Uni bosses demand tuition fee rises
Adam Powell-Davies, Socialist Students national organiser, said: “University bosses have announced that they want students to pay higher tuition fees to make up for the gaping hole in higher education funding.
“These are the same university bosses, who over the last 14 years have gone along with Tory attacks on universities. And now they want to work with the new Labour government to do exactly the same.
“We say that if Labour and the university bosses make any attack on students, including increasing tuition fees, then we’re going to fight back.
“We want to fight for free education, for full public funding for universities, and to build a mass movement to take the wealth off the 1%. And for socialism to do that. And if you agree, join us.”
Huddersfield – job and course cuts
At the end of the last academic year, Huddersfield University cut 200 jobs, hoping that it might pass students by. But when hundreds of students turned out to protest against this back in May, the university may have realised its mistake.
The university still plans to cut at least 12 courses. And the threat of more job cuts remains.
This was noticeable when Socialist Students was at the freshers’ fair. One university worker told me she was struggling to do her job, after so many of her colleagues’ jobs had been cut.
A new student said the modules that they had wanted to take no longer existed, because of these job cuts. It is no surprise then that our ‘stop university cuts petition’ was the most successful.
Students are worried about course cuts, and losing teaching and support staff. A third-year student told me that they are glad to be leaving before things got any worse.
There is a crisis coming to the universities, and students need to be ready to fight it.
Cas Middlemas, West Yorkshire Socialist Party
Liverpool – run out of leaflets on first day
On the first two days, dozens signed our petitions, and 90 signed up to Socialist Students. Many more accepted our leaflets, to the point where we had almost run out!
This shows the discontent with the new Labour government, and that any illusions in Starmer that may of held out before the election, are now disappearing. There is an eager appetite for a genuine socialist alternative to the current system.
We are the biggest left-wing student group on campus. And a lot of students we meet also join the Socialist Party. We were introduced to the Socialist Party via the Socialist Students society at the University of Liverpool.
We have three unis in Liverpool. Two have freshers’ fairs in the first week.
We have committed to at least two Socialist Students campaign stalls per day. The size of our group makes this easier. The freshers’ fairs themselves gives us chance to come across thousands of students within just hours.
We are also organising a protest rally, during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, for students to show our opposition to the new government continuing austerity, after 14 years of Tory cuts.
Socialist Students seeks to be at the forefront of demonstrations. We are prepared for the Starmer raising tuition fees, and ready to be part of the fightback.
We demand universities be run democratically by students and workers, with the abolition of tuition fees, and extra funding paid for by the super-rich.
Joe Woolfall and Thomas Butler, Liverpool Socialist Students
Salford – anger at Starmer
Liverpool Socialist Students journeyed up to the University of Salford. As the new government carries on the attacks on working-class people, including students, we anticipate growing anger and disappointment with Labour.
Many will be looking to join the fight against this new wave of austerity. It is more important than ever to ensure a socialist alternative is present and active on campus.
Even though Labour has only been in power for just over two months, the disappointment and despair felt by students on campus was palpable. Even those that were typically apathetic, expressed a great dislike towards Keir Starmer.
We discussed multiple issues on our campaign stalls. From obscene rent prices, growing food and energy costs, and anxiety surrounding the climate crisis.
Salford has many international students. It was clear that they had discontent towards Starmer’s stance on immigration, and how that would impact their studies.
The new Labour government has failed to resolve the anxieties about the political and economic situation that many students have.
Over three days, we handed out lots of leaflets, sold the Socialist paper, and had 37 sign up to Socialist Students. Students are seeking to mobilise and bring the fight against capitalism to the campuses.
By doing stalls and being present on campus, Socialist Students is growing. This will only continue as more students wake up to the reality that under Starmer and his government, they will continue to pay more for less.
Jess Evans, Liverpool Socialist Students
Enfield College – Gaza
People saw our ‘End Israeli State Terror’ posters, and before we’d even opened our mouths about the issue, they were coming over to our Socialist Students campaign stall to talk to us about it.
One person in particular appreciated us campaigning against the war. They got people from the college going past to stop, and told them what we were doing.
This person took 100 of our leaflets, and borrowed some of our tape, to put them up around the college. Outrageously, they were told by college security that they couldn’t do this inside, because it was “political”.
And disgustingly, the same security accused this person of being a “terrorist”, because he was opposing the war on Gaza. But this will not stop us campaigning.
Ian Pattison, Enfield and Lea Valley Socialist Party
Coventry – education cuts worry
In the first few hours of our freshers stall, over 20 people put their name down to get involved building support for socialist ideas on campus. It was over 30 by the time we packed up on the first day.
Many students already had growing concerns about their education, bringing up the cuts to the university and Labour’s ‘fiscal black hole’. Students stepping into their first, second, or third year are concerned about their future under a Keir Starmer government. The battles students are facing are not going to shy away this freshers.
Students need to be prepared to protest against university management and demand government funding to keep courses open, and prevent staff redundancies and tuition fee hikes. To build a fightback against all cuts, students and young people must also be organised as part of the wider working-class struggle.
Mila Hughes, Coventry Socialist Party
