Lib Dem candidate promises "I'll vote against any increase in student fees"

4.39.35pm GMT Fri 15th Jan 2010

Kevin Lang has pledged to vote against any hike in student fees.

Kevin Lang, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Edinburgh North & Leith today backed a campaign by the Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) by signing a pledge to vote against any increase in student tuition fees in England if he is elected a Member of Parliament in the upcoming election.

Kevin, who studied at Edinburgh University, signed a pledge at the EUSA's offices as part of a National Union of Students' (NUS) campaign to stop an increase in tuition fees in England. Tuition fees in England are currently under review and many believe this will result in an increase, widening the gap between Scottish and English universities. So far, Kevin Lang is the only candidate in the Edinburgh North & Leith constituency to sign the pledge.

The NUS pledge reads:

"We will vote against any increase in fees in the next parliament and we will put pressure on the Government to introduce a fairer alternative to variable top-up fees."

Thomas Graham, Edinburgh University Students' Association President said,

"We are delighted that Kevin Lang has such a firm commitment to ensure that fees don't go up south of the border. He recognises the damage that fees cause in England, the disadvantage it would give institutions in Scotland if they went up, and that Scots would simply be priced out of studying in England if they aren't already.

"This is an incredibly important issue for students. We do want to see our universities funded properly, but not at the expense of fairness and access to all. Students should and will rightly reward candidates like Kevin Lang at the ballot box because they are the only ones being straightforward, honest, and standing up for students' rights."

Kevin Lang said:

"I have campaigned against student tuition fees for as long as I have been involved in politics. For me, this is a simple matter of principle. I believe that people have the right to a free education and that access to university should not just be open to those who can afford it. There is no doubt that the ever increasing costs of tuition are putting people off from going to university and lumbering students with even more debt, just as they starting out in life.

"Scrapping tuition fees also makes good economic sense. Now, more than ever, we need to be investing in the futures of tomorrow's doctors, teachers and scientists, the very people who will help the UK get back on the economic road to recovery. That is why I have been so pleased to back this campaign."

Wes Streeting, NUS President, said:

"The vast majority of the general public is against higher fees, and although this review has been set up to report after the general election, voters deserve to know where their MP stands on this highly emotive issue.

"NUS believes that a university education should be free at the point of use, with graduates giving back to the system according to how much they earn. This would give universities double the amount of funding they currently receive, while allowing the children of poorer families to go to university without the fear of debt. It would also prevent the emergence of a market in higher education, where only the rich could afford to attend our most prestigious universities."