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BBC Parliament

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BBC Three

Young Voters' Question Time

Richard Bacon

Steve Anderson

Young Voters' Question Time: Young Voters' Question Time

24/11/2010

BBC Three - Young Voters' Question Time, Young Voters' Question Time

A debate about tuition fees, with five panellists and an audience of young people.

Ahead of planned student protests against the rise in tuition fees, Richard Bacon chairs a debate on the subject, with six panellists and an audience of over 150 young people.

Ahead of planned countrywide student protests against the rise in tuition fees, Richard Bacon chairs a debate on the subject. On 10th November, the first demonstration ended in violence and arrests as protesters stormed the Conservative Party headquarters, taking the police by surprise. 

The programme will provide an immediate sample of opinions and reactions of young people to the issue that has become one of the most divisive in the six-month history of the coalition government.  It has decided to raise tuition fees despite a majority of Liberal Democrat MPs making a pre-election pledge to vote against any increase. 

With students arguing about how to protest and Lib Dem MPs divided about whether or not to keep their pre-election pledge, the programme will provide a lively, instant and exclusive response to the events of the day and the wider implications for the future of higher education in Britain.

The discussion will transmit from London, where students say they will demonstrate earlier in the day, and will include six panellists and an audience of more than 150 young people.

The panel consists of: Aaron Porter, NUS President; Universities Minister, David Willets MP; Tessa Jowell MP; Simon Hughes MP; Douglas Murray, Director of the Centre for Social Cohesion; and Irish comedian Ed Byrne. 

David Willets is driving the coalition government tuition fees policy, while Aaron Porter was forced to condemn some of those who took part in the November 10 protests. Shadow Cabinet minister Tessa Jowell was a member of the Labour government that introduced tuition fees, and Deputy Lib Dem leader Simon Hughes signed a pre-election pledge to vote against any rise in fees. Douglas Murray, director of a right-wing think tank, believes that the cap on fees is not sustainable, while Ed Byrne feels that politicians have always have let down students.

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