Punishing adults by taking away their income is the grown up version of punishing children by taking away their pocket, but there is usually a reason for the punishment.
Young people have lost the Education Maintenance Allowance, they are having their fines for going to university increase threefold and they are facing unemployment levels of 20%.
Why are they being singled out for this systematic punishment? Perhaps the coalition are keen on the school of hard knocks. Personally, I'm keen on supporting future generations to get a good education and a good start in life.
Green Party campaigner in Kent. Also a nurse, academic, former manager, writer, Druid, husband and father...
Showing posts with label student fees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label student fees. Show all posts
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Police officers being dragged off police horses and beaten?
Cameron said on Thursday that he had heard about “police officers being dragged off police horses and beaten”. The PM then suggests that protestors that damage property should face "full force of the law".
The reality is very different. The footage of how the un-mounted police officer sustained his injuries is being circulated and as you will see the officer was not beaten by protestors but steppen on by his horse. Meanwhile the police can be seen hitting a protestor in the background.
Perhaps the police horse should face the full force of law? Alfie Meadows did. Having been beaten by police he sustained a brain injury requiring surgery, yet on arrival at hospital the police apparently tried to prevent him receiving treatment. Those officers should be proscuted.
When the police are facing cuts will they be this violent towards their own colleagues?
The reality is very different. The footage of how the un-mounted police officer sustained his injuries is being circulated and as you will see the officer was not beaten by protestors but steppen on by his horse. Meanwhile the police can be seen hitting a protestor in the background.
Perhaps the police horse should face the full force of law? Alfie Meadows did. Having been beaten by police he sustained a brain injury requiring surgery, yet on arrival at hospital the police apparently tried to prevent him receiving treatment. Those officers should be proscuted.
When the police are facing cuts will they be this violent towards their own colleagues?
Friday, 10 December 2010
Caroline on Student Fees
Great speech from Caroline at yesterday's student rally outside Westminster.
Kent students are getting in the news too and have occupied the University of Kent. Maidstone student activists have door stepped Helen Grant with a petition - well done to Luke and team.
Kent students are getting in the news too and have occupied the University of Kent. Maidstone student activists have door stepped Helen Grant with a petition - well done to Luke and team.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Letter on student protests to Kent Messenger
Letter to the Kent Messenger on the Maidstone's sudent protesters and congrats to Kent Green, Aaron Keily for getting a mention!
Dear Sir,
Maidstone's students should be congratulated for doorstepping Helen Grant's office as part of the protests about the student fee rises. Once again the Tories are restricting education choices to the rich and excluding students from more modest families. Selection by wealth is a straightforward way to increase inequalities in our already unequal society.
Of course, we should expect little better from the Conservatives but the real scandal is the way that the Lib Dems have refused to stand by their pledges. Their U-Turn is an affront to democracy and they should be hanging their heads in shame.
Stuart Jeffery
Maidstone Green Party
Dear Sir,
Maidstone's students should be congratulated for doorstepping Helen Grant's office as part of the protests about the student fee rises. Once again the Tories are restricting education choices to the rich and excluding students from more modest families. Selection by wealth is a straightforward way to increase inequalities in our already unequal society.
Of course, we should expect little better from the Conservatives but the real scandal is the way that the Lib Dems have refused to stand by their pledges. Their U-Turn is an affront to democracy and they should be hanging their heads in shame.
Stuart Jeffery
Maidstone Green Party
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Media censoring of student protest
Just amazed that twitter wasn't trending #demo2010 when there were 200 tweets a minute at around 8pm last night. Just as amazed that the BBC coverage ignores the fact that 14 and 15 year olds were kettled by police and that parents couldn't get them out. Equally amazing were Michael Gove's comments that he wanted the media to deny the students the "oxygen of publicity". Sky News's coverage ignores the very young protesters as does the Torygraph.
Caroline Lucas didn't though, seeing her speak out in Parliament about the appalling state of affairs was very welcome: "Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion) (Green): On a point of order, Mr Amess. Have you have received any indication from the Home Secretary that she might be coming to the House tonight to make a statement on whether she believes that police tactics outside the House are proportionate? Many hundreds of students and schoolchildren have been kettled for more than four hours and, according to the police, will be out there for several more hours in the freezing cold.Whatever one thinks about the student protest, holding people against their will for no reason is neither proportionate nor effective."
Saturday, 13 November 2010
More on the riot
Press release from Kent Green Party below, but interesting to see that lecturers are more supportive of the students than some students appear to be. This is from Prof Grigg-Spall at University of Kent and this is the statement from lecturers at Goldsmiths. Of course violence is wrong, but it needs to be understood in the context of the anger that the students are feeling. They didn't target people (apart from one idiot with the fire extinguisher), they broke a few windows.
On last night's news quiz, there was a great comment that the police put too few officers to cover the march due to the cuts and suggested an interesting conversation might be happening about how under policed future marches will be unless the government protects police funding. I also liked the comment about the only promise Clegg seems to have delivered on was that there would be rioting if the government made hard cuts!
KGP press release:
“Kent Green Party wants our young people to enter adult life after University without the crippling debts offered to them by the Coalition. Imposing the highest average tuition fees in the world upon students will increase indebtedness and depress savings. A better option to help sustain Higher Education would be increasing corporation tax to the average European level.
“I note that the Young Greens(1) , the youth and student branch of the Green Party has commented on the student protests in London(2): Sam Coates, co-chair of the Young Greens, was at Millbank on 10th November. He said:
"The anger at yesterday's protests was remarkable, especially towards the Lib Dems who have left so many students feeling betrayed……………..Students have begun the fight against the Coalition's dangerous and damaging policies………….. Obviously we abhor violence against people, but the events at Millbank were a totally understandable response to pent up anger of young people who feel they are being jilted at every turn.”
"Kent Green Party is concerned that higher tuition fees will impact upon Kent communities with large numbers of students – notably Medway and the Canterbury district. Apart from the risk of many young people not going to University at all, those who do are likely to severely curtail their spending in the local economy. This makes job losses from higher tuition fees likely in both Higher Education institutions and in the local economy."
Notes:
1. The youth and student wing of the Green Party.
2. See their full release at: http://london.greenparty.org.uk/region/london/news/11-11-2010-Student-protests-are-expression-of-a-generation-at-the-end-of-its-tether.html
On last night's news quiz, there was a great comment that the police put too few officers to cover the march due to the cuts and suggested an interesting conversation might be happening about how under policed future marches will be unless the government protects police funding. I also liked the comment about the only promise Clegg seems to have delivered on was that there would be rioting if the government made hard cuts!
KGP press release:
“Kent Green Party wants our young people to enter adult life after University without the crippling debts offered to them by the Coalition. Imposing the highest average tuition fees in the world upon students will increase indebtedness and depress savings. A better option to help sustain Higher Education would be increasing corporation tax to the average European level.
“I note that the Young Greens(1) , the youth and student branch of the Green Party has commented on the student protests in London(2): Sam Coates, co-chair of the Young Greens, was at Millbank on 10th November. He said:
"The anger at yesterday's protests was remarkable, especially towards the Lib Dems who have left so many students feeling betrayed……………..Students have begun the fight against the Coalition's dangerous and damaging policies………….. Obviously we abhor violence against people, but the events at Millbank were a totally understandable response to pent up anger of young people who feel they are being jilted at every turn.”
"Kent Green Party is concerned that higher tuition fees will impact upon Kent communities with large numbers of students – notably Medway and the Canterbury district. Apart from the risk of many young people not going to University at all, those who do are likely to severely curtail their spending in the local economy. This makes job losses from higher tuition fees likely in both Higher Education institutions and in the local economy."
Notes:
1. The youth and student wing of the Green Party.
2. See their full release at: http://london.greenparty.org.uk/region/london/news/11-11-2010-Student-protests-are-expression-of-a-generation-at-the-end-of-its-tether.html
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Boris talking crap on student violence
Just watched this clip from the BBC which shows Boris being saddened by the violence yesterday yet being proud of London's history of allowing people to protest.
Three things spring to mind...
Firstly the students were probably protesting outside the wrong HQ. The Lib Dems are far more culpable than the Tories on student fees - they are the ones who are breaking their promises.
Secondly, how much violence was there? 36 arrested but far more have been arrested at completely peaceful protests, so I wonder just how small the numbers of trouble makers were. Probably similar to the number of students in the Bullingdon Club. Not that they would have had any involvement in the protest as the student fees won't hurt the rich but, I would guess this type of violence would have been right down the Bullingdon Club's tradition of violence, which makes Boris's comments all the more cynical.
Finally, Boris talks about London's tradition of allowing people to protest. I supect the right to protest goes a bit deeper than tradition!
Three things spring to mind...
Firstly the students were probably protesting outside the wrong HQ. The Lib Dems are far more culpable than the Tories on student fees - they are the ones who are breaking their promises.
Secondly, how much violence was there? 36 arrested but far more have been arrested at completely peaceful protests, so I wonder just how small the numbers of trouble makers were. Probably similar to the number of students in the Bullingdon Club. Not that they would have had any involvement in the protest as the student fees won't hurt the rich but, I would guess this type of violence would have been right down the Bullingdon Club's tradition of violence, which makes Boris's comments all the more cynical.
Finally, Boris talks about London's tradition of allowing people to protest. I supect the right to protest goes a bit deeper than tradition!
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