'Day Of Action' Ahead Of Tuition Fees Vote

1:00am UK, Thursday December 02, 2010

Miranda Richardson, Sky News Online

Students have promised a "day of action" across the country next Wednesday, ahead of a vote by MPs on the proposed rise in tuition fees

The National Union of Students also said they would spend next Thursday, the day of the vote, lobbying MPs.

NUS president Aaron Porter attacked the timing of the vote.

He tweeted: "Disgraceful tactics from the Govt, if true they have scheduled the tuition fee vote next Thur to stop some MPs voting."

Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig broke the news that the vote on tuition fees would take place on December 9.

"The Government's aim, I'm told is to force though the raising of the cap on fees using the votes of the 307 Conservative MPs against Labour's 258 if, as many senior LibDems are now proposing, the 57 Liberal Democrats all abstain," Craig said.

"By staging the vote on a Thursday evening, it's claimed, MPs from smaller parties like the Democratic Unionists, Scottish and Welsh Nationalists will be missing, so the Government can win the day."

A 9,000-candle vigil - designed to represent the anticipated higher cap level of 9,000 - is planned if the vote passes.

Clegg told students they were putting poorer children off applying for university

Mr Porter said: "MPs can be left in no doubt as to the widespread public opposition to these plans or of the consequences of steamrollering them through Parliament.

"For the third time in less than a month thousands of students have taken to the streets to protest against the Government's attacks on further and higher education.

"Despite repeated dismissals by Nick Clegg that these are uninformed protesters, students are intelligent, articulate people who are not being listened to by those in whom they placed their hope for a different politics."

It comes as Liberal Democrats continue to agonise over whether to support the measure.

The party is currently deeply divided, with some MPs determined to vote against the measure, having promised during the general election campaign to oppose any increase in tuition fees.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has suggested he could abstain - even though he has direct Cabinet responsibility for the measure - if it would help keep the party together.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg - the target of much of the fury of student protesters opposed to the plan - has refused to say what he will do.

Shadow business secretary John Denham said that Labour would mount an intensive campaign against the increase in the fees right up to the day of the vote.

"We will launch a 'last seven days campaign' to persuade Tory and Lib Dem MPs that they should not inflict on young people the highest fees of any public university system in the industrialised world," he said.