Lynne Featherstone MP under fire over tuition fees hike
Aaron Porter, President of the NUS, said the student body would call for Ms Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green and the Equalities Minister in the Home Office, to resign if she did not uphold her election pledge to “vote against any increase in fees in the next Parliament and to pressure the Government to introduce a fairer alternative”.
Mr Porter, 25, said: “We will be calling for Lynne Featherstone MP to resign if she doesn’t vote against tuition fees.
“It is more important for Liberal Democrats such as Lynne Featherstone to remain loyal to their word and consistent on what they campaigned on, than sticking with a government job.”
He said that tens of thousands of students will show their anger at plans to increase tuition fees up to �9,000 a year on a demonstration through London and they then plan to campaign against those who voted in favour.
“We will take the campaign into local constituencies and students will start to organise [a campaign] against any MP who has broken their pledge,” Mr Porter said.
“Tuition fees was a policy which the Lib Dems were distinctive on and campaigned hard on.
“Constituent students, in particular, voted for MPs based on what they said. I accept some compromises need to be made but I can’t accept a complete abandonment of this flagship Lib Dem promise and nor will students.
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“There can be nothing progressive about the trebling of fees, an increase in the rate of interest and an extension of the loan repayment period and it would be disingenuous to suggest otherwise.”
Lynne Featherstone MP declined to comment further than remarks she made on her blog on which she wrote she would make her decision in parliament. “I won’t make a final decision until the final proposals are on the table,” she said.
