Labour's Plan for Change impossible without huge investment in FE salaries says UCU

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'Labour's vision for putting further education on an equal footing with universities is a non-starter unless it tackles the low pay that causes half of college teachers to leave the sector within three years.

'FE teachers are paid £10k less than their counterparts in schools and Starmer needs to close this pay gap if he wants to build the world class further education system he aspires to.'

On scrapping Tony Blair's target of 50% of kids entering university, Jo said: 'There is no evidence whatsoever that creating less graduates will benefit the economy. Every young person should have the opportunity to go to university if they so wish; as the Education Secretary said yesterday, higher education should never be the preserve of a wealthy elite.'