Sir Keir Starmer said the economic failure of the Tories is “stifling the dreams of the next generation.” Credit: Brian Lawless/PA
Sir Keir Starmer said he would not be able to go to university if he was now a high school graduate, raising the possibility that Labor will announce plans to help students amid the cost of living crisis.
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The Labor leader said the economic climate and soaring prices would 'stop my dream' if he wanted to study law today.
His comments suggest the party may soon announce policies to help students with rising rents and other expenses if he becomes prime minister.
Earlier this year, Sir Keir backtracked on his campaign promise to waive tuition fees – a major financial burden that leaves students up to £50,000 in debt – due to the economic situation.
Labor Party has yet to announce any reforms to ease the burden of tuition fees, but Bridget Phillipson, shadow secretary for education, has promised that graduates will pay less under a Labor government.
1308 Annual rent in most expensive university cities, 2022 compared to 2023
Sir Keir accused Rishi Sunak of “holding back British ambition and talent” because the economy was “stuck in a low growth trap” with the G7's lowest growth forecast for 2024.
The Labor leader said: “That ambitious and successful students make decisions about their next steps based on cost and their financial ability should shame conservatives.
“The economic collapse of the Conservatives, which strangled the dreams of the next generation, is a profound betrayal of an ambitious Britain. Talent and ambition should guide young people, not the availability of rent or the high prices of groceries.
“I remember well the excitement of moving to Leeds to study law. Then it was a financial delay. If I were a student today, I wouldn't be able to go there.”
Thinking about the “pebble-filled semi-finished product” on the border of Kent-Surrey, where he lived with his parents, who worked as a toolmaker and a nurse, sir Keir said: “I didn't have any spare money to pay for my trip to Leeds.”
“I worked before I left, and then I lived on grants, like many young people. I distinctly remember carefully calculating rent, bills, and food. The trip to Leeds to study was a turning point for me. It would be a profound betrayal if one of the legacies of this Tory government were to become a university, and apprenticeships and skills become the prerogative of the rich.”
Tuition fees were introduced under Sir Tony Blair in 1998 and raised years later. Under the coalition government in 2012, they peaked at £9,000 a year.
Alumni only have to pay off their debt once their salary reaches a certain threshold. They are also offered a maintenance loan to cover living expenses, and many universities offer additional assistance directly to low-income students. there were more apartments for rent, which led to lower prices. Other changes will prevent cowboy landlords from robbing students, outlawing unfair evictions, and the right to demand speedy repairs.
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