THE LIB DEM MP for Edinburgh West has announced that he will not honour his pledge to vote against future tuition fee rises.

Mike Crockhart confirmed last week that he would no longer be adhering to the pledge that his party made before the election in May.

Crockhart, like every other Lib Dem parliamentary candidate, signed the National Union of Students-led pledge to vote against any future increases in tuition fees. Crockhart will now abstain or vote with the government on the issue.

The new stance adopted by Crockhart comes as the coalition government prepares to unveil their plans for higher education funding in England after the recommendations of the Browne Report.

Simon Hughes, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats asked his MPs to "rethink" the commitment they made prior to the election.

Business Secretary, Vince Cable, announced in Parliament that the "reality" of the current financial situation meant that a rethink was necessary.

EUSA President Liz Rawlings has expressed anger at the Lib Dem's announcement.

She told The Student: ‘’They all promised before the election that they would not (vote against an increase) and students who voted for them feel betrayed, and rightly so."

EUSA is running a ‘Write to Mike’ campaign to encourage Mike Crockart to honour his pledge. The campaign has seen 250 letters sent to the Liberal Democrat MP and aims to send 1,000.

Edinburgh Labour MPs, Shiela Gilmore, Ian Murray and Mark Lazarowicz have said they will honour their commitments to the ‘Vote for Students’ campaign.

New Labour leader Ed Milliband has reached out to Lib Dem MPs who wish to honour their pledge. Milliband announced that he would work with and support rebel MPs.

Crockhart was not available for comment.