Red Face for Blair as Leeds Labour Run Council Votes To Oppose Top-Up Fees (Leeds Liberal Democrats)

Leeds Liberal Democrats <info@leedslibdems.org.uk>

Red Face for Blair as Leeds Labour Run Council Votes To Oppose Top-Up Fees

January 15, 2004 12:00 AM

Leeds Labour run council last night delivered a sensational slap in the face for Tony Blair's plans for Higher Education Funding by passing a motion expressing the Council's outright opposition to variable top-up fees and backing rebel Labour MPs stance against top up fees in Parliament.

The White Paper, proposed by the Liberal Democrats thanked Leeds Labour MPs Paul Truswell, John Battle, Colin Burgon, George Mudie, Harold Best and Fabian Hamilton for their opposition to top-up fees and for signing Early Day Motion 7 in the House of Commons. The crucial part of the motion stated unequivocally, "This Council is opposed to the principle of introducing variable top-up fees" and this was voted for unanimously by all parties and independents.

Councillor Ralph Pryke, Lib Dem Councillor for Burmantofts, who proposed the motion said, "We felt that Leeds, with it's tens of thousands of students, should make its position clear and back the MPs to continue their opposition to variable top-up fees."

The Labour Group amended the motion and deleted the statement that "Council furthermore supports the campaign by Leeds students to scrap tuition fees and top-up fees". Ralph Pryke commented "I'm sorry the Labour Group could not bring themselves to support the Leeds Students in their campaign against top-up fees and tuition fees, but we achieved our main objective and the Labour Government will have to sit up and take notice".

Councillor Greg Mulholland, is a Lib Dem Councillor in Headingley, the ward in the country with the highest proportion of students, and the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for North West Leeds is leading the party's campaign against top up and tuition fees in Leeds. He says "This is a huge embarrassment for the Blair Government with one of the leading metropolitan authorities in the country delivering a clear message that variable top-up fees are downright wrong and will lead to a two tier education system based on ability to pay not ability to learn".

Cllr Greg Mulholland added "The message from Leeds is clear: No to top-up fees and we ask Tony Blair and Charles Clarke to think again".

Notes

The current make-up of Leeds City Council is Labour 50 councillors, Conservative 22, Liberal Democrats 20, Greens 3, Independents 2.
The official Leeds student campaign involving students from Leeds University, Leeds Metropolitan University is Leeds Against Fees. See www.luuonline.com/leedsagainstfees/links.