Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/735/15293
From The Socialist newspaper, 26 September 2012
Scrap student fees
Kick out this sorry lot!
Chaz Lockett, Sheffield Socialist Students
There's a part of me that almost feels sorry for Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg - trapped between his own dissatisfied grassroots Lib Dem members on the one hand, and the rabid Tory back-benchers on the other.
But then I remember what he did to me and my fellow students back in 2010 - he sold us down the river when agreeing to the Con-Dem coalition.
I watched him sign his pledge to abolish tuition fees (instead of tripling them!) on the steps of Sheffield City Hall.
Yet a few months later, me and thousands of my classmates in Sheffield were occupying, marching and organising on campus, having been utterly betrayed, with our futures thrown into uncertainty.
Quite rightly, Nick Clegg's attempt to save face by apologising to students has been ridiculed. Perhaps his apology might have had a little more weight if he'd apologised for the privatisation of university education, the slashing of teaching budgets, the removal of Education Maintenance Allowance for college and sixth form students, and the tripling of tuition fees.
But no - what he actually apologised for was that he made the promise in the first place!
"There's no easy way to say this: we made a pledge, we didn't stick to it - and for that I am sorry," said Clegg.
"When you've made a mistake you should apologise. But more importantly - most important of all - you've got to learn from your mistakes. And that's what we will do."
"I will never again make a pledge unless as a party we are absolutely clear about how we can keep it."
This is a sign of a weak leader of an impotent party, desperately trying to win back support. Recent polls suggest that the Fib Dems will take only nine seats at the next general election.
But students starting courses this year, disgusted with having to pay £9,000 a year in fees, are not in any mood to forgive Clegg. Instead they're looking to fight back and kick out the Con-Dems.
Socialist Students is meeting students across Britain who support the call for a 24-hour general strike, as part of uniting students and workers against all cuts.
Solidarity from students when workers go on strike will be returned with solidarity when we march - including the National Union of Students demo on 21 November - and when we occupy.
Looking after the 1%
Nick Clegg has said his fees pledge was unaffordable, but there seems to be plenty of money for bankers and fat cats:
- Student loans: £3 billion a year
- Corporation tax cuts 2010-2012: £4.5 billion a year
- Total student debt: £40 billion
- Total bank bailouts: £850 billion
Socialist Students says:
- Abolish tuition fees. Write off student debt.
- For a mass mobilisation of students on both the 20 October TUC demo and the 21 November NUS demo
- Support the Youth Fight for Jobs fortnight of action on 13-27 October
- For 21 November to be the start of a mass campaign of demos, walkouts, occupations and nationally coordinated action
- For student unions to link up with the trade unions. For a 24-hour general strike against austerity that includes both workers and students
- For education that is fully funded, publicly owned, democratically run and universally free at all levels - a socialist education system
www.socialiststudents.org.uk
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In The Socialist 26 September 2012:
Fightback against austerity
Teachers: march together, then strike together against austerity
Reasons to join the 20 October demo, reasons to build for a 24-hour strike
General strike, the biggest weapon
Model resolution for a 24-hour general strike
Socialist Party feature
Labour Party conference: Can Labour give a lead in the fight against austerity?
International socialist news and analysis
Afghanistan war: end this 'pointless waste of life'
Spain: March on Madrid kicks off a hot autumn of struggle
South Africa: 'Lonmin settlement a victory - struggle pays!'
Socialist Party news and analysis
TUSC conference: A step forward for working class political representation
Murdoch empire: a whole barrel of bad apples
Action needed to save NHS from privatisation
Socialist Party workplace news
Workers strike as Argos tightens the screws
Knowsley council fears anti-privatisation campaign
Solidarity with workers sacked from Crossrail
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
No excuse! Thousands protest against victim blaming on London Slutwalk
Enthusiastic start to the year for Socialist Students
Why Hull council should defy the government's cuts to services
Tameside library closures - "Get used to it" says councillor
Opportunistic speeches at Hull march against NHS cuts
Cellist Alfia Nakipbekova speaks out about Kazakhstan
Opencast mining: "Protect us from Provectus"
Socialist history
Belfast Outdoor Relief Strike 1932
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