Labour will “review the way that the whole landscape of tertiary education works”, according to the party’s shadow higher education minister, who accused the Westminster government of creating a “funding crisis” in England.
Matt Western also accused the government of “deliberately trying to weaken and reduce the sector, stoking political fires, not engaging with the issues the sector faces or the people working in the sector”, in a speech to Independent Higher Education’s annual conference.
The “reputational impact” of this was “certainly being felt internationally”, he added.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the party will drop its Corbyn-era policy to scrap tuition fees and fund English higher education through direct public spending – but has offered little clarity over what funding policy the party would back in government.
