Universities have failed to earn the right to charge £3,000 a year in tuition fees, David Willetts, the Shadow Universities Secretary, said yesterday. He told students that if the issue arose now he would probably not vote for higher fees.

His comments come on the eve of the launch of an official review of university tuition fees. It will not conclude before the general election next year, but is expected to recommend an increase in fees to a maximum of £5,000 or £7,000 a year.

Neither party has voiced an opinion on whether the cap should be lifted or scrapped, or whether fees should remain at £3,225 a year.

Mr Willetts told a National Union of Students (NUS) conference in Manchester yesterday that he would not support an increase. “How would I vote today? I think I would say today, if the vote arose, that the case has not been made,” he said.

“This is not an argument that I believe the universities have won. They haven’t yet properly accounted for the first £3,000 they had, so I would say not unless, and until, you have shown what is in it for students and their parents.”

Mr Willetts added that student bodies should have a say in the review, which is due to start in the next few weeks. It will be tied in with an announcement about a higher education “framework”, setting out what Government expects from universities in the coming years.

Wes Streeting, president of the students’ union, said: “I warmly welcome David Willetts’ call for the student voice to be heard in the imminent fees review, and his consistent argument that the student experience must be at the heart of the ensuing debate on higher education funding.

“Students are now expected by those in power to contribute significantly to its costs. Therefore we have a direct and unique interest in a review that will determine the future of fees.

“As the democratic and national voice of students, NUS must have a place on the review group. The possibility that this process will be conducted without direct student representation would severely undermine its legitimacy.”

Speaking to The Times, Mr Willetts said: “I do feel strongly that the student experience has to be a key part of the funding review.

“Universities have to make the case to students and their parents about where the top-up fees have gone, and what is going to happen in the future if fees rise, and they haven’t as yet.”

A spokesman for Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, said: “Universities UK will be feeding into the upcoming independent review of fees in a variety of ways.

“We will be using the opportunity to highlight the many ways in which students and universities have benefited from the additional income from tuition fees.”

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