Lib Dem fee policy 2

Last week, you juxtaposed our comments with those of others to suggest that the Lib Dems were considering a U-turn on tuition fees. Our party conference will be considering proposals to revise our tax policy in the direction of "fairer but not higher" taxes. Since we are no longer arguing that tuition and top-up fees should be paid for by hypothecated higher taxes, we are looking at other ways of financing pledges to higher education.

We are looking instead at how to cut low-priority government spending. Since the Government is making questionable and expensive spending commitments elsewhere that we oppose, we are confident that we shall be able to put forward a fully costed programme that includes our tuition-fee policy.

Vincent Cable and Stephen Williams
Shadow Chancellor and Higher Education Spokesman, Liberal Democrats