“I will not have it.” said Tim, saying that the Tories treat nurses like dirt.
He was talking to the Royal College of Nursing conference.
Watch this clip here:
He told them:
The Government’s decision to abandon bursaries for nursing students was clearly wrong.
The evidence has shown a drastic fall in the number of people applying to study nursing following this dangerously short-sighted cut.
We should be supporting more people into these vital professions – but instead this Government are putting up greater barriers.
The Liberal Democrats are proud that we are committing to support nurses, midwives and other NHS professionals, not only by reinstating the bursary but by ending the cap on public sector pay rises and giving our NHS the extra money it needs over the next Parliament, which will reduce pressures on our hardworking staff.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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6 Comments
And about time too. Well said, Tim.
The Alexander arbitrary pay freeze on public sector pay did as much to undermine the natural constituency of Liberal Democrat support as anything – that was certainly the case in Scottish Borders a seat we had held for fifty years.
@David Raw “The Alexander arbitrary pay freeze on public sector pay did as much to undermine the natural constituency of Liberal Democrat support as anything ”
Also, I think the Lib Dem support for income contingent loans for the repayment of increased tuition fees undermines the party’s opposition to them as replacements for bursaries.
Great policy. And what about doing something about the interest rate that students who are 2012 and post 2012 HE entrants?
With inflation at 2.75%, they are facing an interest rate on their loans of 5.75%
I really don’t think anyone has noticed this. The 10 year bond rate is 1.15% As the loans seem to be linked to a 30 year period it might be interesting to show the rate GOvernment pays to borrow for 30 years – 1.8%. So surely a 1.5% rate seems reasonable. 5.75% is extortion. Making money out of students.
If the average loan is £45,000 then the capital is rising at approximately £2,500 a year.
Others can work this out but it looks like you have to be earning circa £60,000 a year before repayments are such as to reduce the capital amount.
Also, I think you will find that students pay this interest (rate of inflation + 3%) from their very first installment. ie circa £3,000 for fees + £5,000 maintenance paid in October of their first year of study.
Every announcement shows how much nearer we are to Labour policies than Tory….
It should follow that we feel that, although Labour policies are worthy, their leadership lacks charisma..
Am I alone in remembering PMs with ‘charisma’? It was the hallmark of a belief in anything other than yourself; Blair and Cameron had it in abundance….
Spot on Bill.
Whatever the economic or political reasons for setting fees, the interest rates on the loans are unfair and appear to be designed to line someone’s pockets, not facilitate the payment of uni fees.
As the late great Louis Armstrong said , as the plot developed more significantly,in the movie , High Society,
” Now wer’e getting some place !”