I have a long connection with Cambridge. As a student I was privileged to have the chance to read history at King’s – it was an experience I have never forgotten. By contrast my grandfather, an agricultural worker from Shepreth, used to sit outside the Porter’s Lodge at that college only being able to dream of access despite being as well read as any man. It is this dual legacy that spurs me on to fight for greater student access, improving education standards, and making sure students have jobs at the end of their degrees.

Let me be clear regarding one of the most important issues to students: I wholeheartedly support the NUS Campaign to oppose raising the cap on variable top-up fees. The debate, it is important to stress, has fundamentally shifted of late. Whilst opposition to top-up fees was undertaken by students for understandable reasons, today we have a consensus around the fact that students should make some form of contribution towards their education. When asked whether £7,000 was a reasonable price for a Cambridge education, my Conservative rival described it as ‘good value.’ I certainly would not support such a rise in fees, or anything close to it. I took part in the recent NUS march across town from Anglia Ruskin with students from ARU and Cambridge, have debated and liaised with student representatives, and believe affordability must remain key. Unlike the recent Lib Dem climb down over tuition fee promises, I’ve always maintained this position.

With Labour, more people than ever before have access to higher education. ARU is a shining example of this, rising from around 15,000 students in the mid 1990s to over 27,000 today. With the abolition of up front tuition fees, students from all backgrounds are being given access to further education. Labour has also legislated for the increase of student grants, providing over two thirds of students with a grant of £2,835. These are profound changes, both in numerical terms and providing young people with the aspiration to achieve. Cambridge is clearly an exceptional case, and I am keen to support its initiatives to promote wider participation from all sections of society.

Recently I brought Lord Bassam of Brighton to meet the Chancellor of ARU. We were both struck by the great work the university was doing engaging with the local community, as well as the implementation of degree courses tailored to the job market. This is a crucial point. In these tough economic times degrees have to justify themselves more and more. Students expect jobs to be available at the end of their studies, and rightly so. The initiatives regarding maintaining jobs are elsewhere in on this site, but I should make clear that – even with the recent downturn – 90% of graduates from Anglia Ruskin are in jobs within six months at an average starting salary of £20,000.

In essence, I am with the recent speech of Alison Richard, the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University. These are changing times. Universities indeed need to pursue ‘diverse’ ends – whether this be in terms of scientific innovation at Cambridge, or the marketable job skills imparted at ARU. There is no hard and fast rule. Today’s typical student at ARU isn’t a twenty something male, but a woman in her thirties, probably already working. Labour has fundamentally changed the student experience: making it more diverse, and more representative of society as a whole. The government’s role is to provide a platform, and the funding, in which students and lecturers can shine.