Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has told the BBC that the student loans system is “a mess” and that graduates:
quite rightly feel very sore.
However, he failed to take any personal responsibility given he was a pivotal member of the coalition government that were responsible for tripling annual tuition fees to £9,000.
Instead, in true Western politician fashion, Clegg is pointing the finger at policies that came after his involvement. Pretty conveniently, he blamed the changes which froze the repayment threshold at £29,385 which he deems “deeply unfair”.
We agree, they are completely unfair, but so too was increasing the costs of tuition saddling graduates with impossible levels of debt which was only ever going to careen out of control. After all, our governments have always prioritised profits over people.
University tuition fees system is a ‘mess’, says Clegg https://t.co/8IOnLJYRmh
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) March 11, 2026
Student loans — rather than pass blame, take responsibility and work to fix it
Clegg’s intervention can only be seen as a virtue signal attempt to gain public favour. After all, the man ran on a campaign of abolishing tuition fees, yet once in power was more than happy to see students across the UK lumbered with back-breaking debt. However, his criticisms extend to Plan 2 repayment schemes, not the fact that the state made university education increasingly a privilege for the rich.
Plan 2 repayments currently add an extra 9% tax on affected students, disproportionately hurting younger working people. Funny how an extra 9% tax on young people is fine to the government, but any extra tax on the super-rich would be unforgivable.
In less than 2 minutes, @OliDugmore explains how the social contract has broken in Britain for the under-45s
The only thing missing from his list here is the cost of childcare, which, when added to everything else and even with new support, is breaking young families https://t.co/69r5wkBzVP
— Vicky Spratt (@Victoria_Spratt) January 29, 2026
A £9k tuition fee graduate excels in life and is on a salary of £100-125k. They start a family. Their marginal tax rate is… 85%
What social contract? https://t.co/mCJIgbY0SA
— Oli Dugmore (@OliDugmore) January 29, 2026
Education is an investment in the UK economy, as it results in a stronger, more skilled workforce that is likely to bring in higher salaries. Instead, successive governments have made it clear that they want not only the extra tax revenue from these students through PAYE, but also a handsome return from their education.
We wrote about Martin Lewis’ recent comments on the futile student loan system and pointless policies pushed by the Conservatives:
The Conservatives are currently pushing forward with a policy they argue will begin to address the student loans crisis crippling adults across the country. Party leader Kemi Badenoch insists that reducing the amount paid by plan 2 students is the way to do it. However, Martin Lewis slammed Badenoch for this selective and poorly thought-through policy on Good Morning Britain (GMB) yesterday morning.
Last night, historian Sir Anthony Seldon told Victoria Derbyshire that Lewis had his full support. Going further, Seldon argued all student debt should be wiped, rejecting the idea that any course is a “dead end” for young people. Finally, the respected historian urged the government to bring in the ‘Money Saving Expert’ to fix the system within a record four weeks.
Martin Lewis is right freezing the student loan threshold is a moral failure. Graduates face a £24,500 stealth tax, while the Sovereign Grant soars 53% (£132.1m).
Kate and William inherit billions tax-free while young people struggle with soaring rent and food prices. #Newsnight pic.twitter.com/71mrMgpEDe— Candice Holmes (@hol40900) January 29, 2026
£99987 and counting: graduates trapped by ballooning student loans.
Govt froze repayment threshold. By 2030, likely to be at minimum wage.
At the margin graduates pay 20% income tax + 8%NIC +9% repayment. Insane.
Loan keeps increasing, if not repaid.https://t.co/Cm9kK6uobZ
— Prem Sikka (@premnsikka) February 7, 2026
This policy only goes to penalise ordinary people trying to improve their access to opportunities through university education. Rich students don’t need student loans. So, as the following posts highlight, ordinary people face a far greater tax burden than our richer counterparts:
.@garyseconomics: “If we do not deal with this crisis of worsening inequality, it will get worse and worse and worse… we currently have a tax system which taxes ordinary working people 30-50% while billionaires like the Duke of Westminster inherit £10 billion & pay nothing” #GMB pic.twitter.com/WHI5ak22wy
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) July 15, 2025
The point here is the interest is so high it traps you into this debt for decades.
You can therefore have two employees, doing the same job, same degree, same salary. But the one with richer parents takes home 9% more every month because they don’t have a student loan.
— Shehab Khan ITV (@ShehabKhan) January 14, 2026
Featured image via UAL
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