MP backs student fees campaign

John McDonnell MP speaking at a CNWP meeting in 2006, photo Paul Mattsson

THE GOVERNMENT is currently scheduled to 'review' the cap on university fees, with the prospect of the maximum chargeable amount being lifted from £3,000 a year to £5,000 or maybe more. It is urgent that a campaign is built based around mass action, clearly against university fees and against charging students any more for their education.

Ben Robinson

John McDonnell, a Labour MP and socialist campaigner, has sent his wholehearted support to the Campaign to Defeat Fees (CDF) and asks to be listed as a public supporter of the campaign.

John McDonnell's support will help us build the campaign and give an extra boost to those involved in it and those who support it.

We want to mobilise all opposition to university fees and make it clear that fees and the two-tier education system they usher in are not acceptable.

In building the Campaign to Defeat Fees, Socialist Students have organised three days of action, with hundreds of students participating on university and college campuses throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The CDF has collected over 5,000 signatures during these and other activities.

Socialist Students and other supporters of the CDF currently plan to make fees a major campaigning issue in the autumn freshers fairs, and are calling another national day of action in mid-October.

Our support is growing and we intend to give Gordon Brown (or whoever is PM then...) another thing to keep him awake at night!