Labour’s policy? Say nothing!

Socialist Students steering committee statement

University students are suffering again this term. The gap between our maintenance loans and actual living costs has never been higher. Most of us have to work long hours in low-paid jobs just to afford to study. Rents have soared yet again, and courses are being cut at a record number of universities. For the first time ever this year, the proportion of working-class students attending university has fallen – and no wonder.

Labour’s Budget has done nothing to stop the rot. In the 170-page document published by the Treasury today, the word ‘university’ appears just twice – and only to announce some crumbs for the “commercialisation” of research.

The Budget is a continuation of attacks on students and university workers seen under the Tories. It confirms Labour’s immediate approach to the university funding crisis, which is to allow university bosses to continue making savage cuts to jobs and courses.

At the same time, by allocating no new money for universities, it remains a strong possibility that Labour will look at raising tuition fees in the follow-up to this Budget – potentially allowing fees to rise with inflation, to give universities a small funding boost in the short-term.

Faced with a higher education sector in crisis, and the spectre of university bankruptcies hanging over their heads, Labour will try to make students and staff pay, not big business and the super-rich, whose interests this Labour government obediently serves. On the same day as the Budget, the government announced they will be legislating for reform of the fee system next year. Even bigger attacks on students could be in the pipeline under Starmer.

Socialist Students has been preparing for the nightmare facing students and staff this year. That’s why we initiated the ‘Funding Not Fees’ campaign this term, as a step to building a movement for fully funded, free education with living grants for all, paid for by taking the wealth and resources off the super-rich. As part of the Funding Not Fees day of action around Budget Day, Socialist Students protested on over 20 campuses across the UK.

Socialist Students will be reaching out to student organisations, trade union branches and others over the rest of this term to build the Funding Not Fees campaign. We want to organise mass campus meetings, lobbies of our local MPs, and more protests and rallies around the country to demand a socialist solution to the capitalist crisis in education – not more cuts, cost-of-living crisis, and fees.

Join us!