Liberal Democrats - The real opposition for students

Charles Kennedy MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, launched the Liberal Democrats campaign to win the votes of students at the General Election. In a speech to students at the London School of Economics, Charles stressed the importance of the student vote, and particularly its role in deciding the results in a number of key seats.

During his speech at the event Charles said "Labour broke its manifesto promise to students about top-up fees - that will not be forgiven. The Liberal Democrats were also instrumental in scrapping tuition fees in Scotland - proving we mean what we say."

Charles Kennedy further said "Top-up fees put students off university, especially those from a poorer background. And is it really right that so many young people are starting out in life with mortgage style debts hanging round their necks? Others want us to act on the environment. Again and again we have pressed Tony Blair to engage with this issue, and to use his alleged influence with George Bush to get him to sign up to the Kyoto treaty and talk sense on climate change. We're still waiting. But for many people in this country - and certainly for many students - the defining issue at this election will be the Iraq war.

Charles Kennedy concluded "My party stood united in opposition to the war. It was a matter of principle. While the Prime Minister - as we now know - led us into battle on a false premise: with the Conservatives as his principal cheerleaders. Today, we continue to ask the critical questions. We want to know the exit strategy. We are urging the Government to set a date to bring our troops home. We are still representing what you care about. There are 14 Labour and 13 conservative-held seats around the country where the number of students exceeds the gap between the sitting MP and the Liberal Democrat candidate."

David Rendel MP the Liberal Democrat Higher Education Spokesperson who joined Charles at the event, said "Liberal Democrats believe that the taxpayer, not the student, should meet the cost of Higher Education. We voted against tuition fees in 1998. We led the opposition to top-up fees in Parliament in 2004. Only the Liberal Democrats are committed to a fair deal for students. Only the Liberal Democrats can be trusted to deliver."

Poll after poll is showing the Liberal Democrats ahead amongst students. By May we need to make sure that it is not just 1 in 3, nor 1 in 2, but a clear majority of students who vote for us. We need to tell students that Labour betrayed them in 1997 over tuition fees, and again in 2001 over top-up fees.Student debt which is a consequence of fees and student loans not only shapes day to day decisions, it affects future plans too. It means that rungs on the property ladder are higher to reach, and that graduates are less likely to enter often lower paid professions in the public sector, such as teaching and nursing.