After this year’s General Election, it was obvious that faith in the Liberal Democrats had collapsed across the country. The party must however look forward, and with the Welsh Assembly elections just over six months away, Kirsty Williams insists her party has been listening to students.
Stating the importance of students voting, she said, “It’s important if people are living in a country that they, and students could be doing that for a number of years, that they use that opportunity to vote for services that are going to be potentially affected for them.” The Welsh Liberal Democrats have policies that will affect many students, fighting for better mental health services and investing in higher education institutions. “In our manifesto we’ll be pledging to not only to help students gain a higher education but ensure the quality of the education is good by investing in our institutions” so it’s vital that students get their voice heard.
Defending the party in Wales, she reminded me that “In the Welsh perspective, Welsh Liberal Democrats MP’s kept their pledge, and while Liberal Democrat Assembly Members who make tuition fees policy here in Wales have always supported limitations on limitations on fee increases.”
However, this is changing. Under current arrangements, Welsh students pay £3,810 in tuition fees, and receive a grant from the Welsh Government to cover the rest of the fees, of up to £9,000. This is seen by many, including Kirsty Williams, as unsustainable, and changes will have to be made to this policy, since “the maths simply don’t add up.” Also, under the current arrangements “what we do know is that because of policies pursued by previous Labour governments, investment in the infrastructure of Welsh institutes of higher education sometimes have not been what should be. Halls of residence and resources could be better.”
Their 2016 manifesto will include plans to introduce a Student Living Support Grant for all Welsh-domiciled students. Whilst the value of this grant is yet to be proposed, it would be paid for by withdrawing the Tuition Fee Grant, meaning tuition fees for Welsh students would increase, to a potential £9,000 a year.
“In a perfect world there would be no fees at all, but we don’t live in a perfect world.” This is the stark reality of the situation. “What students say to me and to my party, it’s not the fees that put them off, it’s the day to day living expenses; paying for your books, keeping a roof over your head and feeding yourself while you’re a student.”
This is a system for Wales “that is fair and transparent and deals with the main issue that students are struggling with.”
Thinking about whether this was a political problem for the party, given their already damaged record due to tuition fees, she said, “We have to make a decision on how best to support higher education.
“I think the Liberal Democrats are being open, upfront and honest about what our intentions are. Yes, Welsh students will have to pay the full cost of their fees, but students will also be able to apply for grants to help them with the day to day living costs.”
“Fees were introduced by the Labour party and they were increased under a Labour Plaid Cymru administration. No party has a good record on tuition fee policies.”
She also outlined that this would mean there would be more money available to invest in our higher education institutes, “Having a cheaper education is fine, but if those institutions where students are studying are being robbed of resources and it’s not as good teaching as it could be, then that’s a problem too.”
“What we’re very clear about going forward into this election, is that we’ve recognised that for many students it isn’t the fee level that put them off from studying, it’s the day to day costs”.
“We have worked very hard and taken into consideration to what students and students’ families are the biggest pressures to them. And the biggest pressure for them is not paying the tuition fees, which they take as part of a loan which they can pay back when they’re earning a decent salary.”
“What we’re talking about introducing is a return to maintenance grants that are non-repayable, that limits the amount of debt people get into and actually deals with the day to day pressures of being a student.”
She believes her party is taking a fair and clear stance on this issue, telling the electorate their intentions “before the election, so people know what they’re voting for.” Carwyn Jones suggested to Gair Rhydd last month that Welsh Labour would not outline a preferred policy until the Diamond review reports, four months after the election. Williams said her party was being clear, while voters “will not be clear on is what the Welsh Labour party have to say about tuition fees”.
Talking to Cardiff students from Wales on this issue, this policy is having mixed reviews. Many students would certaily welcome the extra income from the maintenance grant, but are suspicious of the tuition fee increase, and the fact that it could increase even further in the future. Tomos Williams, a history student told me “the extra maintenance money won’t account for the increase in fees (that we don’t have to repay). So straight away it’s not worth voting for.” Dan Heard had reserved feelings too, “The whole tuition fees scandal that erupted under the coalition government did the Lib Dems no favours, particularly in Wales, and while this move may prove to be contentious once again, the additional grant will soften the blow slightly.” Another student however seemed positive, “Many students do worry about the costs, and so even if I had to pay back more in the long term, I want more money now.”
In coalition at Westminster, they delivered a loan for English postgraduate students. While this issue is a confusing one around where the powers are to implement one in Wales, Williams “would dearly love to see the number of Welsh students studying at an even higher level increase.”
“If we’re to have a successful economy I do think we need to look at new ways of supporting students studying at an even higher level, because that would be of benefit to the wider economy.”
Onto housing, and a new Bill is going through the Assembly, making changes to the renting sector, but it will not scrap letting agency fees. Many students are hit by big agency fees every year, but the Welsh Liberal Democrats want to focus on quality for now, wanting to improve the housing stock and drive up standards.
“Could we have gone further? I think we probably could have, but we’re content that the legislation is an important step forward in driving up standards in the private rent sector for all involved.”
Having been leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats for almost seven years, Kirsty Williams has showed she can be a strong opposition leader in the Assembly, whilst constructively working with the Welsh Government to make a difference. As the smallest party in Cardiff Bay, Williams is proud they’ve accomplished so much, and some big policies such as “increased the availability of some cutting edge cancer treatments, an increase in the number of apprentices, extra child care for students, reduced bus travel costs for young people in Wales.”
“I’m particularly proud of the Welsh version of the pupil premium, where we’re investing additional resources into the education of some of our poorest young people. I will never grow tired of hearing how teachers are able to use that money of using that money to improve the life chances of some of our poorest students.”
Looking ahead to next year’s election, Kirsty Williams is feeling positive, adding her party overcame expectations in the 2011 election when journalists were predicting doom and gloom, and she’s determined to return five members to the Assembly again. A message to the public is that devolution can work better for Wales. She adds “As someone who believes passionately in the powers of a Welsh Government and Welsh devolution, it’s a source of huge disappointment to me that it has not delivered the improvements in education and health and the economy that I would like to see.”
“So that’s ensuring that our National Health Service has the resources that it needs to end the situation where people struggle to get a timely appointment with their GP. Ensuring we have enough nurses on our hospital words, that people are treated with dignity and care. To end the discrimination against mental health. In terms of the economy, we’ll invest in apprenticeships, we’ll reform business rates to incentivise manufacturing development and new businesses.
“It’s only by voting for the Welsh Liberal Democrats who are advocating these policies that we can see devolution begin to deliver for people.”
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