Daily Archives: 25 November, 2010

The vast majority

by suzannahrobinson

School children at a protest march against the swingeing cuts and rising fees join hands to prevent any more damage being done to a police van that had already almost been tipped over onto other protesters. These girls represent one side of the student protest, and one we can all be proud of.

A more difficult, but very real element is the violence, from those whose anger has been brewing long before any cuts to spending or raising of fees were confirmed. Some young people seem to have joined in partly for the sake of having a go at the police, the everyday face of the state.

Imagine you’d developed a suspicion of authority because your family had been falling through the cracks for decades. Then suddenly EMA arrives, you’re entitled to it, and you decide to go on to 6th form. You feel like maybe things are changing, maybe the government cares about you after all.

Now that it’s being scrapped the damage won’t just be seen in our schools and universities but in our social cohesion, our sense of possibility and social mobility. Dialogue about yobs hijacking middle class protests and disgraceful schoolgirls wreaking havoc is threatening student unity before we’re even getting started.

Our young people need to acknowledge the anger but keep it peaceful, and stay united. We want equal treatment, we should extend it to each other.

Suzy

The happiness scale

by maxattacks

If you’re too depressed to realise lately, but DC is hoping to attempt measure the happiness of the nation. Now this is certainly something, well, different and I suppose I welcome it as being happy in life is something everyone will aspire to. However, international research has proven that the most “happiest” nations on the planet are those that are the most economically equal, like the Scandinavian countries. So be warned DC, if you do wish to improve the nations, “happiness index”, then an age of austerity isn’t going to be it’s biggest helping hand. Raising VAT, slashing Welfare, trebling tuition fees and everything else in between in the grand age of austerity, is just going to make society more unequal, and consequently, unhappier.

Max

The People’s Ed

by maxattacks

I’m sat in the main auditorium at this year’s Labour Conference at Manchester Central waiting for Ed Miliband to come out and do his first question and answer session as leader of the Labour party. I look around me and it’s not the sight I expected to see. Coming to conference as a new member, I guess I didn’t know really what to expect, in truth, but I got the impression that it wasn’t the place for ordinary members to come to: everyone is in suits! And there was certainly nobody I could see below the age of 25 – quite odd considering I’d been invited by Young Labour as a new member to come along and meet Ed Miliband at some point during the day.

I ignored this feeling and shortly Ed made his way onto the stage with comedian, actor, mad man (for running 43 marathons in 50 days) Eddie Izzard! Now I’d found out were all the young members are, they were all on stage sat behind Ed and Ed. And this turned out to be the theme of the session. It was about grassroots labour for Mili E.

I’m aware that there has been some criticism of Ed in last month or so (and not just from the usual right-wing press may I say!) focused on his lack of voice and of a true alternative to the coalitions devastating cuts. At conference, however, I could tell he knew what he was doing. He understands the task in hand and has a rough idea of how to succeed in it. What he might be lacking is the specific ideas.

And this isn’t a bad thing. I’ll tell you why…

After the Q&A, Ed came along to a room to the side of the hall where 100 new young members had gathered. Also there was the general secretary, Ray Collins. After a short speech by Ed, he dug straight in and wanted to hear our opinions. That simple. He wanted us to highlight the issues young members have. A lot was discussed and as each idea was discussed it felt like real progress was happening right there.

We need a leader that listens. We need a party that listens. Because I think listening became the main factor in the election defeat. Gordon just wasn’t able to listen. If your government doesn’t listen then you aren’t going to vote for them again. Nick and Dave fooled people by saying that they were going to listen to them. People bought it. But now it appears they lied about this (shock much?).

We need members that can shape this party and determine which way it goes. If everything goes to plan, we will win the next general election. It won’t just be Ed that wins the next general election, it will be the unity of the members.

We need to join together and throw out the ‘new labour’ arguments. Every one of us has a slightly different view on past affairs and even current ones. We are never going to agree on everything but let’s agree on the values we share: the ones that protect every member of society; the ones that insure fairness! Because that’s why I joined the party in May.

I don’t think this branding of ‘Red Ed’ is going to stick. I’m personally hoping he’s going to become ‘The People’s Ed’. The leader that actually listens. And I think that’s all we need him to be. Because we can do the rest…

And if it does all start at grassroots level, then it all starts at BULS as well!

I know I’m ready for the fight, are you?

Oliver Cosentino, BULS Member