A COUNCILLOR has quit his party after 22 years over the tuition fees row.

Lib Dem David O’Neill, a former teacher at Todmorden High School, said his party was ‘wrong’ to do a U-turn on raising university fees.

He said: “As an ex-teacher I have been very concerned about the tuition fees and education maintenance allowance.

“I meet students in the street and they say, ‘You Liberal Democrats have stopped us from going to university’.

“Our manifesto said we would not go down the line of putting tuition fees up.

"As soon as they got in power, they decided to change it. The students deserve better.”

Coun O’Neill intends to stand down as a Calder ward councillor on Calderdale Council but said he would be fighting to retain his seat with the Town Council as an independent.