Fighting the University Tuition Fee Increases

 

This is not about gardening.

The ConDem Coalition Government decision to increase university tuition fees will have the effect of denying thousands of young people access to a university education. Of course, the rich will be alright, they already have the greatest access to the top universities via the public school system. The role of the Liberal Democrats in this is shameful and I’m afraid just confirms that they have no real policies or principles of their own.

I suppose I have more cause to be concerned by the rise in tuition fees than some. I have one daughter just graduated (and got a job) with a debt of £20,000 and another daughter aspiring to go to university in 2 years time. I feel sad that despite my efforts to help them financially, they start their adult lives with such debts even before the word ‘mortgage’ is mentioned..

It is no surprise that students and young people want to exercise their right to protest against the tuition fee increases. What is unacceptable are the police tactics!! It is horrific that in our so-called free society that the police are being used as an arm of the government to brutally attack young people on our streets. Charges by mounted police into the crowd of demonstrators, use of batons and ‘kettling’. All this against a crowd that contains many schoolchildren as young as 15.

The Metropolitan Police use of the media is also unacceptable. Their press releases are misleading and seek to cover the truth of their brutality whilst putting all the blame on the protestors. It is also disturbing that police riot officers cover their I.D. numbers and thus take away any opportunity for people to take legal action against individual officers.

I hope the students and young people will have the courage to continue the protest. I will be putting my gardening gloves to one side and joining them!

Am I angry? Darn right I am!