100 Days of Solid Ideology

The coalition is 100 days old. And what a hundred days it’s been. They’ve ended the huge waste of building new schools. They’ve said they’ll end detention of children of asylum seekers, and explained that this will be by speeding up deportations. And they’ve delivered their promise to be the ‘greenest government ever’ by supporting [...]

Education is a Public Good – We Should Fund it Publicly

“universities have a unique role. We cannot have an economically dynamic, socially mobile or culturally rich society without strong universities.”
So started Vince Cable’s speech today at London South Bank University. It’s a good a start, with which I completely agree. Perhaps HE will be spared the worst of the cuts agenda.
“I wonder how many people [...]

Behind the Smokescreen on Student Fees

This guest post by the ever excellent Sarah Morrison first appeared at http://srmorrison.wordpress.com/
Nick Clegg told Britain that he wanted a “clean, open, plural politics that…you can put your faith in,” when he spoke at his first press conference at Number 10. While the footage streamed onto our screens might not have been reminiscent of Hollywood [...]

Union News

UCU
We’ll start with my own union, UCU, who’s annual congress happened recently. I couldn’t make it myself but as well as attacking the government’s points based immigration system and backing international solidarity with and a fund for Haiti there was strong opposition to cuts and in defence of jobs and places, and, of course, the [...]

Laws & Osborne target my generation

So, George and David have announced where they are going to start their 5 year assault on the British economy. And the answer is pretty clear. First up against the wall are the young – my generation: my friends.
I can assure you, we’re pretty cross.
As I write this, I’m surrounded by friends who have just [...]

No Shock Doctine petition launched – Anti-cuts students disciplined

We’ve now launched the website and a petition for our campaign against a “shock doctrine” for Britain – that is, the use of the recession to force through right wing policies which would otherwise be politically impossible to secure.
On the same week, it looks ever more likely that students at Sussex University will be severely [...]

In Defence of Universalism

The Scottish Greens have been arguing for a couple of years that the government should create a universal free household insulation service. This has been very successfully rolled out in Huddersfield by the Kirklees Green Party. It has increased the take up of insulation hugely. And as well all know insulation is the cheapest easiest [...]

Why I’m not complaining (much) about Vice Chancellors’ pay

The annual story about university Vice Chancellors’ pay rises is in the papers again today. I have to admit that some of the stats are a little eye watering. The average VC now earns £194,000.
There is, quite naturally, outcry about this from, well, nearly everywhere. At a time when Governments are threatening to cut university [...]

Students preparing to bite back

This time last year, I wrote a comment piece for “the Herald”, arguing that today’s students are the most politicised for a generation. The main (though not only) piece of evidence I cited was a massive increase in turnout in student elections up and down the country. Politicians should take note – the conventional wisdom [...]