David Cameron has made a last-ditch attempt to win over critics of the Government’s plans to treble university tuition fees as MPs and protesters geared up for a crunch vote on the issue.
The Prime Minister insisted the proposals are “sustainable, competitive and fair” as he acknowledged the “passion” of those opposing his plans.
Students and lecturers have already begun staging a fresh round of demonstrations and sit-ins ahead of Thursday’s crucial vote on controversial proposals to charge students fees of up to £9,000.
Union leaders accused Mr Cameron of failing to fully understand the impact his Government’s plans will have on universities and students.
As tension over the looming vote grew earlier, Mr Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband traded verbal blows in the Commons, and ministers announced new concessions aimed at heading off a major backbench rebellion.
In a speech in east London, Mr Cameron insisted that passion surrounding this issue was “drowning out some of the truth” about the package on offer.
He said the plans would widen access to university, create incentives to improve the quality of courses and leave the poorest graduates better off than under the existing system.
He rejected critics’ claims that the Government was simply seeking to save money by removing state subsidies and heaping the burden of university funding on to students’ shoulders, and claimed the proposed package of loans, grants and scholarships proposed by the Government will increase in value from £7 billion to £12 billion by 2015.
There were heated clashes during Prime Minister’s Questions as Mr Miliband accused the Prime Minister of being “out of touch with ordinary people” – highlighting his privileged education at Eton and Oxford.
Amid speculation that half of Liberal Democrat MPs could rebel, the Labour leader insisted the coalition was “in chaos”.
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