MP backs Hull students as Cameron makes Chinese gaffe

Diana Johnson MP today backed Hull University students in Westminster for a national protest against Coalition plans to raise tuition fees and axe the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

The Hull North Labour MP also slammed comments made in Beijing today by the Prime Minister David Cameron who told Chinese students that increasing fees for British students will help prevent fees hikes for overseas students studying in the UK.

Following the recent publication of the Browne Review, the Coalition Government has announced that the current cap on tuition fees will be raised from the current limit of £3,290 to £6,000 with a maximum cap of £9,000 a year from the 2012/3 academic year.

The EMA, introduced by Labour in 2004, was axed by Education Secretary Michael Gove in the Spending Review last month. This was despite promises by David Cameron and Nick Clegg before the election that the payments would be safe.

Around 5,000 young people in Hull studying in further and higher education depend on EMA payments to help with basics such as transport and books. With EMA payments due to be axed from next year, many could find it hard to make ends meet and choose not to continue their education.

Independent studies have shown that the payments increased the number of students remaining in education, as well as raising attainment amongst disadvantaged young people.

The Government is withdrawing 80% of public money for university teaching and transferring the whole cost of degrees onto most students, saddling them with huge debt. The Government's Comprehensive Spending Review cut the overall resource budget for higher education, excluding research funding, from £7.1 billion to £4.2 Billion a 40% or £2.9 billion reduction by 2014/5.

Diana Johnson MP said: "Raising the tuition fees cap to £9,000 and axing the EMA would deter many students from low and middle income from higher education courses, reversing the progress made under the previous Labour Government.

"Six months ago, before the General Election, Lib Dems in Hull and in every part of the country promised, in full knowledge of the deficit, that they would oppose any increase in student tuition fees, just as they opposed VAT increases.

"Before the election, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats also said they would keep EMA payments for those staying on at school, going to college, getting an apprenticeship or doing some form of training while at work. Now they have betrayed these young people by scrapping EMA.

"Lib Dems and Tories are transferring the burden of reducing Government debt onto students from middle and lower income families, shackling many with decades of debt and deterring others from higher education altogether.

"The severity of the cuts to universities will harm higher education in this country and damage the local economy in places such as Hull where universities play such an important role."

Commenting on the Prime Minister's remarks in Beijing, Diana Johnson MP added: "At a time when UK students on lower and middle incomes will be asked to pay more because of Coalition cuts, I'm astounded that the Prime Minister is boasting in China that raising fees for UK students will help constrain fees for overseas students.

"One objective of the Prime Minister's Chinese trip is to increase the number of Chinese students studying in the UK. After his comments in Beijing, many will be asking whether this is to compensate for the British youngsters who will no longer be able to afford this privilege under Coalition plans to axe the EMA and increase fees for UK students."

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