Degree dilemma

OF all those Ministers who unexpectedly found themselves in government after the election, it has taken York-born Vince Cable longer than most to adjust to office. He is also learning that there's a difference between principled pontification in opposition and the practicalities of policy-making.

Yet, while many grassroots Liberal Democrats will be aggrieved that Mr Cable has reneged upon his party's election commitment to introduce a graduate tax, the Business Secretary should, in fact, be congratulated for acknowledging that such a policy would be difficult to enforce, and not bring about immediate reductions to the deficit. It takes courage to admit to misjudgments in politics. Nevertheless, the wider issue about higher education's future funding remains unresolved. While Lord Browne's long-awaited report may shed some light tomorrow, it is unlikely that the coalition Government will announce a preferred policy position until after the spending review.

Effectively, they have to decide whether every student, irrespective of their social background, should pay the same level of tuition fees because they are all being given an equal chance to study for a degree, and succeed in life, or whether a variable interest rate could be applied to the loans acquired by wealthier students.

The coalition and Mr Cable appear to favour the latter, but it still raises issues about how such a policy will work and how Ministers intend to define the phrase "well-off".

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