Fees pledge betrayal by MP
January 28, 2004 12:00 AM
Stephen Williams: Cheered by 250 strong student crowd.
Bristol West's Labour MP abstained in the key vote on student top up fees. Despite being trailed as a potential rebel Valerie Davey declined to join the 72 Labour MPs who rebelled against the government. The government scraped home with a majority of just five.
Stephen Williams, the runner up to Mrs Davey at the 2001 general election and now Lib Dem Prospective MP for Bristol West, hit out angrily at her voting record.
"At the last election Mrs Davey accused me of scaremongering when I expressed scepticism at Labour's manifesto pledge not to bring in top-up fees. Well now Labour have broken that pledge and Mrs Davey has let down thousands of students in Bristol West by not standing up for them."
Stephen Williams had spoken on Monday night at the Bristol University Students Union anti-fees demonstration on College Green. He was cheered by the 250 strong crowd when he told them that the Liberal Democrat MPs would all vote against fees. The Lib Dems had a real alternative in taxing high earners which was fairer and would even raise more new money for universities than fees. At the same demonstration the Students' Union President said that Valerie Davey had promised to vote against the government.
Stephen Williams concluded:
"Bristol West electors must be wondering what on earth to make of their MP's voting record. In the last 12 months tens of thousands of her constituents have been concerned about the war in Iraq, foundation hospitals and now top up fees. And Mrs Davey's response? Abstain, abstain, abstain. Not a very courageous stance. Bristol West needs an MP who can adequately represent the constituency and remain faithful to campaign promises."
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