UCU & NUS respond to leaked Labour manifesto pledge for free education

The Labour party's leaked manifesto indicates that Labour would abolish tuition fees and re-instate maintenance grants if they were elected. The University and College Union and the National Union of Students welcome this move.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said:

'The direction of travel set out in Labour's draft manifesto is very welcome, and we await the full details with anticipation. UCU has spent many years campaigning for an overhaul of student finance and greater investment in our colleges and universities, because education is a public good and cost should never be a barrier to participation. The next government needs to develop an inclusive vision for lifelong learning which allows everyone to reach their full potential. The other parties now need to set out their own plans for how they will support the education sector in the coming years.'

Malia Bouattia, President of the National Union of Students said:

'While we don't yet have the full details, the leaked Labour manifesto indicates that we may finally see a mainstream party responding to our calls for a free education by proposing to abolish tuition fees and re-instate maintenance grants. The question of student funding and living costs is one that all parties will need to answer ahead of the general election. These changes would be extremely welcome. Over the past seven years funding for higher and further education has been drastically reduced. The current funding system is totally unsustainable: not only do tuition fees leave many students with debt that they can never repay, the cuts to maintenance grants and Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) have forced some students into a state of poverty. The cost of living for the most disadvantaged students is at crisis point. This urgently needs addressing and NUS will continue to campaign tirelessly for a free education system. Investing in education is an investment in society. It's time we had policies and funding that recognised this.'