Read the latest reports from Socialist Students at freshers fairs around the UK
Birmingham | Birmingham City | Coventry | Dundee | Hertfordshire | KCL | Leeds | Leeds Beckett | Liverpool | Northampton | Nottingham Trent | Queen Mary | Salford | Sheffield | Sussex | USW | York
Hertfordshire – suffering with cost of living and soaring rent
Students approached us to discuss the issues facing them, responding to our slogans of ‘join the socialists’, ‘Tories out’, and ‘fight the cost-of-living crisis’.
Hertfordshire University has a lot of working-class students. We met students struggling with the cost of living, especially soaring rents.
One student spoke to us about the unreliable bus service between campus and the nearest town, Hatfield. More and more students are forced to rely on this service to commute into university, as student accommodation on campus is increasingly scarce and expensive.
Another student said he had no choice but to travel into campus by car from his parents’ house in London. Adding salt to the wound, he also now has to pay a £12.50 Ulez charge to make the journey every day.
This student explained that he is in favour of tackling air pollution, but opposes measures that punish working-class drivers, who are less able to afford newer, regulations-compliant vehicles.
Many students connected the issues they face day to day to the system of capitalism, and the need for a socialist alternative. One student said that she had “found her people” when she saw that we were socialists. 20 students left their details to get involved.
At our first informal meeting later that day, we agreed to hold regular political discussions on campus, combined with weekly campaign stalls on issues like public transport and housing.
The new Hertfordshire Socialist Students group will attend a protest on the housing crisis on 28 October, joining other Socialist Students groups from across London. We also made plans to get a group along to Socialism 2023 in November.
King’s College London – every sign-up sheet filled out
Nick Davies
We handed out 300 leaflets, and filled out every Socialist Students sign-up sheet we had. Some of the best conversations I had were with international students, curious about what was happening in this country, and linking it to their own experience.
Students were responsive to calls for free education, and inflation-proof maintenance grants for all. Many brought up their distrust of Labour leader Keir Starmer, recognising the need for real opposition on the left.
Sussex – can’t afford bills less than a week into uni
Adam Gillman
There was a lot of concern with the rents and cost of living. Less than a week at the university, and they already were feeling like they couldn’t pay the bills. The main issue that all the students were concerned about was their university debt, and how they were going to have to pay it off.
Lots of students were demoralised with what Labour is offering, and talked about how there needs to be a new party. We linked this to the idea of the trade unions standing their own candidates at the next general election, as a step towards a new party.
We gained 30 people interested in Socialist Students.
Queen Mary – debt we can’t afford on wages too low
The main concerns on campus are the housing crisis, and the repayment of student loan debt after graduation.
Many of the students that we spoke with have to work while studying full time, in order to survive. Student loans just aren’t enough anymore. On top of this, there’s the fear of paying back these loans with interest on a salary too low to live on in London.
We got 70 names and phone numbers of people interested in Socialist Students.
Leeds – ‘what is socialism?’
Louie Fulton
The question “what is socialism?” was asked a lot. When we explained, most agreed that a mass workers’ movement is needed and that they would like to see a socialist society in the future.
One international student from the US explained to me how the costs work for international students. £22,000 was the cost of tuition, with an additional £3,000 for the visa.
They still have to pay for rent and living costs on top! All this is paid for with a personal loan back in the US, as they do not even have access to the British student finance system.
This student is now stuck working two jobs. One in the UK as a server, and one in the US, providing IT support to a healthcare company.
Many students strongly feel that Labour no longer represents them. They feel lost for political representation.
Some are considering voting Green as they see them as the only viable alternative to Labour. We made the case for a party based on the working class, where the trade unions could stand their own candidates, for example.
One student said about freshers week: “This is way too commercial”. Another student, who said that they felt “advertised to”, bought a Socialist paper and a Socialist Student magazine
Their idea of freshers week was socialising, meeting friends and getting drunk. But they had corporate sponsors trying to sell them stuff constantly.
We collected almost 100 names of people interested in Socialist Students.
USW Trefforest – most international students joining ever
123 have signed up for Socialist Students. 37 from Nigeria, and large numbers from south Asia too.
The big increase reflects the severity of the capitalist global economic crisis, particularly in the neocolonial world. Many from Nigeria have spent their life savings – and their families’ – to be here, and now are searching for scarce well-paid, part-time jobs.
Our first campaigning activity after freshers was attending a picket line in support of striking lecturers – who are fighting casualisation and increased unpaid workloads. They welcomed our support.
The new USW Trefforest Socialist Students group has already held four meet-ups, and taken a carload down to a Socialist Students meeting in Cardiff too.
Next we’re considering campaigns to nationalise public transport in Wales to win fairer fairs, and also in solidarity with Nigerian workers and youth fighting back against extreme poverty.
Northampton – campaigning on the cost of being a student
Ruby Kent
Freshers had an influx of students angry about the cost-of-living crisis that the Tory government has put us in, and the ridiculously low quality of life that this has left for students. This led to a successful Socialist Students meet and greet.
We’re supporting lecturers on strike, and campaigning against things like the extortionate price of student housing, owned by private landlords benefiting at our expense.
With our first meetings under way, students have an opportunity to have their voices heard. The Tories and Labour have no plans to scrap tuition fees, and plan to continue privatising education.
Nottingham Trent – anger at cost of living, hated Tories and useless Labour, and failing capitalism
Seamus Smyth
Students are excited about new experiences at university, and angry knowing how hard students will suffer during this crisis. In the first two hours of our stall, 28 students were interested in campaigning against the student cost-of-living crisis.
It’s clear who they blame for this crisis. Students want the Tories out, but they don’t trust Starmer and the Labour Party.
Students we spoke to know that the Tories and Labour are two sides of the same coin. And today’s young people increasingly want to see socialist change in society.
Birmingham – building international solidarity in fight for socialism
Harriett McCormick
Many people shouted our slogans back at us in support, whilst walking to their lectures – particularly removing the Tories. Even though our stalls informing young people about Socialist Students were plagued with heavy rain, wind and security, we managed to get 32 new sign-ups.
We had in-depth conversations with passersby, who were either supportive or curious about our group. We even had conversations, and handed out material, to the workers on the Dominos and nightclub stalls.
Ten people attended our first meeting. And our discussion was very international.
The University of Birmingham has a high number of international students. And, unlike previous years, three-quarters of the new attendees at the meeting were international students.
Chinese students attending had first-hand experience of a repressive regime calling itself ‘communist’. They provided a unique insight, and shared their experience of political organisation in their country.
A Canadian student at the meeting pointed out that students from both Britain and around the world have a great opportunity to learn from each other this university year. Through Socialist Students, we will foster greater international solidarity.
Sheffield – 50 at first meeting hear need for mass workers’ party to overthrow capitalism
Noah Eden
Young people are fed up with this current government, and the capitalist system as a whole. We have been campaigning in the streets and on the campuses, talking with the youth and students about socialist ideas.
One of the key shifts in the mood compared to last year is the feelings towards Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. Last year, the majority of students felt a complete sense of apathy towards him.
That sense of apathy has turned into disdain and anger. On countless occasions he has gone back on Jeremy Corbyn’s pledges to better the lives of young people.
This mood was reflected in our very successful first Socialist Students meeting, attended by 50 people. The discussion focused largely on the need for a new mass workers’ party, and how it can be achieved.
Many of the first-time attendees were keen to get involved with further action, indicating interest in helping out at campaign stalls, and coming to support striking workers on picket lines.
In Sheffield, Socialist Students is the only student organisation calling for a new workers’ party. So it’s important that we get out there and meet new people to build for this alternative, uniting students and workers to overthrow capitalism.
York – young people want to translate socialist conclusions into action
Ali Mansfield
Many young people, sick of the dead end offered by capitalism and its representatives in all major parties, are now turning to socialist ideas to offer hope for the future. 80 people signed up to Socialist Students.
Many more have already started to draw socialist conclusions, and are keen to translate this into action. The importance placed by Socialist Students on campaigning and linking up with the wider workers’ movement was extremely welcome to many of those looking to get involved.
Over the next few weeks, we will be holding discussions on Marxist theory, revolutionary history, current events in Britain and internationally, and the relevance of all these for the day-to-day issues faced by young people.
We hope to carry this enthusiasm forward, and reach out to even more people looking to join the socialist fightback.
Liverpool – Starmer tells students ‘free education is impossible’
Dean Young and Conor O’Neill
Labour leader Keir Starmer was recently asked in a Q&A by a sixth-form student, presumably preparing to go to university in the near future, whether he would consider abolishing tuition fees or student loans. After all, this was one of Starmer’s ten pledges, when he ran for Labour leader, therefore it is a rational question.
Starmer’s response won’t surprise you. “It is impossible”, and “we cannot afford it”. By ‘we’, Starmer is taking about the capitalist class, who quite enjoy the benefits of the marketisation of higher education.
The Conservative Party and the capitalist system offer nothing for young people. And Starmer is showing that Labour doesn’t either.
It is worth remembering that it was the Labour government, under Tony Blair, who Starmer models his philosophy on, that first introduced tuition fees in 1997.
Students that get lower-paid jobs after attending university, can expect to be in debt until at least their mid-50s.
Socialist Students is building on our growth and success from last year. At the University of Liverpool, student walkouts and ‘solidarity pickets’ were important in supporting ongoing strike action by the University and College Union (UCU).
Our ‘night bus’ campaign has now been official adopted by the University of Liverpool guild (student union).
Socialist Students fights for free education and the rights of working-class students. And at our meetings, we’ll also be discussing the revolutionary ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky.
Salford – loans barely scratch surface
Sam Hey
After the historic strike wave, this year’s freshers seemed more political than previous. A popular topic of conversation was maintenance loans, barely meeting the cost of rents, if at all.
Most students I spoke with were having to work alongside their studies. When I asked one if they think it will affect their university work, they responded: “I don’t really have much choice”.
I was impressed by the number of students who came up to our campaign stall that had an understanding of socialism already in their mind. This provided us with a great opportunity to speak about our programme and what we stand for.
Our next student meeting is on capitalism and the climate emergency, a subject highlighted by the students as something they care about.
Dundee – defying undemocratic order, with support from workers
Wando Frank
A big thank you to Unite the Union members at Dundee University for refusing to comply with requests to remove Socialist Students from campus during the freshers fair.
We were out campaigning in support of striking staff. But student union management tried to get us removed, and called security, after we refused on democratic grounds.
I know the security guard a bit from previous picket lines. I explained that we were leafleting students, trying to get them to support the strike, and join their staff on the picket lines, as well as encouraging young people to join Unite.
He told the student union management that he wasn’t prepared to remove us from campus, telling other security guards to stand down. In the end, all we had to do was move our table slightly.
Coventry and Birmingham City – students want Tories out
Max McGee
At Coventry and Birmingham City universities, Socialist Students collected almost 100 names on lively stalls, meeting those who seek a socialist way forward. Students are worried about the loan repayment threshold being lowered, and that rent and living costs outstrip loans.
Students in insecure work, others living precariously one research grant to the next, and lecturers in the University and College Union (UCU) all signed the petitions on our stall. They all commented on the ‘race to the bottom’ that had chased them since starting work as young teenagers.
One student agreed that working while studying impacts on results in the short term, and long-term life quality. Another student said that he was concerned about the devaluing of degrees through student debt, that he and many others had considered dropping out, or taking apprenticeships instead.
Socialist Students campaign stalls and meetings are just some of the things we do. We’re building Socialist Students groups on campuses. And going down to support striking workers on picket lines too.
Students want the Tories out. But many have no faith in the pro-austerity Labour Party, having already reneged on its commitments on free education and climate action.
Many students feel drained from poor-quality privatised education, and are seething from the audacity of board members raking in salaries of over £200,000, while students suffer black-mould accommodation. And their teachers are not much better off.
In Birmingham, the Labour council has been declared bankrupt after spending years trying to break workers’ strikes and cut local services. We say students and workers should link up to coordinate action against the bosses.
Birmingham City – weight of uni fees and lack of housing
U’Semu Makaya
We worked hard to put the word out about Socialist Students. 71 students expressed their interest in Socialist Students across the week, with 14 people coming to our first meetings.
Common grievances discussed at our campaign stalls included the exponential weight of university fees, the availability of student housing, or rather lack of it, and worries about lack of security and agency in future workplaces.
With issues like the student loan repayment plan continuing to plague universities, Socialist Students will continue to reach out to students. And we will work towards strengthening the fight against exploitation by the vicious market that education has been allowed to become.
Leeds Beckett – how can we drive Tories out?
Iain Dalton
A dozen students left their contact details to find out more about Socialist Students, before it started raining. While more students took our leaflets, asked us to explain what we mean by socialism, or how we can drive all the Tories from power – blue and red.
Socialist Students 