Green Party

As the man who brought in top up fees for students admits they’re not working, the man who led a campaign against their introduction is calling for them to be scrapped.

Former BP boss Lord Browne is chairing an enquiry into the effectiveness of the fees system which Charles Clarke fought to introduce in 2004. Many fear it will result in fees being raised again. Mr Clarke has told the enquiry that he believed inflexibility on the part of some universities meant his system wasn’t working properly.

The Green Party deputy leader and General Election candidate in Norwich South, Adrian Ramsay, will be making his own written submission to the Browne enquiry. He led a campaign at the University of East Anglia against the introduction of the top up fees system at the time. In a meeting at the UEA with student leaders on Thursday he was the first candidate to sign up to the new Norwich Student Manifesto which calls for fair funding in higher education with no fees increase in the next Parliament.

Adrian Ramsay said:

“Charles Clarke has admitted that his top-up fees system isn’t working. This is true. It is putting off talented students from poorer backgrounds from going to university, as was predicted at the time. It’s leaving students saddled with thousands of pounds worth of debt.

“If I replace Charles Clarke as MP I will fight for tuition fees to be replaced by a fairer funding system involving a return to grants for students so that talented young people can go to university regardless of their background. The only fair way for students to pay towards their education is through income tax after they enter employment. Higher education nurtures the talents of students for the benefit of society, so it should be paid for as a public service.”

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