BURNLEY Liberal Democrat Gordon Birtwistle is one 104 MPs to call on the Government to boost further education so Britain can compete in the global knowledge economy.

He has signed a Commons motion reading: “We are concerned the UK invests 1.4 per cent of gross domestic product in higher education, compared with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average of 1.7 per cent.

“We believe access to high quality tertiary education provides enhanced life chances for individuals, significant benefits for society and is essential for the UK’s long-term economic sustainability. We call on the Government to recognise these benefits and commit the UK to funding tertiary education at a level that can close the international competitive gap in investment with other countries and enable the UK to compete on an equal footing.”