Forget about tuition fees; the Tories should be explaining to young voters why national debt matters

As part of an effort to win over younger voters, the government is reportedly considering changes to tuition fees such as cutting interests rates and cracking down on which universities can charge the highest fees. Certainly, at 6.1 per cent, rates for this year are eye-wateringly high – and apply even before the student has graduated. But only 23 per cent of students are now expected to ever pay back the loan in full, before it is written off at the age of 50. Any small tweak to repayments will only benefit these top-earners, as payments are fixed at 9 per cent of income – no matter how much of the loan remains. Most graduates would only benefit from more radical reform.

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For now though, it’s much more important for the Tories to get across why dealing with our national debt matters.