Burnham’s EU love-in leaves British students at the back of the queue

Since becoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham has spoken openly about giving up the hard-fought freedoms we gained through leaving the European Union. In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Burnham said there should be an ‘honest discussion’ on returning to freedom of movement – meaning immigration from EU countries – or potentially rejoining the Single Market and Customs Union. The UK faces significant challenges, from tough economic headwinds to persistent inflation and mounting debt, and wasting time and political capital reopening the debate on Britain’s decision to leave the EU should not be the Government’s overriding focus.

This is another classic example of Labour’s insular approach to government, under a model which ignores the priorities of British people and focuses entirely on the internal politics of the Labour Party. The Budget, for example, should have been the moment Burnham seized the day and demonstrated to the public he was serious about tackling the issues we face. It’s safe to say he and his Chancellor left everyone feeling underwhelmed. John Healey’s Budget deferred the hard decisions, failed to deliver economic growth, increased borrowing, and put up taxes on working people.

Healey also failed to deliver on his promise to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030, an issue he resigned over. It is clear that, despite all the rhetoric about change and hope, Burnham is just ‘continuity Keir’ – afraid of Labour’s militant backbenchers and completely out of ideas, just like his predecessor. And in the brief I cover, education, the silence is deafening. This Government has shown scant regard for the long-term challenges facing our schools, colleges, and universities.

Teachers didn’t receive a single mention in the Chancellor’s Budget speech, and there remains a £2 billion black hole in the SEND budget which the Chancellor and Education Secretary have done nothing to address. And despite this Government having had months to set out their plans, it seems that the SEND Reform Bill is being kicked down the road yet again – leaving children, parents, and teachers in the dark at a time when they urgently need clarity.

It’s the same thing on Plan 2 student loans. Despite promising in Opposition that students would pay less under Labour, there was no announcement on Plan 2 student loans at Labour’s party conference or the Budget – with Burnham brushing it off as “one to come back to” and ignoring the pleas of his own education secretary to address the issue. This simply isn’t good enough. Labour’s inaction means thousands of graduates will continue to accumulate debt on their loans quicker than they can pay it off, despite being in good jobs.

Indeed, the only education policy we have heard recently from this Labour Government is that Burnham is considering handing over £450m of British taxpayers’ cash to the EU in order to subsidise European nationals’ tuition fees at British Universities. It is abundantly clear that British students are at the back of the queue as far as Andy Burnham is concerned. In fact, undoing the repayment thresholds freeze introduced by Labour, which is drawing more graduates into making repayments before they can afford to, would be significantly cheaper than Burnham’s EU capitulation.

Which begs the question: why are Labour choosing EU students over British graduates? I expect the answer has something to do with Andy Burnham’s ambition to drag us back into the EU. All this sets a terrible precedent. The Budget shows just how low education and British students sit on the list of priorities. There was no offering for education, one of the big issues our constituents raise with us every single day, and Labour’s love-in with the EU shows that even European students are higher up the list of priorities than British ones.

Young people are being let down by their government. Andy Burnham came into office offering hope, but his actions in office have so far given them nothing to feel positive about. Conservatives believe in meritocracy and fairness, which is why we have pledged to scrap real interest on Plan 2 loans as part of our New Deal for Young People. Under this plan, a Conservative government would create 100,000 new apprenticeships, slash Employer National Insurance for 21–24-year-olds and focus on getting young people into work rather than onto benefits.

We’ll fund this by ending wasteful university degrees that leave young people in debt without improving their prospects. And with our plan to scrap Stamp Duty on primary homes, we’ll make it easier for the next generation to get on the property ladder with the money we are putting back in their pockets. Politics is about choices, and that is the Conservative choice: to back young people, reward hard work and give the next generation the opportunity to build a brighter future for themselves. ____________________ Saqib Bhatti is Shadow Minister for Education and the MP for Meriden and Solihull East.

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