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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Vince Cable cancels Oxford visit over student protest | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News | By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News |
| The Business Secretary Vince Cable has pulled out of a planned visit to Oxford University where students were planning a protest. | The Business Secretary Vince Cable has pulled out of a planned visit to Oxford University where students were planning a protest. |
| He was due to take part in a seminar organised by Brasenose College. | He was due to take part in a seminar organised by Brasenose College. |
| Students from Oxford and Oxford Brookes universities had planned to demonstrate against higher education cuts and proposed tuition fees rises. | |
| A spokesman for Mr Cable said the decision had been taken after advice from the police. | |
| He said: "Vince Cable has postponed a visit to the University of Oxford tomorrow where he was due to speak to students in his capacity as an MP about his life in politics. | He said: "Vince Cable has postponed a visit to the University of Oxford tomorrow where he was due to speak to students in his capacity as an MP about his life in politics. |
| "This followed advice from Thames Valley Police about threats of a protest and his concern about the level of disruption this could cause to the people of Oxford plus the possible cost of policing." | "This followed advice from Thames Valley Police about threats of a protest and his concern about the level of disruption this could cause to the people of Oxford plus the possible cost of policing." |
| The government is preparing to announce its plans for the future funding of England's universities following the Browne Review which called for a lifting of the cap on university tuition fees. | The government is preparing to announce its plans for the future funding of England's universities following the Browne Review which called for a lifting of the cap on university tuition fees. |
| 'Laughable' | |
| The organisers of the protest say it will go ahead as planned. | The organisers of the protest say it will go ahead as planned. |
| The group - called the Oxford Education Campaign - is made up of students and academics from both of the city's universities. | The group - called the Oxford Education Campaign - is made up of students and academics from both of the city's universities. |
| A spokesman said: "It is absolutely laughable that he should abandon his commitments due to a peaceful protest. | A spokesman said: "It is absolutely laughable that he should abandon his commitments due to a peaceful protest. |
| "A government minister should have the courage to face the electorate - even those who disagree with him." | "A government minister should have the courage to face the electorate - even those who disagree with him." |
| The demonstration was being promoted via the group's Facebook page. | The demonstration was being promoted via the group's Facebook page. |
| Students were planning on marching to the examination schools in the city centre where the business secretary was due to speak. | Students were planning on marching to the examination schools in the city centre where the business secretary was due to speak. |
| The university's Cherwell newspaper predicted that the protests would be one of the largest involving Oxford students in recent years. | |
| The government announced a 40% cut to the higher education budget in the spending review and offered protection only to teaching budgets for subjects such as science, maths and engineering. | The government announced a 40% cut to the higher education budget in the spending review and offered protection only to teaching budgets for subjects such as science, maths and engineering. |
| Subsequent comments from the Universities Minister David Willetts suggest the government expects teaching for arts and humanities to be mainly funded by students' tuition fees - in line with proposals from Browne. | |
| The details have not yet been confirmed. | The details have not yet been confirmed. |
| A statement from Thames Valley Police said the force was aware of a potential protest and was liaising with Oxford and Oxford Brookes universities to ensure that any protest passed off peacefully. | |
| It called on the organisers to contact the force so arrangements could be made. | |
| Students and lecturers are organising a national demonstration in London for 10 November to protest about cuts, the prospect of higher fees and what they say is the increasing privatisation of education. | |
| Additional reporting by James Ingham |