Press release -
NICK CLEGG MUST APOLOGISE TO VOTERS FOR BREAKING HIS PLEDGE, NOT FOR MAKING IT
The National Union of Students (NUS) today (Wednesday) responded to a new party political broadcast by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg*, in which he apologised for signing NUS’ pledge on tuition fees prior to the 2010 general election**.
NUS said the Deputy Prime Minister should apologise to those he betrayed by abandoning the long-standing policy commitment and make amends, rather than apologising for signing the pledge.
Liam Burns, NUS President said:
“Nick Clegg should be apologising to voters for breaking his pledge, not for making it in the first place.”
“The Liberal Democrats’ commitment at the 2010 election was to abolish fees, a policy they’ve had for more than a decade. It’s what they said on the doorstep and in their leaflets, and every one of their MPs signed a pledge to back it up. It’s why many students and young people voted for the party.”
“Recent research from the Intergenerational Foundation shows £9,000 tuition fees could push public sector debt up by £100 billion over the next twenty years, so when Nick Clegg say there was no alternative to raising fees, the public have good reason to doubt such low grade excuses.”
“It’s up to Nick Clegg now to reach out to those he betrayed by breaking his fees pledge, to apologise, and to make amends by changing his policies.”
ENDS
*Nick Clegg’s video message, September 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYMN7l_wo5U
**Photograph of Nick Clegg signing the pledge, Cambridge 2010
Liberal Democrat General Election Manifesto 2010:
“We will scrap unfair university tuition fees” p.33)
Nick Clegg’s video message to NUS National Conference 2010:
“We will resist, vote against, campaign against, any lifting of that cap".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYMN7l_wo5U
‘False Accounting? Why the government’s Higher Education reforms don’t add up’
Dr Andrew McGettigan, Intergenerational Foundation
Related links
Topics
- Education
Categories
- Liam Burns
- national union of students
- nus
- nick clegg
- liberal democrats
- tuition fees
- university
Regions
- England
NUS (National Union of Students) is a voluntary membership organisation which makes a real difference to the lives of students and its member students' unions.
We are a confederation of 600 students' unions, amounting to more than 95 per cent of all higher and further education unions in the UK. Through our member students' unions, we represent the interests of more than seven million students.
