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The Liberal Democrat candidate for Heslington ward has exclusively told The Yorker that he understands anger at Lib Dems over tuition fees and has said that “to an extent” he agreed with it.
Chris Wiggin promised the 3000 students living in Heslington that he is “ideologically opposed to tuition fees” and asserted that scrapping tuition fees is still Lib Dem party policy.
However, Wiggin also defended the Liberal Democrat U-turn on tuition fees, telling The Yorker that “there is still a price” for free education and argued that as the country was paying “£120 million per day in debt interest” the government couldn't afford it.
Speaking of the current Lib Dem controlled council's record the candidate for Heslington has declared that “it's been a great time to be in York as a Liberal Democrat”, hailing what he describes as the council's success.
Chris Wiggin, a former YUSU officer, listed increased recycling, decreased crime and investment in Swimming Pools as reasons for re-electing a Lib Dem council in York.
Shrugging off criticisms of the council's student housing policy from the Students Union, Wiggin argued that restrictions on the creation of student houses would lead to a reduction in crime targeted at student homes.
Wiggin did however admit that the new powers would be used to restrict the numbers of student houses in “some streets”, drawing comparisons with Headingly in Leeds, where the majority of houses are student occupied.
Despite this, Wiggin was keen to emphasise that this was not a “ban” on student housing and was aimed at helping to protect residents, many of whom Wiggin argued pre-dated the construction of the University.
As a former student of York University and a current resident of the City of York, Wiggin told The Yorker that he feels well placed to deal with the often terse relationship between people living in Heslington village.
Drawing upon his support in Heslington village, particularly after recent campaigning on parking around the University, Wiggin was confident of victory in the ward.
He also spoke positively of controversial councillor Ceredig Jamieson-Ball who has represented the Heslington ward since 2007 and resigned the Liberal Democrat whip in the council following an internal row.
Wiggin told the Yorker that he was “working closely” with Jamieson-Ball, but denied that he would join the former councillor in leaving the Liberal Democrat group.
The interview in full has been posted below.
The Yorker has interviewed all candidates for Heslington. Click here for the interview with Green Party candidate Caleb Wooding and here for the interview with David Levene of Labour.
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