The Socialist 21 February 2018

We can save our NHS

Chatsworth ward victory shows we can save our NHS

Tories raid £1bn from NHS facilities budget - unions must act

Blairite mayor faces open election after democratic 'irregularities' - fight for a no-cuts mayor

Facebook sides with state repression - reinstate the Tamil Solidarity page

Like rats from a sinking Ukip

Usdaw victory - Socialist Party member Amy Murphy wins presidential election

Bosses divided - university pension strikes can win!

After 80 strike days Mears workers achieve victory

Newham academies strike continues with three schools to strike together

Northern Ireland talks process paralysed

How can students and young people fight the Tories?

Leicester Uni makes Tory fee tripler David Willetts chancellor - sack Willetts!

South Africa: Ramaphosa is a safe pair of hands for capitalism

Russia: Ali Feruz, journalist and human rights activist, freed from jail

Building the campaign against clearances of the working class

Northants council crisis - protesters demand an end to cuts and privatisation

Victory: Pontllanfraith leisure centre saved

Save Salford nurseries!

Labour councillors push through savage cuts in Kirklees budget

May Day, May Day! Celebrate solidarity!

Bradford protests against kids' service cuts

Successful Socialist Party Wales conference sets tone for the year ahead

Tremendous determination on show at West Midlands conference

Lively discussion at East Midlands Socialist Party conference

Nottingham hospital black alert

Cardiff Refugee Rights gig success

Outrageous sentence for TUSC agent in 'misleading electors' court case

German engineering strike puts shorter week on agenda - but could have won more

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Leicester Uni makes Tory fee tripler David Willetts chancellor - sack Willetts!

Students demonstrating in London, photo Isai Priya (Click to enlarge)

Luke O'Brien, Leicester Socialist Students

The University of Leicester has appointed former Tory universities minister David Willetts its new chancellor.

During his time in government, Willetts was a key orchestrator in raising tuition fees from £3,000 to £9,000, which at the time he called "fair and affordable."

Last year he published a book titled 'A University Education' where he celebrates the increase, saying "we were able to deliver one of the biggest single cuts in public spending of the coalition."

Willetts has defended the hyper-inflated pay of university vice-chancellors, saying "let's keep this in proportion."

Worse still, in an interview in 2011, he said "the key factor" hindering men's social mobility is... the growth in the number of women who have careers!

On 15 February around 100 angry students and staff gathered outside Leicester's Fielding Johnson Building - where Willetts was busy promoting his new book - to demonstrate against this appointment.

Students expressed their disgust at the prospect of being awarded a degree by one of the men responsible for our crippling debt.

Leicester Socialist Students is strongly opposed to this appointment. We believe Willetts is not representative of the values of students or staff.

We are not alone, with both the Leicester UCU branch and students' union releasing statements expressing their opposition. The students' union has launched an online petition, and at the time of writing had received almost 3,000 signatures.