Trending – Starmer U-turns on tuition fees 

Basic facts

• Tuition fees to rise in England by 3.1% in 2025/26 
• It is in line with a prediction for the RPIX measure of inflation for the middle of that academic year
• When running for Labour leadership Starmer had expressed desires to scrap tuition fees altogether 
• But before Labour won the general election, Starmer had distanced himself and his party from scrapping fees 

The reaction

Several of the traditionally left-leaning media leave the news off their front pages and have relegated much of the coverage to lower down the website. 

There is front-page coverage from a handful of the traditionally right-leaning press who have described it as a ‘U-turn’ from the prime minister’s original stance. It is worth noting, that Starmer had distanced himself and Labour from scrapping tuition fees years earlier and it was not a promise made during the run-up to the July general election. Nevertheless, some papers are unhappy with the news and report it’s the first time in eight years that tuition fees will rise. 

Some centre-right media have welcomed the rise in fees suggesting it will boost England’s cash-strapped universities. 

On social media, the reaction to the news has been negative, with some Labour supporters feeling betrayed and some Conservative supporters highlighting what they see as ‘lies’.

The front pages

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