Clegg calls on students to halt fees protests

Mr Clegg suggested they should instead be protesting about the "scandalously" high proportion of public school pupils getting places at Oxbridge.

A fresh wave of protests against increases in university tuition fees is set to take place today, with a series of occupations, rallies and marches by student activists.

The Liberal Democrats have been at the centre of the storm after ditching a General Election pledge to oppose fee rises – and eventually abolish them – as part of the coalition deal.

A delegation of students is to deliver a letter to the Liberal Democrat leader as part of the protests, which says "no amount of twisted reasoning" can hide the fact the party lied to young voters.

But as protesters outside the annual Hugo Young Lecture in central London last night burned an effigy of the Sheffield Hallam MP, he told the audience: "On higher education, I want to be crystal clear: I will defend the Government's plans for reforming the funding of universities, even though it is not the one I campaigned for.

"It is not my party's policy, but it is the best policy given the choices we face."

He said many low-income graduates would pay back less than at present and 50m a year would be spent on getting more students from poor backgrounds to university.

He added: "Looked at objectively, our graduate contribution scheme is very close to the so-called graduate tax advocated by the NUS.

"Except it's even fairer in the way it's applied."

Mr Clegg said it was anger over the domination of top public school pupils at the best universities that would make him "take to the streets".