Author Archives: Alan Riley

Grants not fees – squaring the Lib Dem circle

Liberal Democrats should not give up the battleground of higher education finance just yet. The Party should counter-attack by arguing the case within the Coalition for substantial maintenance grants for students paid out of cutting university bureaucracy and cross-subsidy from foreign students. The Party will have to take on the red tape merchants of British higher education and the immigration obsessives in parts of the Conservative Party. However, taking on bureaucrats and right wing obsessives in the cause of student grants is a far better place from which to win the higher education argument.

Amid the student demonstrations and party …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 25 Comments
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  • Phil Wainewright
    Yes @Tim Rogers of course we need policies that deliver for people now. My point is that, if we don’t put those policies in the context of our longer term goa...
  • Christina Evans
    Very sensible idea, lib dems ,labour and greens form a coalition if we get a hung parliament. Kemi Badenoch has given a nod that the Tories would go in with the...
  • Suzanne Fletcher
    Yes I agree re the backdrop, just what is wrong with promoting who we are and what we stand for, rather than meaningless "fairer" type slogans. Good to read Ca...
  • Tim Rogers
    Sorry but l do not believe that the British people would accept a message of golden times in 25 years They are tired of reasoned and calm debate that got us to...
  • Tim Rogers
    Argentina are past masters at sabre rattling so I do not see the Falklands as under imminent threat. Milei faces an election next year and is in an unenviable p...