Robbie Davidson, Manchester Socialist Students
Socialist Students members from three different universities met with trade unionists and activists to discuss the depth of the university funding crisis. The discussion was introduced by Manchester student union ‘city and community’ officer, raising the brutal attack on rents and housing, alongside a speaker from Socialist Students.
Cuts and more cuts
The story of job cuts, cost-of-living issues, and unfit, expensive housing, clearly resonated with a wide range of people. The meeting was attended by reps from civil service union PCS and doctors’ union BMA, as well as members of Unite and the bakers’ union.
Everyone agreed on the desperation of young people, but we also debated the way forward. Some felt that our action should be targeted at vice chancellors and donors.
Socialist Students members made the case for mobilising and organising both students and university workers, under the banner to end tuition fees, for fair rents, grants not loans, no redundancies, as well as divestment from war and genocide. This seemed to win over many students and workers in the room. Many were coming to their first meeting.
This resulted in the meeting planning a Funding Not Fees rally on 2 April, followed by a lobby of local left-wing Labour MP for Salford, Rebecca Long-Bailey. We demand that Long-Bailey raises our demands for free education and an end to uni cuts in Parliament as an amendment to the Labour government’s spending review.
Turkey
Turkish members of Socialist Students were in the meeting. They have been at the heart of Manchester’s vibrant protests sending solidarity to those fighting Erdogan’s undemocratic attacks, and used the meeting to raise their campaign too.
This resulted in a second letter, one calling for condemnation of the Turkish government’s actions and a meeting to discuss next steps, which will also be handed into Rebecca Long-Bailey’s office during our lobby.
