Political boffin, keen fisherman looking forward to retirement.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

£7k Tuition Fees Coming to Wales?

The vague promise in the Welsh Labour manifesto only to review funding arrangements for Higher Education if they win a majority is deeply worrying. With the Russell Group lobbying for the cap to be raised to £7k, Cardiff University students of the future could be faced with these massive bills within three years.

Labour's response was pathetic - if it is irresponsible to rule out top up fees in Wales, does that mean that the commitment of the Labour party in Scotland, to rule out top up fees, is also irresponsible?

The most disgraceful aspect of this whole episode is that Labour in Wales have been claiming credit for the current position in relation to top up fees, when it was the combined opposition that put their intention to introduce top up fees to bed.

The introduction of tuition fees was the driving force for me in joining Plaid in the late 90s. I could never support a party that believes in undermining the right to free education. Labour is no longer the party of ordinary working people - it has sold its soul for power. These sort of regressive policies are the inevitable result.

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