Greens urge Scottish Labour to stand against Starmer’s tuition fees hike
Anas Sarwar must instruct Scottish Labour MPs to oppose Sir Keir Starmer’s tuition fees hikes and rule-out any return to fees in Scotland under a Labour government at Holyrood, says Scottish Green education spokesperson Ross Greer.
In a letter to Mr Sarwar, Greer said that “This decision by your UK Labour colleagues has raised the prospect of tuition fees returning to Scotland under a Scottish Labour government, causing significant unease.”
Mr Greer’s letter then calls for the Scottish Labour leader to clarify how he will instruct Scottish Labour MPs to vote on increasing tuition fees in England and his position on the funding of tuition in Scotland, specifically whether Scottish Labour would seek to reintroduce fees.
During his time as an MP, Mr Sarwar regularly spoke in opposition to tuition fees and voted against the Tory and Lib Dem decision to treble them. He urged the then Deputy First Minister, Nick Clegg to “apologise to the hundreds of thousands of students and families he's betrayed since becoming a Tory” due to his flip-flopping on tuition fees.
In 2010 Mr Sarwar even said “Our future is our young people, and this coalition government is now hitting them with record levels of debt as they leave university.”
Ross Greer said:
“Tuition fees are hugely unfair and unnecessary. They saddle young people with decades of debt and financial anxiety that many will never be able to pay off.
“Anas Sarwar rightly previously opposed tuition fees and the devastating impact they have on young people. Now he supports a government hiking them to record levels.
“If he wants to maintain a shred of dignity or consistency then I am sure Mr Sarwar will join with me in calling for Sir Keir Starmer to drop this policy immediately.
“The Scottish Labour leader should ensure that none of his MPs vote for this proposed hike. More importantly though, he must come clean about his position on university funding in Scotland. Would Scottish Labour follow UK Labour’s lead and inflict tuition fees on Scottish students?
“The Scottish Greens will always stand up for students and oppose attempts by Labour or any other party to reintroduce tuition fees in Scotland.”
Text of Ross Greer’s letter to Anas Sarwar
Dear Anas,
The Scottish Greens are deeply concerned by yesterday’s announcement by the UK Labour Government that it will hike tuition fees for university students in England.
This decision by the new Labour government has been described as a betrayal of students and young people by many in the higher education sector and it is hard to reconcile with your own previous statements on this topic from your time as an MP.
In 2010, you told the House of Commons "Our future is our young people, and this coalition government is now hitting them with record levels of debt as they leave university.
Earlier in the same year you asked Nick Clegg "Will the Deputy Prime Minister take this opportunity to apologise to the hundreds of thousands of students and families he's betrayed since becoming a Tory".
You were right to vote against the Conservative/Lib Dem tuition fees hike in 2011. I am writing today to urge you to reaffirm that position, oppose Keir Starmer’s tuition fees hike and clarify your policy on tuition fees in Scotland.
Quite understandably, this decision by your UK Labour colleagues has raised the prospect of tuition fees returning to Scotland under a Scottish Labour government, causing significant unease.
I would therefore appreciate if you could confirm the following:
-
How you will instruct Scottish Labour MPs to vote on increasing tuition fees in England
-
Your position on the funding of tuition in Scotland, specifically whether Scottish Labour would seek to reintroduce fees
I look forward to your response.
Best wishes,
Ross Greer MSP