Peter Mandelson wants a "consumer revolution" in higher education, with students given far more information on the actual value of their course. The silent driver is that fees have to go up: so much of his document (Higher Ambitions – the Future of Universities in a Knowledge Economy) stresses the fact that the fat years are over, you don't need a degree to see what's going on. However, equally obviously, it would be a straight-talking fool (or non-politician) who, with an election looming, spelt out how much they were prepared to raise fees. - Joe Fullman