High Peak Liberal Democrats

Dear Sir,

In her article today on tuition fees Melanie Phillips is spot on. Indeed I would go further. She says it is 'more important to invest in sound vocational education'. Sorry, I would say that it is ESSENTIAL.

The government could start by dusting off the 2004 Tomlinson Report, which advocated giving vocational education at least parity with academic education and which the Blair government, possibly fearing a backlash from the middle classes on whose votes it depended, largely ignored. It's ironically these same middle classes, whose offspring have been the main beneficiaries of the expansion of university education over the past thirty years.

If we are to have a future after Brexit we need to start to make more things instead of just importing them. We can't just rely on things like financial services to make our way in the world. Working with your brain can only take you so far. But working with your brain and your hands has got to be the way forward.

John Marriott,

18 St Hugh's Drive,

North Hykeham,

Lincoln LN6 8RD

Tel: 01522 687965