A HAMPSHIRE student leader has written to an under-fire Hampshire MP urging him to oppose plans to remove the cap on university tuition fees.

Cabinet member Chris Huhne, pictured right, has admitted that he will break a pre-election pledge promising to fight any rise in charges for students.

Now the president of a Hampshire student union has joined those calling on the Eastleigh MP to stand by his promise.

Seb Miell, head of the Winchester Student Union, has written to the Energy and Climate Change Secretary demanding he votes against the recommendations.

All Liberal Democrat general election candidates signed up to a National Union of Students “Vote for Students”

pledge before the May election promising to oppose higher tuition fees.

Daily Echo: For a video of the top stories in today's Daily Echo, click the front page.

But the coalition Government has agreed to scrap the existing £3,290-a-year cap and almost double annual fees to £6,000 by 2012.

Tory universities minister David Willetts said they could charge up to £9,000 if they prove they are helping to encourage people from poorer backgrounds to apply.

In his letter to Mr Huhne, the student president said higher fees “could not fail to deter applicants from poorer backgrounds from going to university, and would burden graduates from all types of backgrounds with massive levels of debt, just as they begin their working lives”.

He wrote: “You pledged to vote ‘against any increase in fees in the next parliament and to pressure the Government to introduce a fairer alternative’.

“We cannot expect students to pay ever more in fees, just as higher education budgets are being savagely cut – it is simply not fair.

“I hope that you will honour your pledge and will strongly oppose this rise in tuition fees, and that you will support students and their families by calling for a fairer alternative to the regressive, unsustainable and unfair tuition fees model.”

Mr Huhne has defended his role in propping up the Conservative-led coalition Government, saying “you have to compromise in life”.

Explaining his U-turn to back a hike in tuition fees, Mr Huhne said: “Tuition fees were a very tough settlement, and there is no doubt we have all had to take some very difficult decisions. I would love not to be raising tuition fees at all.

The bottom line for me has always been that nobody should be put off going to university.”