Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, who has recently been appointed the Government’s new Advocate for Access to Education, said he regrets the coalition’s decision to increase tuition fees, but he said that young people now need to understand the facts.

The party’s deputy leader, Simon Hughes, who abstained in the Commons vote, said he was sorry fees had jumped to a maximum of £9,000 as the result of a compromise with the Conservatives, but he insisted that higher tuition fees have not put a university education out of young people’s reach.

Mr Hughes said on the BBC’s World At One radio programme that he would remain  independent of Government, and he said:

“I am not there in a way to sell it, I am there to make sure people understand the facts.

“I wouldn’t vote for it because I believed that with the higher rate that could go, in some cases, up to £9,000 a year, that could put people off applying to university.  The problem with the system is the perception rather than the reality.”

Mr Hughes defended his position, having abstained in the Commons vote on tuition fees, adding:

“I am a member of a party that has believed, and still believes, that we should ideally not have tuition fees.

“That’s been our view and it remains the Liberal Democrat view.  We didn’t win the election, we had to negotiate a coalition with the Conservatives.

“Both other parties had actually signed up to tuition fees so it would have been similar if Labour had been the coalition partner.

“Therefore we weren’t able to deliver that. I am sorry about that, I regret that but we live in a real world with coalition politics when you have to compromise and the compromise was that there is the system that has now been agreed but there is much more work to be done.”

Labour’s shadow business secretary, John Denham, said:

“I am afraid it is a terribly cynical piece of window dressing. It’s all about trying to keep the Liberal Democrats propping up the Tory Government. It’s nothing about the opportunities for young people in this country.”

Mr Hughes described Mr Denham’s comment as “party political”, addingand added that he hoped Labour would work with the Government to encourage young people to go to university as the changes to higher education funding were “more progressive”.

He added:

“I hope I can bring something from a history of engagement with young people, from the time I was a youth worker to university onwards, to understand how we get messages across but above all get young people on our side so they have the best future.”

Mr Clegg said the Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP is ideally suited to the role as a champion of young people from deprived backgrounds.

“I know Simon will be tireless in seeking the best ways to communicate the opportunities open to young people, just as he will be a strong advocate for them to government,” Mr Clegg added.