Andy Burnham, one of the front runners for the Labour party leadership, intends to lower tuition fees by reducing tax relief for the rich, as well as introducing a number of apprenticeship reforms.
In an interview with Radio 4’s Today programme Burnham promised to help future university students by lifting ‘‘the millstone of debt’’ from them.
The shadow health secretary shares the Labour party’s goal to reduce the annual university tuition bill to £6,000 a year. The party aim to do this by reducing tax relief that benefits those earning over £150,000 a year.
Burnham also harbours passionate ideas towards apprenticeships, using his manifesto to promote a universal UCAS-style system for apprenticeships. Burnham also hopes to give apprentices greater access to student finance to help people to move to take up an apprenticeship.
‘‘I want young people who aspire to apprenticeships to have the same clarity, ambition, and sense of purpose as those who aspire to go to university.’’
‘‘I will propose a reformed funding model for post-18 education, looking at a graduate tax to replace tuition fees for university and extend support for apprenticeships.’’
‘‘No young person should have to start their career weighed down by a millstone of debt. Labour will lift it off them.’’
