Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the University and College Union, is due to tell the Trades Union Congress in Manchester that the new administration appears 鈥渞eady and willing鈥� to renege on an age-old pledge to 鈥渆xpand learning and increase opportunity鈥�.

鈥淚n cutting spending on education and learning the Tories and the Lib Dems close their eyes to the lessons of history,鈥� she will say. 鈥淭hey close their eyes to the fact that it was government investment that made British universities the envy of the world. That learning is important for its own sake, not solely as a driver for growth and prosperity.鈥�

Her speech follows warnings from other union leaders at the congress that there will be coordinated action against public spending cuts to be announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review on 20 October.

探花视频 disclosed last month that Sir Gus O鈥橠onnell, the Cabinet secretary, had warned vice-chancellors to plan for cuts of up to 35 per cent to public funding.

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Ms Hunt will tell delegates that more than 拢2.5 million was spent on the private school education of just 12 members of the current Cabinet, all of whom then went to enjoy a free university education.

She will add that they are now 鈥渉appy to deny hundreds of thousands of young people the opportunities that they themselves were given, by cutting 拢1.4 billion from further and higher education budgets鈥�.

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The union leader will also attack the coalition government鈥檚 decision to reduce corporation tax, saying that restoring it to the G7 average would raise sufficient money to abolish tuition fees.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com