The government’s sneaky scrapping of maintenance grants is a massive two fingers to us all

Yesterday the government heartlessly scrapped the maintenance grants which enable half a million of the UK’s poorest students to have access to higher education. The decision was taken by a committee of just 18 MPs and took a mere 90 minutes. The change will happen despite the switch from grants to loans never appearing in the Tory election manifesto or being voted on in the House of Commons. Labour MP Wes Streeting has spoken out against the change.

He said: “When they tripled tuition fees, one of the ways they claimed it would be fairer was they would increase grants for the poorest students. That pledge has now unravelled.”

So much for making education more affordable

The Tories’ attitude stands as part of a larger “who gives a shit” attitude to all young people, what they think and what they need. Now, rather than benefit from a grant which doesn’t need to be repaid, those studying outside of the capital will receive up to £8,200, and those in London a slightly higher £10,702, all to be paid back under the same existing terms when a graduate earns more than £21,000. The scrapping of maintenance grants doesn’t affect David Cameron or George Osbourne, nor will it affect their children, their families, or probably any of the people they associate themselves with, but it will affect so many of us, the very group that have had absolutely no say in the matter.

Both of them come from millionaire backgrounds, have led millionaire lives, and obviously were not scraping together the pennies for Sainsbury’s Basics vodka while they were waltzing around with the rest of the melts in the Bullingdon Club. Is it nothing short of outrageous that our circumstances, our opportunities and our futures, are being sneakily dictated by a handful of white, wealthy men who have only ever lived, and will only ever continue to live, vastly different lives to the people this decision effects the most?