LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MPs are in increasing disarray over Thursday’s House of Commons vote to triple university fees. A number of MPs have threatened to quit their posts rather than vote for the measure.
Transport minister Norman Baker said he “genuinely” had not decided whether he would back the policy, abstain, or vote against. “It’s an option if you resign. There are three options on the table and I haven’t yet decided what I’m going to do.”
A number of other ministers, including Lynne Featherstone, the equalities minister, and pensions minister Stephen Webb, are believed to be considering abstaining, though it is not clear if they will lose their posts if they do so.
Liberal Democrat leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who will address his parliamentary party tonight, spent much of yesterday in meetings with his backbenchers in a bid to maintain party unity.
However, the party’s credibility has been damaged by the issue, regardless of what happens on Thursday, because of the actions of people such as business secretary Vince Cable, who has repeatedly given contradictory indications about his intentions.
Two former leaders, Charles Kennedy and Menzies Campbell, are leading a group of up to 12 rebel MPs – out of 57 – who have made it clear that they will vote against the plans, which are being promoted by Mr Cable’s own government department.
The party’s deputy leader, Simon Hughes, believes that Liberal Democrats should abstain en masse, while a small minority, led by MP Greg Mulholland, argues that the vote should be cancelled and replaced by a public inquiry into university costs.
Under the proposals, tuition fees would double in all cases from more than £3,000 (€3,500) to more than £6,000, though some universities would be able to demand £9,000 with the proviso that they would have to come up with new ways to increase their number of poorer students.
The fees would be covered by a loan where repayment would not need to begin until the graduates were earning more than £21,000 a year.
Also, some 30,000 students would be in a position to benefit from an offer to increase the number of scholarships available.
Plans to publish a letter from university leaders backing the plans were derailed when some vice-chancellors refused to sign, amid concerns that they would divide the sector as only the most selective universities will be able to charge more than £6,000 a year.
To charge fees up to £9,000, universities would have to reach new agreements to open their doors to poorer students.
There will be heavy pressure to limit the number that do charge the higher amount as higher fees mean bigger student loans and more cost to the treasury.
Former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown acknowledged that the government had failed to convince people that the new system would be fair: “Nick could deliver the Sermon on the Mount, they are just not listening,” he said.
So far, however, the government appears to believe it can win, judging by the fact that it has not called on climate change secretary Chris Huhne to return early from climate talks in Cancún in Mexico.
Meanwhile, the BBC was embarrassed after an imposter pretending to be Liberal Democrat MP Michael Crockart, a parliamentary private secretary, was interviewed on the flagship World at Oneprogramme on Radio 4, saying that he would vote against the proposal.
The BBC apologised profusely last night, but it later emerged that Mr Crockart, contacted by the Evening Standard, will not vote for the fees increase – although it seems he may not have made up his mind to vote against it either.
