Mandelson documents to be released after PMQs – UK politics live

2026-03-11 - 10:23

Hundreds of papers relating to his appointment as ambassador to the US to be put into public domain today Meanwhile, Nick Clegg, the politician who enabled the current system of university tuition fees and student loans in England, has now described it as “a mess”. The former Lib Dem leader, a key member of the coalition government that tripled tuition fees to £9,000 a year, is blaming later changes including freezing the graduate repayment threshold, which Clegg said has made the system “deeply unfair” and that graduates “quite rightly feel very sore”. Clegg’s comments relate to Plan 2 loans for tuition fees and maintenance issued to undergraduates between 2012 and 2023. The earnings thresholds at which graduates start repaying those loans will be frozen at £29,385 between 2027 and 2030. Current students receive Plan 5 loans, which have a lower repayment threshold of £25,000 and are written off after 40 years rather than 30 under Plan 2. Clegg told the BBC the government’s priority should be to restore a link between inflation and the graduate earnings threshold, so that the threshold rises over time. He also wants an independent body to oversee the terms of student loans. Peter Mandelson was spotted leaving his home in London this morning as the government prepares to release documents relating to his appointment as ambassador to the US in 2024. Continue reading...