"'Radical' Labour to fight election with pledge to cut tuition fees by £3,000
Labour will pledge to cut tuition fees by thousands of pounds a year in their next manifesto.
Douglas Alexander, the shadow foreign secretary and party’s general election strategist, said a promise to cut student fees is likely to appear in a “credible and radical” manifesto as part of the party’s promise to cut the cost of living for middle class families.
It follows a call by Ed Miliband in 2011 to cut tuition fees from £9,000 to £6,000.
However, at the time the party stopped short of promising to put it in the manifesto, saying it was merely a policy they would implement were there an election straight away.
The Labour leader is now considering whether to go further and cut fees to £4,000.
He is also considering whether to scrap the fees altogether and replace the system with a graduate tax.
It comes amid mounting concerns over the health of the tuition fees system. Ministers originally expected that 28 per cent of loans would never be repaid, but that is now thought to be closer to 45 per cent . At 48 per cent experts say any benefits from raising tuition fees are cancelled out, experts say. "
Source: 'Radical' Labour to fight election with pledge to cut tuition fees by £3,000 - Telegraph
