As the start of the new university academic year gets closer Marxists all over the country are preparing all sorts of activities, from meetings to campaigns, on campus this term. Below are a selection of reports from some of the Marxist societies affiliated to the Marxist Student Federation. Glasgow University Marxist Society This year in Glasgow University Marxist Society we’ll have one or maybe two stalls at our freshers fair, where we Read more…
The Tories are planning to cut funding for colleges that train apprentices by up to 50% next year, with the bulk of the cuts falling in the most deprived areas. The most popular apprenticeships for 16-18 year olds, in business administration and construction, are being cut by anywhere between 27% and 52% depending on geographical location. But funding is increasing for apprentices who are over 24, living in wealthy areas outside of London, Read more…
We publish here a translation of a statement (the original is republished below) by our comrades in Brazil – Liberdade e Luta – following the impeachment of the Brazilian president and her replacement by Michel Temer. STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY The impeachment has happened. Temer is taking over the presidency to continue to apply the cuts that the national bourgeoisie needs to remain in power. But the workers and young people do not feel defeated. Read more…
As many of you will know this last week it was A-level results day, the day of the year when prospective students get results that determine in many ways their futures, will they be going to university? Will they will be straddled with a lifetime of student debt? Will university even be worth it? What many prospective students do not realise is that universities are not always the beacons of academic pursuits Read more…
Earlier this month student protests in Sao Paulo were interrupted by armed police. The Police opened fire on the marching students with rubber bullets and tear gas. The students had been protesting against recent education reforms. Geraldo Alckmin, governor of the state of Sao Paulo, is proposing to close 94 public educational institutions, leaving 300,000 students to be re-located. The way in which schools are funded is also said to be under Read more…
Having secured for him his victory as Deputy Leader, Tom Watson has now warned everybody about the arm-twisting Trotskyist entryists in the Labour Party. Apparently the irony escaped him that the only other person in history to have complained about Trotskyist infiltration to this extent was Joseph Stalin. Yes, there are Marxists and Trotskyists in the Labour Party. Why the attention? Guardian commentator, John Harris, suggests “a great deal of the current fuss Read more…
In August a teenage Deliveroo cyclist, Raven Morrello, was dragged off his bike, roughed-up and thrown in the back of a van by police in Manchester. He was riding his bicycle along a street when a police horse (why do the police have horses anyway??) got ‘spooked’ by the bike. Apparently that was enough of a reason for the police to assault and arrest a 19 year old. We know that the Read more…
Revolution promises the possibility to achieve real change and a future that is shared and enjoyed by the many, whereas the politics of the establishment is only interested in maintaining the assets and position of the few. Revolution is what Marxists are fighting for. And this is why, in September, the International Marxist Tendency (www.marxist.com) will be launching a new newspaper in Britain called Revolution, written by and for school students, university students and young workers. Read more…
Grants for students from poor backgrounds have now been replaced by loans. Sorana Vieru, National Union of Students vice president, pointed out that this“basically punishes poorer students simply for being poor”, because they will rack up even higher debts that students from better off families. This is on top of the fact that everyone knows student loans aren’t enough to cover real day-to-day living costs while studying at university, especially with the cost of Read more…
From 11 to 15 July the Unite the Union policy conference is meeting in Brighton. The conference of Britain’s largest trade union comes at a critical time for developments in the Labour party and defending Jeremy Corbyn against the Blairite coup attempt should be top of delegates’ agenda. Important questions of economic protectionism and Trident will also be discussed this week. Above all it will be important for Unite to come out Read more…
Labour groups all over the country are coming out in defence of Jeremy Corbyn. See below for a selection of motions and statements that have been passed in the last few days. Using these and the model resolution below as a guide, activists should move resolutions in wards, branches and CLPs (Constituency Labour Parties) all over the country at the first available opportunity. Model resolution: [Insert CLP / ward / branch] notes that Read more…
I’ve just returned from the picket at King’s College London where we had a very respectable turnout of ten striking staff. The next step in our strike schedule after the two-day national strike was for branches to select one day of action in June/July. I voted in favour of co-ordinating with the NUT action on 5 July, but for various reasons my branch opted for today. The turnout on the picket line Read more…
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