Ed Miliband and Labour still see a graduate tax as the right 鈥渓ong-term鈥� policy for university funding despite announcing 拢6,000 fees as their short-term goal, according to Liam Byrne.

The shadow universities, science and skills minister was speaking alongside Greg Clark, the Conservative universities and science minister, and Lib Dem MP and University of Cambridge academic Julian Huppert at an election hustings event on higher education last night.

The event, held in central London, was hosted by 成人VR视频, Universities UK, the Open University and the 成人VR视频 Policy Institute.

The event was the first clash between the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dems since Labour鈥檚 unveiling of its pledge to lower fees to 拢6,000 on February, which looks likely to make higher education a central element of the election campaign.

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Mr Clark accused Labour of adopting an 鈥渦nprogressive鈥� policy that benefitted high-earning graduates, while Mr Huppert said that ultimately he would like fees to be abolished.

Mr Byrne claimed the Tories and Lib Dems had failed to be clear on what fees policies they would adopt. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the Liberal Democrats or the Conservatives have said definitely that fees will not rise in the next Parliament,鈥� he said.

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The Labour shadow minister argued that 鈥渢he status quo is not an option鈥�, claiming that the 拢9,000 student loans system would result in 拢280 billion being added to the national debt by 2030.

He added: 鈥淚 know that there are many people in the higher education sector who would like the current system to stay. But I have to say to you it would be criminally na茂ve to ignore the time bomb that鈥檚 about to go off.鈥�

Mr Byrne also said: 鈥淎 number of us are incredibly inspired by those campaigning for free education on campuses up and down the country. But I think we all know from the last election campaign that it isn鈥檛 wise to make promises that you can鈥檛 keep. That鈥檚 why, although we can鈥檛 promise free education over the course of the next Parliament, we do think the right long-term shift is to a graduate tax.鈥�

He said Labour had not committed to a graduate tax because 鈥渨e weren鈥檛 sure we could deliver it in the next Parliament鈥�.

Challenged on Mr Miliband鈥檚 advocacy of a graduate tax during his leadership campaign, Mr Byrne said: 鈥淗e still thinks it鈥檚 the right long-term answer.鈥�

Mr Clark said on Labour鈥檚 fees policy: 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry that we have ended up with a disagreement鈥ecause I do think universities have benefitted from the confidence and stability that鈥檚 come from the fees system.鈥�

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He said the Institute for Fiscal Studies had said of Labour鈥檚 拢6,000 policy that it 鈥渨ould benefit the highest earning graduates when they are in their 40s鈥� and 鈥減ut universities back on the dependence of an annual handout from the Treasury鈥�.

Mr Clark said the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development had praised the English system for having 鈥渇igured out a sustainable approach to higher education funding鈥 think we should keep faith with that鈥�.

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Mr Huppert said: 鈥淭he fee cap I would like to see is zero.鈥� He continued that he would want higher education to be fully publicly funded, 鈥渂ut I simply don鈥檛 know how to get funding for that, because I would not do so if it meant destroying the quality of education鈥�.

He argued that the question was 鈥渋f you can鈥檛 achieve that, what should you do with the money鈥�. The answer was to 鈥減ut money towards the cost of living鈥hat is the thing that will get rid of the barriers students actually face鈥�.

Criticising Labour鈥檚 拢6,000 policy, Mr Huppert said: 鈥淭he money that is available, I would not use it preferentially to help students who will go on to make lots of money. I would use it to help students at the same time they need it.鈥�

Mr Byrne challenged Mr Huppert: 鈥淲hat will you propose? What will be in the manifesto?鈥�

The Lib Dem MP replied: 鈥淵ou鈥檒l have to wait and see.鈥�

Baroness Lane-Fox, chair of the event and Open University chancellor, asked the audience at the close at the event which of the three politicians had delivered the most effective answers. She judged the resulting audience vote as being a 鈥渓andslide鈥� for Labour.

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john.morgan@tesglobal.com