Willetts pulls 'quickest U-turn in government history'

Tuesday, 10 May 2011 5:19 PM

By Ian Dunt

David Willetts has been accused of pulling the fastest U-turn in the government's history, after he suggested rich people could buy their way into university.

The higher education minister prompted outrage in Westminster when he proposed allowing universities to sell off free spaces to boost their budget.

The plans would have seen rich students pay over the £9,000 limit to attend university but it was panned by critics as a way of entrenching privilege.

The minister orchestrated a spectacular U-turn just hours after first proposing the idea, issuing a statement 'clarifying' his proposals.

As the row became increasingly tense, Downing Street moved to limit the damage, with the prime minister personally promising that it would not go ahead.

"There's no question of people being able to buy their way into university," he said.

"University access is about ability to learn, not ability to pay."

Speaking at an emergency debate on the issue, shadow business secretary John Denham said Mr Willetts had executed "the most humiliating and fastest U-turn in the history of this government".

The proposal would make university "like Easyjet," another MP said.

"You can buy your way to the front of the queue."

Mr Willetts told MPs he conformed to the "fundamental principle that rich individuals should not be able to buy their way into university".

The higher education minister previously found himself in hot water in 2007 when he ruled out a return to selection under a future Tory government.

But his career was later revived by David Cameron, who valued his intellectual contributions behind the scenes - a skill that saw him dubbed 'two-brains' by colleagues.

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• education
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• higher education