Dumped! Students ditch Lib Dems after fees betrayal

Nick Clegg talks to students. Photo CC: Liberal Democrats

EXCLUSIVE

He wooed them at election time with his smooth talk on tuition fees.

He inspired them to vote with the promise that “Lib Dems will bring change that people can trust”.

But students’ love affair with Nick Clegg and his party has come to an abrupt and messy end according to new data from student research specialists OpinionPanel.

A huge 48% of students voted Lib Dem at the General Election in May.

But now, barely eight months later, that support has haemorrhaged.

Just 15% of students say they would vote Lib Dem if an election was held today.

Chart: OpinionPanel

“Since the General Election in May 2010, the political landscape across university campuses has begun to change,” say OpinionPanel. “We measured a sharp decline in the proportion of students who would now vote Lib Dems if there were an immediate General Election. Their support had dropped to 29% by September and October among all students following on from the formation of the coalition government. However, by November 2010 , support dropped significantly again, with only one in seven stating that they would vote Lib Dem (15%). Much of the drop in Lib Dem support has been picked up by Labour.

“Current students in higher education are perturbed by the likely levels of debt that future generations of students will have to live with. Four in five (81%) broadly oppose the Government’s proposed changes in the funding of Higher Education (rising to 92% among those who voted for Labour in the May General Election). Nearly all students (85%) are concerned that the rise in tuition fees will result in an education system that will become the preserve of people from a wealthy background.

Broken hearted. Photo CC: Sister72

“Somewhat unsurprisingly, students currently feel disappointed and betrayed by Nick Clegg with nearly three quarters (73%) of all university students claiming to feel let down by his decision to support a rise in tuition fees despite his pre-election pledge to oppose any potential rise – rising to four in five (83%) of those who voted Lib Dem during the General Election and nine in ten (90%) among those who voted for the Labour Party. Asked how they feel about the Lib Dems, only one in ten (9%) of all students said they felt any sympathy for the party over claims it did not realise how dire the financial situation was before forming the coalition Government.”

For all the figures and further information, see OpinionPanel.