Scrap tuition fees riverboat welcomed by borough Lib Dems

10.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 19th Apr 2005

Lib Dem candidates Dr Steven Toole (Erith & Thamesmead, left) and Chris Le Breton (Greenwich & Woolwich, right) with Lord Navnit Dholakia (second right)

Last Saturday (April 16th) Liberal Democrat candidates in Greenwich Borough Chris Le Breton (Greenwich and Woolwich) and Steven Toole (Erith and Thamesmead) joined other senior London Liberal Democrats to take to the Thames to highlight the manifesto commitment to scrap tuition fees.

The Thames riverboat, the Sarpendon, was decorated with Liberal Democrat banners as it sailed from Westminster to Greenwich.

Steven Toole, candidate for Erith and Thamesmead, said:

"The Liberal Democrats believe, as a matter of principle that education should be free and that no one should be denied access to learning because they cannot afford it. The simplest and most cost effective way of achieving this objective is to ensure that tuition is free for everyone. The Liberal Democrats are carrying on the battle to scrap tuition and top up fees and it is a key issue on which many will decide how to vote in this General Election.

Chris Le Breton, candidate for Greenwich and Woolwich, said:

"Top-up fees will not be introduced until 2006. A drop in the number of Labour MPs could enable the plans to be reversed. Every student, their parents, families and friends could stop top-up fees if they vote Liberal Democrat at the Election. This is as true in Greenwich as it is in other seats with high student populations such as Cardiff Central, Cambridge and Bristol West.

"Labour has broken its 2001 manifesto promise to the electorate not to introduce fees. The Liberal Democrats will reverse this decision, and the voters or Greenwich Borough will not forget this when deciding how to vote in this General Election."