No, Jeremy Corbyn didn't 'go back on his promise' about student debt - and Theresa May is misleading people about it again - The Mirror

The Prime Minister claimed the Labour leader had 'gone back on his promise' to students about student debt. But every promise made ahead of the election is still Labour policy

Theresa May today claimed Jeremy Corbyn had 'gone back on his promise' on student debt after last year's election.

This is untrue.

It's been a frequent Tory attack line in recent months, and was dusted off again for today's clash in Prime Minister's Questions - just in time for the local elections.

She said: "Last year the right honourable gentleman the leader of the opposition said he would “deal” with student debt. Students thought he was going to abolish student debt. "What happens after the election? He goes back on his promise."

The thing is, Jeremy Corbyn never promised to abolish student debt.

And every promise made by the party on tuition fees and student debt remains Labour Party policy.

Here's what Corbyn really said, and why Theresa May's claim is misleading.

Did Jeremy Corbyn really promise to wipe out student debt?

No.

He's promised to scrap tuition fees for all new students - it was in their election manifesto and was costed at a whopping £11 billion.

So all he said was that he was looking at ways to make it easier for people to deal with the debt. That's not the same as promising to wipe it out, is it?

No, it's not the same at all. It's a broad goal that he's committed to looking into, but there was no manifesto commitment to 'wipe out debt'.

So what Theresa May is really saying is that young people can't tell the difference between a promise and a goal?

That's right.

While we're here, here's what Theresa May had to say about the dangers of 'exaggerating differences' in politics in a speech 79 days ago

"While political differences may separate us, and while those differences may at times be profound, so much more unites us.

"When we forget that fact, when we harden our hearts against those with whom we disagree, when we exaggerate differences, doubt motives, accuse others of bad faith , we risk destroying genuine debate and we leave open the path to extremism and intolerance."

Theresa May, in a speech on decency in public life. February 6th, 2018