NEW tuition fees for students are set to start the political pot boiling tonight (Thursday).

The £1,000 fee has been branded a poll-tax for students by Pendle Councillor Tony Greaves.

He and Liberal colleagues will call for the plan to be scrapped and want the support of Labour Party members at a meeting of Pendle Council.

Mr Greaves claims many councillors are horrified by the introduction of fees and is calling on them to stand up and be counted in opposing the move.

He said: "This is an assault on the whole principle of free education. In an area like Pendle a lot of young people will be forced to think twice before saddling themselves with thousands of pounds of debt."

His motion says fees will mean unfairness and hardship and are widely opposed.

Councillors also want the Government to restore students' rights to benefits, such as income support and housing benefit.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.