Double whammy against students shows Labour's HE policy is in disarray

1.30.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 2nd Jul 2009

The Labour government has today introduced a new double blow against students.

Undergraduates from 2010/11 will face a new financial regime where grants and loans have been frozen, but tuition fees have been subject to an above inflation increase of 2%.

The news comes as the Government faces a £200 million black hole in university funding, leading to cuts to university budgets and a reduction in the number of new student places available in coming years.

Newcastle East Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman Greg Stone said "Newcastle East has one of the highest student populations of any constituency in the country, and its Labour MP Nick Brown was a leading player in the introduction of student tuition fees in 2004. Now we see Labour is continuing to hit students hard at a time when debt is rising and graduate employment is falling dramatically. As with everything else they touch, their higher education policy is falling to pieces"

"Students and their families who are financially supporting them face a clear choice in Newcastle East at the next election. They can support a Labour candidate who has clobbered them over tuition fees, or they can support a Lib Dem candidate committed to abolishing tuition fees."