. Featherstone became a target for groups from the National Union of Students after the MP entered government and was expected to vote in line with the party rather than resign her junior ministership. The NUS Women's campaign organised a protest outside Featherstone's offices in Wood Green two days ago.

Featherstone was said to be "distraught" after the vote last night, and apologises today on her blog. "For someone like me – who has always believed that education should be free – it has been a difficult decision," she writes. "On breaking the NUS pledge – I can only apologise. However, for me,

that pledge was super-ceded by my signing up to the coalition agreement

and although the coalition agreement allowed for abstention – for me

that would have felt like opting out of making a very important

decision."

A revised loan system and the new fees mean that graduates are predicted to finish a three-year Batchelor's course £38,000 in debt on average, and the The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said that students will need to earn an average of £48,850 a year for 26 years to pay off student debt.

Anti-fees protesters have contended that the threefold increase in

tuition fees will deter students from pporer backgrounds from applying

to university, making higher education the preserve of a social, rather

than an academic elite. 28 Lib Dem MPs voted for the bill, and 21 voted against, as did six

Conservative backbenchers. Eight Lib Dem MPs abstained from the vote.

Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson voted against the Bill, as

did Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Corbyn has been a vehement

opposer of any rise in tuition fees, speaking at public demonstrations

and university occupations and Tweeting his support to student

protesters. Corbyn called the fee proposals "illegitimate and

reactionary" and repeatedly called for "real access to higher education

for all".

Image: Anna Tesar

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Comments

Hi Fatuma, I agree with much of your basic point and have no brief at all for the previous government, but I would point out that as an MP Jeremy Corbyn has been a passionate advocate of free higher education and voted against his party in several previous bills on the issue. Frank Dobson's record is rather more moderate.

The government-before-last, in the Major era, of course paved the way for today's situation by removing the maintenance grant and introducing loans (for maintenenance rather than tuition).,

By LiseS at 15:52 on 10/12/10
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It's the party of "Holborn and St Pancras" & "Islington North" that introduced fees in the first place,
-thay created the barnett formula so that wales, scotland and n.ireland would not be a part of the browne review,
-that said they would not introduce top ups, then they did,
-that promoted "education, education, education," but DECREASING numbers of pupils on free school meals go to the top 10 universities.
- btn 1997 and 2007 created 2million new jobs and over half of these went to foreign nationals, whilst graduate unemployment is currently at 8.9% a 17 year high!
yeah of course mr.corbyn says that he wants "real access to higher education for all". but at what cost? - it was his party that increased public spending and the public sector but did not increase taxes;
-labour are getting too cosey in opposition, one minute they want a graudate tax, they next they dont, It was alan john who introduced fees at they time. uggghh.
-To Mr Frank Dobson & Mr Jeremy Corbyn: offer us (students) real alternatives or just keep quite.
Oh wait. you didnt, the votes has already gone through (!) now students in your constituency (like my college westminster kingsway in KX) will have to pay £6,000-£9,000 b'se, you could fulifil your duty as a credible opposition and offer an alternative. Thank you very much, i will be voting labour in the next general election (!)

By Fatuma_Ukwaju at 13:35 on 10/12/10
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