Miliband's promise to lower tuition fees - do you believe him?

This poll is closed

Do you believe Miliband's promise to reduce tuition fees by a third?

I don't believe Labour will follow through 25%

I believe him, but it won't work 28%

I believe him and it will work 20%

I don't believe anything any of the parties say on this issue27%

Total votes: 422

Fullofsurprises

Labour have unrolled an election promise. Miliband was on all channels this morning promising to reduce tuition fees to around £6,000.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-31640592
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/feb/25/ed-miliband-to-woo-younger-voters-with-pledge-to-cut-tuition-fees

He's trying to win our votes (eg, the 'young vote') - the big question is, will he be believed?

Nick Clegg of course notoriously failed and lied on this issue. Will Miliband do any better?

EDIT: I suppose to be fair, Clegg did not exactly 'lie' on the issue, he simply dumped it when he entered coalition, because he couldn't persuade the Tories to accept it. Perhaps I should say he is widely seen as having lied on it.

(edited 9 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Quady

Original post by Fullofsurprises

I think we'll have to see how its to be 'paid for'.

I suspect a backlash if higher rate pension tax relief is to be cut.

Reply 2

JayReg

He's a fool.

The current system is incredibly proportional. He's effectively cutting taxes for the future top 10%, yeah you read that right. Red Ed my arse, has he got a kid going to uni soon?

Reply 3

redferry

Its so brave that I don't even care. Serious respect, I can't believe he's considering taxing pensioners. Incredible.

Can't help but feel he might be screwing labours elections chances though.

****ing old people are the worst.

Reply 4

DiddyDec01

Didn't Clegg say the same thing? Look what happened there.

Reply 5

Gnomes&Knights

No point of trusting politicians. It's the dark and dingy side of politics that lets everyone down. Politicians are influenced by money, not the public's opinions.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 6

Rakas21

I believe he'll do it but i'm not sure he'll bother to explicitly cost it in the manifesto (probably say it will be paid for after they get into government). It won't affect my vote anyway.

Reply 7

Brit_Miller

I like how the Lib Dems were supposed to be the champions of protecting tuition fee rises at the last election and today Vince Cable is basically calling Miliband a financially illiterate idiot for wanting to reduce them.

I hate the political spin on this - all bandying around the figures that more people are going to uni and more people from working class backgrounds, but the point is we shouldn't be placing about £45k worth of debt onto future generations just to get an increasingly essential education. Fair play if they follow through with this, but I doubt they will.

Reply 8

jakeel1

Oh look. Miliband displays financial incompetence and says he will raid the pensions.

What does this guy actually have to offer? He's a poor speaker, conversationalist, policy maker. It's difficult to see how he gets dressed in the morning. Get rid of him and get someone more competent.

Reply 9

TorpidPhil

I believe he will do it, however I think it's a bad idea. The rate at which you pay interest on your £27k from a degree is very fair I think. Why should tax payers for my superior education? I mean, they already do of course. A chinese student I know studying at my uni is paying £80k for her degree - no government subsidy. Honestly it's fair. I will earn more from getting this degree. It helps me out in life big-time, I should pay for it myself and in doing I spend on a decent cause, you know, university research and the education of others.

It would be different if the debt burden was overwhelming, but 0.5% interest is a joke, that's under the rate of inflation most of the time and you won't pay it back if you aren't earning 21k a year, that's low, I know, but seriously the amount you have to pay each month is so tiny it is ridiculous to cry about it when you're earning over 21k a year. Then if you haven't paid it off after so many years the government just does it for you anyway.

Also, I think it's very unfair to just say "nick clegg lied". He didn't get "in power". I am sure if lib dems got a majority they would have cut tuition fees, but there you go.

Reply 10

Quady

Original post by JayReg

He's a fool.

The current system is incredibly proportional. He's effectively cutting taxes for the future top 10%, yeah you read that right. Red Ed my arse, has he got a kid going to uni soon?

Future top 30%, but yeah.

Reply 11

Quady

Original post by TorpidPhil

It would be different if the debt burden was overwhelming, but 0.5% interest is a joke, that's under the rate of inflation most of the time

No students have 0.5% interest on their loan, at the minimum its 1.5% under the old system. New style loans have a higher interest rate.

Which is quite a lot less than CPI right now at 0.3%.

Reply 12

bb193

'The Labour leader is also expected to promise more support for loans and grants to cover students' living costs. There have been concerns that young people from middle-income families do not have access to sufficient student loans.'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-31028467

Reply 13

tnetennba

If he does win and follow through I will be unbelievably angry that I was one of the few to pay £9k

Reply 14

bb193

Original post by tnetennba

If he does win and follow through I will be unbelievably angry that I was one of the few to pay £9k

I imagine you might get over that, if you ever have children of your own?

Reply 15

AstroNandos

Yeah I believe him

However I still don't support him or his party in any way at all

Reply 16

DiddyDec01

I think we will see another one of these if Miliband gets into power.

[video="youtube;KUDjRZ30SNo"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUDjRZ30SNo[/video]

Reply 17

Blue_Mason

Labour still has my vote

Reply 18

TSR Community Staff

Original post by Quady

I think we'll have to see how its to be 'paid for'.

I suspect a backlash if higher rate pension tax relief is to be cut.

I'm pretty sure Labour will go through with it if they get in to power.

They will do if they form Government on their own and if in coalition, the most likely partners - Lib Dems and SNP would likely support this too.

I also doubt any party would be so daft to make such a bold statement as this on tutition fees and not go through with it - the experience of the Lib Dems tells them what they can expect.

In addition, Labour have very little to lose from offending wealthy pensioners. Very few will support Labour any way, so nothing to lose there. It will just force the Conservatives and UKIP to move further towards the interests of the rich and pensioners and away from the interests of young people to attach Labour this.

Historically this focus on older people would be wise, but this time around I think young people will be much more engaged, so it could help Labour quite a bit.

Overall, it's a good move and should see a reduction.

I just hope it's a first step, where later we'd see further reductions considered and alternative ways to fund university other than tuition fees on the cards. But one step at a time...