Angela Rayner MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education, responding to comments made by Justine Greening on the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, said:

“Justine Greening’s criticism is a huge blow to an already floundering Prime Minister. For a self-confessed supporter and ally to publicly attack Theresa May’s policies reveals a Prime Minister losing more and more support in her own party.

“Justine Greening is absolutely right that her own party’s decision to abolish maintenance grants was wrong and that it is the most disadvantaged families and students who have suffered. With her Universities Minister today ruling out any changes to tuition fees, Theresa May’s review is clearly a way of kicking the issue into the long grass rather than making the decisions needed, meaning yet another cohort of students will start university courses paying huge fees.

“She now sits on the back benches because there is no hope of real change from a Prime Minister who cannot lead and a Government that clearly no longer functions.

“If Justine Greening wants to bring back maintenance grants and abolish tuition fees, she should join Labour in voting for it. Labour has a fully costed plan to support students by restoring both EMA and grants, as well as abolishing the Tories’ fees entirely.”

Ends