Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Starmer says he could not afford to go to university today

The Labour leader said student life becoming ‘the preserve of the wealthy’ would be a ‘deep betrayal’.

Rob Freeman
Tuesday 22 August 2023 07:28 BST
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he would be unable to attend university today because of the cost (Lesley Martin/PA)
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he would be unable to attend university today because of the cost (Lesley Martin/PA) (PA Wire)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said his dream of attending university would be stopped “cold in its tracks” today due to the cost.

The Opposition leader, who studied law at Leeds University before postgraduate studies at Oxford, said students are being forced to decide on their future due to financial issues.

His comments, reported in the Daily Telegraph, suggest the Labour Party could announce packages to help students with finance if they win the next election.

Sir Keir said: “There wasn’t any spare money knocking around to fund me going to Leeds.

“I worked before I went and then got by on grants, as many young people do. I vividly remember carefully calculating rent, bills and food.

“Going to Leeds to study was a turning point for me. It will be a deep betrayal if one of the legacies of this Tory Government is university, apprenticeships and skills becoming the preserve of the wealthy.”

He said would-be students being denied opportunities due to costs “should shame the Conservatives”.

“Tory economic failure choking off the dreams of the next generation is a deep betrayal of aspirational Britain,” he said.

Talent and aspiration should drive young people – not the affordability of rent, or soaring food prices

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer

“Talent and aspiration should drive young people – not the affordability of rent, or soaring food prices.

“I vividly remember the excitement of moving to Leeds to study law. It was a financial stretch then. If I were a student today, I wouldn’t be able to go.”

Sir Keir faced criticism in May after confirming that Labour is set to “move on” from his commitment to abolish tuition fees.

Referring to the cost-of-living crisis sparked by soaring inflation, he said at the time: “We are likely to move on from that commitment because we do find ourselves in a different financial situation.”

Tuition fees were first introduced under Labour by Tony Blair at the maximum price of £1,000 a year.

Now fees are a maximum of £9,250 per year, with the current system introduced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition in the face of severe opposition from students.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in