Labour frontbencher pledged to wipe out debt of every student

‘It’s clear you alluded to student refunds to get votes from young impressionable people. You should resign’

Political correspondent

JEREMY CORBYN is under growing pressure over tuition fees after it emerged that one of his own shadow ministers pledged to “wipe” the debt of every student in the UK.

The Labour leader has come under heavy criticism after pledging during the election campaign to “deal with” student debt then later claiming it was not a promise. It has now been revealed that Imran Hussain, a shadow justice minister, said in a video during the campaign that a Labour government would write off historical student debt.

The emergence of the video prompted the Tories to call on Mr Corbyn to apologise to young voters for the “betrayal”, while Lord Sugar, the former Labour peer, urged the party leader to resign because he had “lied”.

Mr Hussain said: “You know what is really fantastic? Just this morning Jeremy Corbyn has announced that the tuition fees will be abolished straight away from September if there is a Labour government and that we will bring back immediately EMA [education maintenance allowance] and also that every existing student will have all their debts wiped off.” A source close to the Labour leader said Mr Hussain was wrong to make the comment, telling the Evening Standard: “Imran was mistaken. That was not our policy.”

Sharon Hodgson, another shadow minister, also appeared to promote the pledge during the campaign when she tweeted: “Jeremy Corbyn: Labour could write off historic student debts. All those in early 20s with student debt #Votelabour.”

Nick Gibb, the Schools Minister, said Labour’s top team were “being found out for their betrayal over student debt” as he suggested Mr Corbyn should “apologise to this country’s young voters”.

Lord Sugar, who quit Labour in 2015, said Mr Corbyn had “alluded” to clearing student debt “to get votes from young impressionable people”.

He said: “Jeremy Corbyn, I think you should step down and let someone else rescue the Labour Party. You got votes with false promises. It’s clear you alluded to student refunds to get votes from young impressionable people. You are a cheat and should resign.” Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, told ITV’S Good Morning Britain that Mr Corbyn “didn’t make any promises on student debt”. That prompted Lord Sugar to respond: “You need Corbyn on the show, ask him why he lied.”

Mr Corbyn has said he was “unaware” of the size of the student loans debt, estimated by Ms Rayner to amount to £100billion, when he said he would “deal with it”.