MP Tom's petition against top-up fees
A Labour MP has launched an online petition against the proposedintroduction of differential top-up fees. Tom Watson, MP for West BromwichEast, is hoping that thousands of students will register their oppositionto top-up fees which will allow different universities to charge differentfees.
The petition on MP Tom's website www.tomatwestbrom.com was launched todayafter the National Union of Students held a conference in London toexamine the content of the higher education white paper and discussrepercussions for the student movement . Mr Watson was also amongst 15Labour MPs elected in 2001 who wrote to The Guardian today expressingtheir opposition to the increased fees.
"Top-up fees will lead to an elitist two-tier system, divided even morebetween the haves and the have-nots. We mustn't have a situation where, inten years time, Cambridge can charge five or ten times more than Coventryor Cardiff. That will stop the brightest kids from poorer backgroundsgoing to the best universities," Mr Watson said.
"The richest will be able to shop around for the best degrees, the restwill be forced out of the market. Access is the key issue here and top-upfees threaten to undo the Government's efforts to widen access to highereducation.
"I know there is strong and widespread opposition to their introductionamongst students, Labour Party members and the public as a whole. So thisonline petition will be one way of ensuring that Charles Clarke looks athis idea once again.
"Scrapping up-front fees and bringing back the grant, as Scotland did twoyears ago, are both very welcome steps forward and a credit to thecampaigning of the student movement and NUS under Mandy Telford. And ifstudents and MPs unite again on this issue, we have a real chance todefeat differential fees."
Liverpool University student Steve Bloomfield of the NUS NationalExecutive Committee added: "NUS will fight top-up fees all the way. Thegovernment's proposals will lead to an increase in student debt and atwo-tiered higher education system where the rich will benefit.
"Tom has rightly spoken out in Parliament and in the press to oppose themand his petition can only help strengthen our case. I hope students acrossthe country will give him their support by signing the petition."
