Williams Launches Student Fees Poster Campaign

12.03.50pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 25th Apr 2005

Stephen Williams is campaigning to abolish tuition and top up fees.

Prospective Lib Dem MP for Bristol West, Stephen Williams, has launched the party's new poster against tuition and top up fees.

He unveiled the poster on College Green to highlight the high level of student debt that graduates now leave university with.

"Forcing students to pay fees is damaging to higher education." Stephen Williams said. "It discourages poorer students from bettering themselves, it prevents new graduates getting on the housing ladder and discourages them from taking out a pension."

"With debt now rising to levels of £20,000 and more, we are simply storing up problems for the future with this tax on learning. It is much fairer to ask those who earn more to pay a little more in tax to ensure we have the educated work force that Britain needs to stay competitive, and so that every student can fulfil their potential," Stephen added.

The Liberal Democrats have already abolished fees in Scotland, where they are in partnership government. The Lib Dem plans to abolish fees would be payed for by a new top tax rate of 50% for the proportion of people's earnings over £100,000. For more information about Liberal Democrat plans for higher education visit http://www.libdems.org.uk/media/documents/policies/04HigherandFurtherEducation.pdf .