Student protest: Labour's John McDonnell tells demonstrators government 'betrayed' them over fees

Thousands of students who had braved the rain to attend the protest Credit: PA

John McDnnell, Labour's shadow chancellor, accused the government of "betraying" students during an address to thousands of demonstrators at a tuition fee rally in central London.

Thousands attended the rally, held to protest against tuition fees and the government's plan to a

Using a megaphone to address the crowd Mr McDonnell said: "Your generation has been betrayed by this government in increases to tuition fees, in scrapping the education maintenance allowance and cuts in education."

The shadow chancellor used a megaphone to address the crowd Credit: PA

The shadow chancellor's comments heard him cheers and applause from the thousands of students who had braved the rain to attend the rally.

The protest is focused on government's plans to scrap maintenance grants and replace them with loans.

Critics warn the move will plunge the poorest students into thousands of pounds of extra debt.

Critics warn scrapping maintenance grants will send the poorest students further into debt Credit: PA

At present, full-time UK students from families with annual household incomes of £25,000 or less qualify for maintenance grants of £3,387 a year.

The amount is tiered depending on income and if a family's income is above £46,620 no amount is awarded.

Under changes due to come into force in the next academic year, the grants will be replaced by loans which will start to be paid back when a student earns more than £21,000 a year.

The protest is focused on government's plans to scrap maintenance grants Credit: PA

The protest has been organised by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts.

Callum Cant, 21, from the group said that mounting levels of student debt are making university less accessible.

"The Government is impoverishing the poorest students for minimal gains. It is an attack on the least privileged students which doesn't save much money and causes misery," he said.

"It is austerity which targets the poorest students. Our worry is that it will make university a lot more inaccessible."

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said the government was "committed to ensuring everyone with the potential to benefit from higher education has the opportunity to do so, regardless of their background".