Euro-MP supports student funding protesters

12.00.00am GMT Thu 28th Nov 2002

Liz Lynne, MEP for the West Midlands Region and Liberal Democrat European Spokesperson for Youth and Education, has leant her support to students intending to protest against the government's record on student funding at the NUS National Demonstration next week.

Commenting in the run up to the march, which is taking place in London on Wednesday 4 December, Liz said:

"University and student funding has gone from crisis to crisis under the Labour government. The Liberal Democrats always opposed tuition fees on the basis that they would be the thin end of the wedge. Labour promised in 1997 that tuition fees would be the answer to all Higher Education's problems and that top up fees would not be needed, yet real term spending in the sector has actually fallen. No wonder universities are now openly talking about £10,000 a year top up fees. The student movement needs to make it plain that the situation is entirely unacceptable."

"There is light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to the Liberal Democrats in government there, in Scotland tuition fees have been scrapped while in Wales the grant is being restored. By keeping up the pressure - on the streets and in the ballot box - the government will have no alternative but to sort out this mess."

"Visit the Liberal Democrat Youth & Student website at www.ldys.org.uk