'We don't agree with Nick', say Lib Dem voters on university funding

If repeated nationwide the party could lose 2.7m of the votes it received at the last general election.
 
On the eve of what is likely to be a lively Liberal Democrat conference, the polling, conducted by PoliticsHome for the University and College Union (UCU), also reveals that over half of people (54%) who identify as Liberal Democrat say they would be more likely to vote for a Liberal Democrat candidate who was committed to defying a coalition agreement to abstain in a vote on university funding.
 
The poll comes on the day that business secretary, Vince Cable, will share a platform with the union's general secretary, Sally Hunt, at a fringe event organised by Liberal Youth*. A short video was made featuring voters in Nick Clegg's Sheffield Hallam constituency who were asked if they agreed with Nick and the decision to allow Liberal Democrat MPs to abstain on a vote to increase the cost of university.

Do you agree with Nick?

Ahead of the 2010 general election the Liberal Democrat party campaigned on a pro-student and pro-university ticket. All Liberal Democrat MPs signed a pledge to not only vote against an increase in university fees, but to actively campaign against them. However, as part of the coalition agreement, those MPs would, controversially, abstain on the issue.
 
That decision has not gone down well with voters and the key findings from the poll are:

• A quarter (25%) of all voters are more likely to vote for a Liberal Democrat candidate who would defy the coalition agreement to abstain on university funding
• Over half of voters (54%) who identify as Liberal Democrat are more likely to vote for a Liberal Democrat candidate who would defy the coalition agreement to abstain on university funding
• One-fifth (22%) of all voters are less likely to vote Liberal Democrat now the party has not reaffirmed its opposition to increasing the cost of a degree since the general election
• Two-fifths (39%) of voters who identify as Liberal Democrat are less likely to vote Liberal Democrat now the party has not reaffirmed its opposition to increasing the cost of a degree.

The full results are available from the UCU press office.
 
Commenting on the poll, UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: "The Liberal Democrats campaigned hard on a pro-universities and pro-student ticket. The public is unhappy with their u-turn on the issue and that unhappiness will clearly cost them dearly at the ballot box.
 
"Voters want politicians they can put their faith in and the poll shows there would be more support for Liberal Democrat candidates prepared to defy the leadership and remain true to those original principles against increasing the cost of going to university."
 
* The fringe meeting this evening (Saturday) at the Liberal Democrat party conference in Liverpool is from 8-9.15pm in Suite 8 of Jurys Inn Hotel.

Note: PoliticsHome interviewed 1,000 adults by email between 14-16 September 2010. Results are weighted by age, gender and political party identification to reflect the population of Great Britain.