Downing Street rules out scrapping tuition fees

Downing Street rules out scrapping tuition fees

Damian Green, Theresa May's effective deputy, appeared to float the radical idea of scrapping fees over the weekend

Downing Street has ruled out scrapping tuition fees despite admitting the policy caused them serious damage at the election.

Damian Green, Theresa May's effective deputy, appeared to float the radical idea over the weekend, saying there should be a 'national debate' on how higher education was funded.

But No10 and senior ministers have squashed the idea insisting there are no plans to rethink the system.

It is the latest sign of confusion in senior Tory ranks, as the party engages in a public post-mortem over the failure to win an overall majority on June 8.

Most of the acrimony has focused on the public sector pay cap, with Boris Johnson becoming the latest minister t oday to call for it to be eased.

Mrs May has privately conceded that the tough limit on salary rises will need to be revised, after dozens of MPs lined up to oppose it.

But Chancellor Philip Hammond is deeply unhappy at being bounced into major spending commitments, and has warned that work to tackle the deficit must continue. 

Labour's policy of abolishing tuition fees would cost an estimated £10billion a year, while writing off debt for those who have already incurred it could cost tens of billions more. 

Shortly before the election, the government said elite universities would be permitted to raise their tuition fees above the £9,000 maximum to £9,250.

In the wake of Mr Green's speech, universities minister Jo Johnson staunchly defended tuition fees. 

'Abolishing tuition fees and funding universities out of general taxation would be regressive, benefiting richest graduates, as IFS has repeatedly said,' he wrote on Twitter.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said he agreed with Mr Green about the need for a national debate.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said he agreed with Mr Green about the need for a national debate

Mrs May, pictured at church with husband Philip yesterday, has privately conceded that the tough limit on salary rises will need to be revised, after dozens of MPs lined up to oppose it

'I think we should have a conversation about it, but it's important again to look at Damian's remarks and what he actually said,' Mr Gove told the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show.

'Damian wasn't talking about getting rid of it. What Damian was saying, what I believe, is that if we have to fund higher education, and if people who get university degrees go on to earn well, which is good, they should pay something back and that's what the current system does.

'It's wrong if people who don't go to university find that they have to pay more in taxation to support those who do.

'I believe fundamentally that the purpose of government policy is to support everyone equally and if you don't benefit from a university education, you shouldn't have to pay additionally to support those who do.' 

An aide to Mr Green told The Times: 'He wasn't hinting at a U-turn at all. He was acknowledging that the youth support Corbyn attracted at the general election off the back of hisfees pledge had started a national debate. But that debate has to recognise it's either fees or higher taxes and Corbyn wasn't being upfront on that decision.'

 

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