The passing of the universities bill on Thursday spelled a sad day for Britain where the elite broke new ground in denying people of modest means an opportunity to excel and achieve their aspirations.

It can never be right to make those who cannot afford to pay for a university education to be subjected to the scale of debt which will affect many young people and damage Britain at home and abroad.

There can be no defence in the Coalition saying their plans are fair when the rich will pay off their tuition fees in a blink of an eye, compared to the years it will take other students to pay off debt imposed by this uncaring Government.

The Bill which will now become law is clearly aimed at undermining the pursuit of a progressive society, but as we have seen the Coalition — Nick de Bois MP included — are anathema to this.

Verdict: the coalition’s plans on university reform are incoherent, unfair and unworkable and, as the polls show, simply do not wash with the public.

The next election will be about fairness: not a Pinocchio-style Coalition fairytale about why Britain got into debt in the first place (through corporate greed), but a progressive-inspired Labour movement who, like Jack, will cut down the bad old giant (the Government) from the top of the beanstalk to ensure a happy ending ever after.

Cllr Ozzie Uzoanya
Labour, Enfield Lock