ABSTRACT
Under the leadership of Tony Blair, Labour had embarked on a new course and departed from its traditional socialist policies. New Labour, as it was then called, followed what has become known as the Third Way – a position which supposedly stood in the middle between liberal economic policies (first way) and left-wing socialist policies (second way). According to New Labour's White Paper The Future of Higher Education, higher education was a great asset, both for individuals and the nation. One of New Labour's most ambitious aims with regard to higher education was to raise the participation rate of those aged between 18 and 30 to 50 percent. New Labour was not only concerned with expanding and widening participation but also with teaching and learning. The most controversial education policy of New Labour was the introduction of student fees in 1998.
