LONDON (Reuters) – The leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party Keir Starmer said on Tuesday he is likely to scrap his pledge to provide free university tuition, blaming economic circumstances for the probable u-turn.
Labour pledged to ditch university fees as part of its campaign in the run up to the last two national elections in 2017 and 2019, and Starmer stuck with the policy after becoming leader of the party in 2020. Abolishing the fees is estimated to come at a cost to the government of billions of pounds a year.
“We are likely to move on from that commitment because we do find ourselves in a different financial situation,” Starmer told BBC Radio.
Starmer is looking to prove his electoral credentials at local polls on Thursday, ahead of a national election expected next year.
Scrapping the pledge to abandon tuition fees, which currently stand at a maximum 9,250 pounds ($11,569.90) a year for British students studying in England, could damage his standing with those on the left of the party.
Starmer said the party was looking at options for university funding and would make an announcement once it had agreed a new policy.
“The current system is unfair. It doesn’t really work for students, it doesn’t work for universities. We need a fairer way of doing this,” he said.
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(Reporting by Sarah Young, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)
