Labour granted emergency debate on student tuition fees

'Both universities and thousands of students across the country are now uncertain about the rate of tuition fees that can be charged,' said Labour's Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner

Ms Rayner made the request for an emergency Commons debate on student tuition fees (Getty)

Labour has been granted an emergency three-hour debate tomorrow on the Government’s plans to raise tuition fees at the start of the academic year by £250.

Angela Rayner, the Shadow Education Secretary, made the application for a debate in the Commons after a previous one scheduled for 19 April – the day after Theresa May called the general election – was cancelled.

MPs had been due to debate a decision made last year to raise university fees to £9,250 from £9,000 per year from 2017 and then with inflation in subsequent years.

“Oddly, Mr Speaker, they have been determined not to grant the House a vote since that election,” Ms Rayner said, adding her party had raised the issue on multiple occasions and had received a letter from Andrea Leadsom, the Commons leader, saying there were no plans to schedule these debates in Government time.

“Both universities and thousands of students across the country are now uncertain about the rate of tuition fees that can be charged,” Ms Rayner added. ”With neither Government nor opposition time being provided, we have no choice but to use Standing Order 24.

“So, Mr Speaker, 109 days since it was first promised by ministers, I ask leave of the House for an emergency debate on their plans to raise tuition fees.”

Approving the application, John Bercow, the Speaker, said the emergency debate will now take place following the Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday – the penultimate day of Government before the summer parliamentary recess.

During the general election, Labour promised to abolish student tuition fees through legislation as early as 2018. At the time Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, said: “The Conservatives have held students back for too long, saddling them with debt that blights the start of their working lives. Labour will lift this cloud of debt and make education free for all as part of our plan for a richer Britain for the many not the few.”

Recognising the success of Labour’s electoral message to young voters, the Conservatives appeared to concede ground on the issue of tuition fees, adding that Britain may need to have a debate about fees. Earlier this month, Damian Green, the First Secretary of State, said that student debt is a “huge issue” but it remains unlikely that the party will reverse its plans to hike up tuition fees in September.

But at the debate on Wednesday, Mr Corbyn’s party will likely face accusations from the Tory benches that Labour have backtracked on a plan to “deal with” the historic debt burden of graduates – after the party’s Shadow Chancellor downgraded it to an “ambition” at the weekend.