I was originally highly against turning the Polytechnics into Universities, and my views on that have changed now. However, like just about everything the Major government did what was good in theory was handled very poorly in practice with no decent planning (Rail privatisation being the other obvious thing). The change was just awful. They should have had a plan where by the unis were only transferred to full University status when standards were up to the appropriate level, and they also needed plans to generate extra funding.
As for Blair Tuition fees says it all.
Sir Excalibur
Knight of Wotmania
AC (Companion of the Order of Aviendha)
Knight Protector of Queen Aviendha ,
Rightful Queen of the Message Board ,
High Lady of the River Mississippi