Ministers urged to avoid “grandstanding” over top up fees.
Home Secretary David Blunkett has warned ex-Cabinet ministers, opposed to university top-up fees, not to use the issue to “grandstand” against Tony Blair.
Mr Blunkett, who backs a fair repayment system as an essential tool to improve university funding, is thought to have directed the warning against Nick Brown, Frank Dobson and former international aid secretary Clare Short.
The former education secretary wrote: “I find it odd that former Cabinet colleagues who had, with me, to make extraordinarily tough choices in our first parliament, find themselves unable to support us now as we respond in a similar way to new challenges.
“This is not the moment for grandstanding in order to damage or embarrass the Prime Minister in pursuit of their own agenda.
“I hope that as the Secretary of State presents the final detail, colleagues will give the backing necessary to provide robust funding, for both quality and expansion of higher education in the future.
“I appeal to my Parliamentary colleagues to take the trouble to look at the whole package, and recognise that it is fundamentally better – for poorer and middle income families alike – than the current system.”
Mr Blunkett’s comments comes as the Government prepares to publish the Higher Education Bill on Thursday, which will allow universities to charge tuition fees of up to GBP3,000 a year.
Mr Blair faces a backbench rebellion over the issue, with almost 160 Labour MPs opposed to the higher education initiative.
The Government is considering a range of options to quieten a potential revolt.
Education Minister Clarles Clarke may offer increased grants for poorer students, improved loans and a possible national bursary scheme.
Controversially, ministers may propose that graduates should have their debts written off after 25 years.
Tory leader Michael Howard yesterday said it was ‘highly unlikely’ his party would introduce top-up fees, but declined to rule out the possibility altogether.
He said the party was fundamentally opposed to top-up fees, but was unable to promise a similar scheme would not be considered.
He told the BBC: “We need to look at all the possibilities.
“We’re not going to rule anything out at this stage.”
