June 7 2001
Labour is re-elected with a manifesto pledge stating that it "will not introduce top-up fees and has legislated against them"
January 22 2003
Less than two years after pledging not to introduce top-up fees, Labour publishes a white paper setting out proposals allowing universities to set their own tuition fees up to a cap of £3,000 a year.
May 12 2003
Conservative party leader, Iain Duncan Smith, pledges that all university tuition fees would be abolished under a future Conservative government, condemning tuition fees as "a tax on learning".
All three main parties have pledged not to increase student tuition fees and have done a complete u-turn.
The reason why there was not anarchy on the streets with previous legislation on tuition fees is that the NUS leadership did not stand up to their party leadership (Labour) for fear of the impact on their future political careers. With the Labour Party now in opposition students appear to have regained their voices (and spray cans).
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