Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has apologised to students for breaking his party’s pre-election pledge on tuition fees.

The Deputy Prime Minister said he was sorry that his party did not hold to its promise to oppose an increase in fees.

He said that “There is no easy way to say this, we made a pledge, we didn’t stick to it and for that I am sorry.”

When MPs voted for the change in 2010 Clegg did not to apologise for taking the decision to increase fees from £3,000 to £9,000 but said he should not have promised something that the Liberal Democrats would never be able to achieve.

Charlie Watkins,  a first year student and one of the first to pay the £9,000 fees, told Leeds Student: “The Lib Dems should not have gone back on their word, students will never forgive them and it’s no point apologising now – it’s just too late, the damage has been done.”

An Ipsos Mori poll showed yesterday that Nick Clegg’s approval ratings have fallen to an all time low of 23%, compared to 38% for Labour leader Ed Miliband and 34% for Prime Minister David Cameron.

 

James Greenhalgh