The Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston has claimed that only her party have the interests of students at heart.

Susan Kramer, who has a majority of only 3,731, is facing stiff competition from the Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith and has urged students to help her retain her seat.

According to Ms Kramer the Liberal Democrats are the party that most closely represents students’ opinions.

She said: “We are a progressive party and when I talk to students I find that there is a very common set of views.”

Ms Kramer believes these views range from an history of opposition to the Iraq war, concern for the environment and scrapping student tuition fees.

“The whole focus of our party is when we’re making choices on where we spend money it has very much been on people who are at the beginning of their life. It’s a longer term view and it crystallises in our position on student tuition fees.”

Until recently, the Liberal Democrats have supported abolishing student tuition fees. They now wish to phase out fees over a six year period.

“I think we’ve got to get rid of student tuition fees. Given the deficit we’re trying to cope with we just can’t do things as quickly we could have otherwise.”

Ms Kramer believes that anyone not wishing to have a Conservative MP should vote Liberal Democrat.

She said: “If you're not likely to be the winning party in an area, the way you then get the most use out of your vote is to consider who you don’t want to be the winning party in the area.”

“I don’t like the system, but that’s the system that I have to work with and it’s the reality that students should be aware of.”

Ms Kramer has been criticised by Mr Goldsmith for attempting to smear him using a 'Liberal Democrat Attack Unit', a claim she denies.

Ms Kramer said: "We don't have a Liberal Democrat Attack Unit. I have a strong suspicion he's looking at Conservative structure and assuming we have the same resources and same set up that they have."

After hearing KU's Vice-Chancellor, Sir Peter Scott's, call for students to vote Labour Ms Kramer compared this to someone in church telling people how to vote.

She said: “I’ve never thought that’s particularly appropriate.”

However, she agreed with him that students should get out and vote.

“I would rather they vote and voted for another party than not vote.”

To find out more about the policies of Susan Kramer and the Liberal Democrats visit www.libdems.org.uk or www.susankramer.org.uk.