SANDY FRASER accuses the Liberal Democrats of hypocrisy over tuition fees (Letters, December 8).

That claim might carry more weight had it not come from a representative of the party that reneged twice on the issue of tuition fees, introducing them in 1998 despite having promised not to do so, then bringing in top-up fees three years later despite having promised not to increase fees.

The Lib Dems can at least point to the different circumstances in which they find themselves compared to the previous Labour administration.

The official policy of the Lib Dems remains to phase out tuition fees over six years while formulating a fairer alternative.

The Lib Dems did not win the General Election. Under the UK’s grossly unfair voting system they got less than nine per cent of MPs on 23 per cent of the vote. As the junior partner in a coalition you cannot get everything you want.

Coun Fraser is wrong to say that the policy to scrap tuition fees was “ditched” two months before polling day; rather it was recognised that the policy would be very difficult to achieve if the party found itself in coalition with the Conservatives.

Richard Brown, Horseman Avenue, Copmanthorpe, York.