From early morning Monday 5th March to the afternoon of Wednesday 7th March, we students occupied part of the administrative floor of the Fielding Johnson building on the University of Leicester campus. It was one of many student occupations across the country, together with Bath, Exeter, Bristol and UCL, and others such as those at…
Students Occupying Leicester University demand the removal of David Willetts as Chancellor
At ten o’clock yesterday morning, Tuesday 5th March, we in the Leicester Socialist Students and a number of other societies made our way into the Fielding Johnson building on our campus, executing our plan to get inside and finding our way through the building to the management office floor. Despite a tumultuous start with security,…
UoL Students and Staff Unite and Fight Against Pension Cuts
Drums were beaten, speeches were delivered, chants were boomed, and banners and placards were held high. It was both fantastic and extremely moving to see the campus so alive today; from the picket lines of striking lecturers, researchers and professional services workers beginning bright and early at 7:30 this morning, to the rally ending around…
UoL students and staff unite to oppose controversial appointment of David Willetts as Chancellor
On the 9th February it was announced that the University of Leicester had appointed the controversial former Minister of Universities and Science David Willetts as its new chancellor. During his time as minister, Willetts was a key orchestrator in bringing about the rise in tuition fees from £3,000 to £9,000, which at the time he…
Leicester Socialist Students fight back against education cuts
On Wednesday 22nd November members of Socialist Students from the University of Leicester and De Montfort University staged a demonstration in opposition to tuition fees and education cuts. The demonstration was part of a nationwide Day of Action organised by Socialist students to coincide with Budget Day. The demonstration started on the respective University campuses…
What is Blairism?
Blairism, as the name suggests, is the term used to describe the ideology and philosophy of Tony Blair, the former Labour Party leader and Prime Minister. Coming after eighteen years of hated Tory rule, Blair’s 1997 election victory was welcomed by many working class people hungry for change. Very early in his first term as…
Donald Trump’s Useful Idiots
The people of America were overwhelmingly told that Clinton was the only acceptable and experienced enough candidate to become President, despite this, Donald Trump is now the President of the United States of America. Insane! Up until a couple of weeks ago I would have told you that Clinton was going to become the next…
Lesser Evilism Only Fuels the Growth of the Right Wing
In this time of global political and economic crisis, calls to support the ‘least bad’ candidate are becoming a staple of political debate on both sides of the Atlantic. After Bernie Sanders officially endorsed Hillary Clinton as the Democratic presidential candidate in order to keep Donald Trump from power, left wing figures such as Owen…
Open University – Open to Who?
The Open University until recently offered affordable part-time correspondence courses at degree level, but has been subject to the same changes in funding as traditional brick universities. In fact, it had an even bigger hike in fees. In 2012, the cost of a 60-credit module – a sixth of an Open undergraduate degree – rose…
Owen Jones Now Supporting Hillary Clinton
Owen Jones has demonstrated once again how little understanding he has of the social and political forces currently at work by calling for Sanders supporters to rally behind Hillary Clinton. He writes: Undoubtedly, the vast majority of Sanders’ supporters will vote for Hillary Clinton, despite a media focus on those pledging to do otherwise. Yes,…
Saving Labour from Blairism: The Dangers of Confining the Debate to Existing Members
Since last Thursday’s EU referendum, some 172 right wing Labour MPs have put their name to a vote of no confidence in their leader Jeremy Corbyn. They claim that Corbyn is ‘unelectable’, despite winning the biggest mandate of any party leader in British history. Even leaders proven to be ‘unelectable’, such as Ed Miliband, are…
How Left Remain Campaigners Sold Out the Working Class: Lesser Evilism in the EU Referendum
There are few illusions about the reformability of the EU on the left, even amongst those campaigning for Remain. Paul Mason has stated that “it is impossible for the EU to be a democracy”. The ex-Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has described the “point blank refusal” of Greek creditors to “engage in economic arguments.” He…
Leicester Socialist Students 