LABOUR SPLIT ON GRADUATE TAX - GRAY MUST MAKE POLICY CLEAR

For immediate use: Friday 17th December 2010



Attn: NEWSDESKS


POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS


MORE CHAOS AS MACINTOSH UNDERMINES MCNULTY

Iain Gray must make Labour’s policy on higher education clear after the party’s education spokespeople split on the issue of graduate taxes and contributions as the SNP’s University Challenge continues to keep the party in a spin.


Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary has made clear he wants a graduate tax or contribution and wants to to “work with the universities to bring that forward”, however his junior Ken MacIntosh who represented Labour at cross party summit on higher education today said he didnt think a graduate contribution was inevitable and that he was "certainly not in favour".


SNP MSP and Education Committee member Kenneth Gibson said:


“Iain Gray must make Labour’s policy on higher education funding crystal clear.


“His education spokesmen are clearly at sixes and sevens over Labour’s plan to tax students for their education.


““Labour tied themselves in knots over the council tax, pay restraint, police numbers and now student fees. They are utterly inconsistent and not up to the job of opposition, never mind government.

“Yhe SNP set out a University Challenge to opposition parties. We will set out our plans before the election for higher education based on the ability to learn, they must set out theirs.

“Labour betrayed students first with upfront tuition fees and then with a special Scottish backdoor fee abolished by the SNP. It is because of Labour universities and students face this challenge in the first place.


“Labour are split in London, split in Scotland and failing students everywhere. Iain Gray needs to get a grip, come clean with Scottish students and tell them how much he plans on charging them for their right to an education.”


ENDS


1) Ken MacIntosh’s comments were made during Brian’s Big Debate, BBC Scotland, Friday 17th December.


Brian Taylor (BT): Ken Are you in favour or do you believe it may be inevitable that there will be a Graduate Contribution


Ken Macintosh “I’m certainly not in favour and I worry that it may be inevitable. I think that’s the situation we’re all in. The difficulty all of us face is that and I think all of the parties are in this
situation, none of us wants to go into this election making a promise we can’t keep.


BT: You think it’s going to be inevitable, it’s going to have to happen.


KM: “No I don’t think it’s inevitable.

2) In a radio interview for Bauer on 16th Dec (reported in Courier, Dec 17th page 11 Scots will have to pay for university: Labour)
 

Des McNulty “There needs to be some sort of graduate contribution system but we need to think that through very very carefully and what we want to do is work with the universities to bring that forward. It is inevitable that there’s going to be some kind of contribution from the people who benefit from higher education.


3) Newsnight Scotland, 2300 Thursday Dec 16th


GB : Your solution , I understand it you’ve all managed to agree in the Labour party that you want a graduate


DMc “No I don’t think we’ve necessarily taken a firm view forward at this point


GB “I though it was one of Ed Milibands big things wasn’t it”


DMc “I think the graduate tax is certainly something that needs to be looked at, I think there are a whole range of things within the framework of a graduate contribution that we need to be look at and see which is the best alternative.