Labour Want Students to Pay More, says LibDem MP

Adrian Sanders, Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, says:

"Why the media lets Labour get away with it I really don't understand, and the hypocrisy of the Labour Party supporting NUS leader is astounding. Who introduced tuition fees? Who commissioned Lord Browne and gave him his remit to look at the future funding of higher education? Which Party opposes the abolition of tuition fees and is split over a Graduate Tax? It's Labour, Labour, Labour.

"The Lib Dems still want to abolish tuition fees over the life time of a Parliament but can't until they get a majority of the seats in the House of Commons. So until people stop voting Labour and Tory we will be stuck with Tuition fees.

"The Coalition agreement changed for the period of the Coalition the Lib Dem pledge to vote against any rise in tuition fees. Instead we were given an opt out to abstain in exchange for being able to influence the Government's response to Browne.

"And this is what that Lib Dem influence has achieved:

· All students will repay less per month under this Government's policy than they currently pay.

· The lowest earning 25% of graduates will repay less under this Government's policy than they do now.

· The top earning 30% of graduates will pay back more than they borrow and are likely to pay more than double the bottom 20% of earners.

· Over half a million students will be eligible for more non-repayable grants for living costs than they get now.

· Almost one million students will be eligible for more overall maintenance support than they get now

· Part time students will no longer have to pay upfront fees benefiting up to 200,000 per year

· There will be an extra £150m for a new National Scholarship Programme for students from poorer backgrounds and we will introduce tough new sanctions of universities who fail to improve their access to students from backgrounds.

"Labour opposes the above and wants to make students pay more, so why are the media letting Labour get away with it."