In the General Election campaign last May, all 57 elected Members of Parliament from the Liberal Democrats, plus hundreds of unsuccessful party member candidates, signed the NUS pledge to fight against any rise in tuition fees.
Following the coalition agreement in May, the Liberal Democrats have been allowed to abstain in the vote to follow Lord Browne's recommendations, and following Vince Cable's speech in Parliament on the 12th of October, the party seems to be doing a U-turn on one of the cornerstone policies of the party.
Abstaining is not voting No. Abstaining is not following their pledge to students.
Abstaining still allows the policy to pass through Parliament and affect the student population that voted Liberal Democrat in the election, on the premise they would be fighting their cause against tuition fees rising.
This petition must highlight to Liberal Democrat MPs how important the decision they will make in a few months time is, and how against students and prospective students alike are to the proposal.
Nick Clegg spoke in the General Election campaign about keeping promises. This petition asks that the Liberal Democrats starts the trend by keeping to the pledge they signed with the NUS, representing hundreds of thousands of students, and vote NO in the Parliamentary vote on Higher Education and tuition fee rises.