Another fees let-down from Labour MP
April 2, 2004 12:00 AM
Williams: Another let-down by our MP
Bristol West's Labour MP has abstained again on the government's controversial plans to triple university tuition fees.
Valerie Davey's abstention on the first vote at the end of January led to a storm of protest. She had promised students and lecturers to vote against the Bill but instead abstained. Now, in the Bill's final reading, she has abstained once again.
Mrs Davey justified her actions by saying that she felt the government was already under enough pressure because of the Hutton Report. She stressed she was still worried about the variability of top-up fees and would fight for concessions in the later stages of the Bill's progress through Parliament. But when the Bill came back to the full House of Commons after its scrutiny in committee, variable fees were still an integral element.
Stephen Williams, Lib Dem Prospective MP for Bristol West said, "This is yet another betrayal by Valerie Davey. After abstaining on the first vote she promised to fight variable fees. Well, the variable fees remain but she has abstained again. Thousands of students and parents will be wondering what on earth is the point of an MP who can't take a stand on such a major issue."
Valerie Davey has now abstained on the motion for war in Iraq, on the introduction of foundation hospitals and on tuition fees. Stephen Williams concludes, "Bristol West needs an MP who says what he means and means what he says. All we have at the moment is an embarrassing spectacle of an MP stuck on the fence."
A recent MORI poll has shown that Labour support amongst students has collapsed in the last three years. 37% of students now say that they intend to support the Liberal Democrats, compared to 28% supporting Labour and just 20% saying they will vote Conservative.
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