Top-up fees - now this is an issue for the General Election

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 8th Apr 2004

Lib Dem Councillor Gordon Seekings says "Top up Fees are now an issue for the General Election and for every Labour member who says 'Trust my party' "

Liberal Democrats in Crawley are carrying on the battle to scrap tuition and top up fees following the passage of the Government's Higher Education Bill through the House of Commons.

Local Councillor, Gordon Seekings said "This is now a key issue for the General Election and for every occasion a Labour politician says 'trust me'."

Top-up fees will not be introduced until 2006 and a drop in the number of Labour MPs at the next election could enable the plans to be reversed. Gordon Seekings went on to say "Every student, their parents, families and friends could stop this legislation if they voted for Liberal Democrats Candidates at the next Election.

"This legislation is simply wrong. Our higher education system will now be based on ability to pay not ability to succeed. Poorer students will be put off going to university for fear of getting into massive debt. Universities will not get the funds they so desperately need unless these fees are increased massively over the next few years. This is not the right way to give universities the funds they need.