News from Sheffield Labour

ConDems condemned for cutting university places

Paul Blomfield MP congratulates A-level students and attacks Government cuts in university places.

Paul Blomfield, Labour MP for Sheffield Central, has congratulated A-level students for achieving record exam results. He also criticised the Tory-Lib Dem government for cutting 10,000 extra university places this year and for failing to respond to the unprecedented demand for university places.

Paul Blomfield MP said: “I would like to congratulate all A-level students who got their results today. The record results show that young people are working harder than ever to go to university.

“However, the unprecedented demand for university places means not everyone will get onto their course. So the Tory-Lib Dem government’s decision to cut 10,000 extra university places, just at the moment when they are needed most, is madness. They have completely failed to respond to the demand.

“Last year the Labour Government responded to the extra demand for university places by funding 10,000 extra places and we planned to do the same this year. For Nick Clegg, our Acting Prime Minister, to talk about increasing social mobility whilst at the same time preventing 10,000 young people from going onto higher education shames him and the Lib Dem-Tory government.”

Other news from Sheffield Labour

• Sheffield Lib Dems propose cuts to fuel poverty programme - 1 February 2012
• Sheffield Lib Dems exposed over 'merciless' opportunism on fortnightly collections - 1 February 2012
• Decline in university applications could be start of very worrying trend - 30 January 2012