Leeds University Issue 4

Anti-Cuts Bulletin Oct 2010

Browne Review Threatens Fees of £10,000 a Year
Students Must Union Books Facing Closure
Fightback! Students have returned from their summer break to find out that
In the coming week we will find out Leeds University Union (LUU) is planning on closing the only
what future Lord Browne has in store student union run (and therefore not for profit) bookshop in the
for them. The multi-millionaire Baron of country after 36 years of existence on 10th December this year.
Madingley (the beneficiary of an Despite never making a loss in
Oxbridge education himself) has for its entire existence, the Student
almost a year been heading an Union’s Board of Trustee
'independent' review into higher decided to announce the closure
education funding and student finance. during the summer months
Over that time students have been left when no students were on
to worry about just how (not if) they will campus. This highlights how the
be made to pay more for their right to attacks on the democratic
an education. structures of students unions
Earlier this year it appeared that there (and NUS nationally) has moved
Threatened – Union Books
were divisions amongst the coalition these bodies away from the
government over this issue. Certain Lib interests of the students they are meant to represent.
Dems such as Vince Cable favour a Despite this, LUU is now embarking on a consultation of
graduate tax being brought in (which students. This period should be used by campaigners to
would result in most students paying demonstrate the opposition to the closure, element of which has
back significantly more than they are already been seen through the 533 strong online petition and
loaned) while most Tories prefer to 655 strong facebook group organised by UCU.
simply raise fees. Socialist Students has organised a petition through LUAC to
fight against the closure of the book shop. We wish to maintain
Double blow a quality book service run to meet the needs of students and
Early reports are now suggesting that not for the whims of private sector profiteers.
Browne will attempt to keep both sides
happy by including both an increase in Dates for your Diary
fees and elements of a graduate tax in Fri 15th Oct - Hand in the petition against closure of Union books,
his recommendation! meet outside Leeds University Union at 1pm.
In fact details printed in the Observer Weds 23rd Oct—LUAC feeder march to rally against cuts, meet at
suggest that the fees increase will be
Parkinson steps at 4pm
significantly more than expected.
Sat/Sun 6-7th Nov—Socialism 2010 in London (see us for tickets)
Rather than just raising the fees cap to
£5,000, or £7,000, or even £10,000, as Weds10th Nov - NUS/UCU demo against education cuts in London
had previously been hinted (any of
which in themselves would represent a massive Two-tier education
increase on the current cap of £3,290), the Clearly if these proposals are accepted, only
newspaper reports that Browne will recommend students from the most well off backgrounds could
allowing the elite universities to charge over even think about applying to the elite universities.
£10,000. In exchange for this, some of that money The already existing two-tier higher education
would go towards a centralised fund to be used for system would be hugely exacerbated very quickly.
bursaries for poorer students. As university funding moves further away from the
This would be combined with an almost 75% cut in state and further towards those students who can
the higher education teaching budget as well as afford it, universities with a more working class
interest on student loans being increased to student population (already at the sharpest end of
commercial rates. The article points to students education cuts) will fall even more behind the elite
leaving university with over £80,000 debts in this universities.
situation. If these reports are correct then the Browne review
 Leeds University Issue 4
Anti-Cuts Bulletin Oct 2010
Continued from overleaf:
will represent huge attacks on education in general, but on
We Call for
working class students in particular. •Stop all cuts and closures.
At a time when youth unemployment is at record levels, the right Oppose compulsory
to an education becomes more important than ever. redundancies and fight for
The National Union of Students and the University and College every job
Union have called a demonstration on 10 November under the •No to any increase in fees
title "Fund our future". or the introduction of so-
This demo needs to be built for properly, not just in isolation, but called ‘fast-track’ degrees,
as part of a national campaign uniting students and workers to fight for free education, a
fight against every cut and against all fees. living grant and writing off
of student debt
Youth Rally Against Cuts in Leeds •Oppose expensive
privatisation schemes, for
On 2 October, 30 trade education to be fully publicly
unionists and anti-cuts funded at all levels
activists gathered outside •Tax the super rich bankers
Leeds Art Gallery to
- stop their bonuses- fund
highlight how the cuts of
both the Con-Dem education and other public
coalition government and services properly
local Labour councils (in •Support staff taking strike
Leeds and Kirklees in action, other staff and students
particular) are affecting to support staff pickets and
young people. build towards a one day
The rally was jointly Gathering to rally against cuts walkout of staff and students
organised by Youth Fight for •Democratise LUU, reinstate
Jobs (YFJ) and the PCS (civil servants' union) Yorkshire and decision making AGM’s. For
Humber Young Members Network (YMN). Speakers included the
a campaigning student
local YMN coordinator Matt Meehan and Leeds Metropolitan
union prepared to fight
University Unison young members officer Holly Prosho.
Iain Dalton from Yorkshire YFJ ended the rally by highlighting that against all cuts
although small, it had brought together the young members' •Build a mass campaign
officers of six branches across three unions as well as other involving trade unions, workers
young trade unionists. This could be the springboard for and students at Leeds Uni,
supporting each other in the many upcoming struggles against the linking up with others at local
savage cuts. universities and colleges as
Matt and Iain were interviewed on several radio stations in the well as other campaigns
run-up to the rally and Look North covered the protest. nationally
Get involved and help build a mass movement against fees and cuts
Join the Socialists and fight for a socialist education system
Join Socialist Students Get involved with Leeds
Socialist Students is a campaigning University Against Cuts
socialist organisation based in over LUAC is a grassroots, broad
50 universities around the country. At Leeds University campaign of students at Leeds
we meet weekly on Fridays at 5pm in room 4.20 in the University fighting back against the University
Parkinson building to discuss a political topic and plan our and governments attacks on our education.
campaigns for the following week. For more info contact Meetings are held weekly on Mondays at 5pm
Ian on 07766585543, we can also be found on facebook in Leeds University Union, membership is £2
as ‘Leeds Socialist Students’ and can be found on facebook.