MP SUPPORTS UNIVERSITY TUITION FEES FIGHT BACK

9.37.07am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 13th Oct 2008

UK Youth Parliament Campaign Coins

Over 9000 stickered £1 coins went into circulation across the UK last week (Monday 6th October), highlighting the cost of tuition fees being paid by students in England and Northern Ireland over the course of a degree. Local Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Keetch, is lending support to the campaign by circulating the coins in the House of Commons and in his constituency.

The initiative, part of a UK Youth Parliament campaign to abolish university tuition fees, is being launched as thousands of students prepare to start university. According to a UK Youth Parliament survey of 6000 young people, one in three young people wanting to go to university say they can't afford to go.

James Greenhalgh, 18, Member of Youth Parliament, said, "There seems to be no end in sight as the cost of university spirals out of control. Young people are being asked to play Russian roulette with their financial future as they incur mounting debts.

"Education should be free for all young people and we will not stop until the injustices this flawed tuition fees system have created, are brought to an end."

Paul Keetch MP, added, "I firmly believe that tuition fees should be scrapped throughout the UK for all full time university students. Everyone in society benefits from well qualified, highly educated people living and working here and reap the benefits of their endeavours. It seems ludicrous to me that graduating students currently enter into their working lives with around £13,000 average debt and I fully support the Youth Parliament's Free For All campaign."

ENDS