AS the council’s executive board member for children and young people I want to echo Nick Bent’s warm welcome for Labour’s pledges to protect the education budget and to cut university tuition fees.

Labour’s plan to cut tuition fees to £6,000 per year for all students from September 2016 is popular with young people, their parents and grandparents. It will be paid for by reducing the generous tax relief that very high earners get on their pension contributions – that is people who are able to put away more than £30,000 per year into their pension pot (and £30,000 is more than the average wage).

People who are currently pensioners themselves will not pay a penny towards this cut in tuition fees.

University is not the right thing for every young person, but I believe they should be given a choice. The Tory/LibDem decision to treble tuition fees in the middle of a recession was the wrong thing to do. Labour’s plan will encourage more young people in Warrington to consider getting a degree. We will also increase grants for students from low-income homes. This Labour council is committed to giving every young person in our town a first class start in life and the chance to succeed.

The future of own town depends on it and I think that our pledges on education and tuition fees are good reasons in themselves to vote Labour on May 7.

CLLR JEAN CARTER
Labour, Great Sankey South

 

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