Theory and analysis

Manchester Metropolitan to train Qatari police officers

In the wake of recent scandals involving the horrific and frequently fatal working conditions in Qatar in anticipation of the 2022 World cup,[1] Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) has plans to take on and train Qatari police officers. It is to be a four-year police science degree undertaken at the Greater Manchester Police Force and the National College of Policing.[2] A brutal regime Amnesty International has deemed Qatar’s ‘sponsorship’ method (kalafa) concerning foreign Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Marxist students argue for socialist policies at NUS conference 2014

At this year’s national conference of the National Union of Students (NUS), held in Liverpool between 8th-10th April, three delegates from the Marxist Student Federation (MSF) made an intervention with a fringe event on capitalist crisis and education, by distributing a bulletin spreading Marxist ideas, and by selling the Socialist Appeal newspaper. Through this action we were able to meet a number of students enthusiastic about learning more about Marxism, many of Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

What is the relevance of Marxism today?

This Socialist Appeal pamphlet was written by Ted Grant and Alan Woods in March 1994 as an introduction to to Marxism in Our Time by Leon Trotsky. It is a powerful defence of the relevance of Marxist ideas at a time when the forces of socialism appeared to be on the back foot. The subsequent decades proved the validity of these lines: “The next period will see big battles between the classes that will put the Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Marxist students at NUS conference – live updates

Day Three – Thursday 10 April 9:35am: Today has begun with reports from the “liberation” groups (black, disabled, LGBT and women) on the work they have been doing this year. Very few delegates have turned up to hear these reports. This is the inevitable product of separating the struggle for the rights of these groups away from the NUS as a whole. All students, of whatever race, ability, sexuality or gender must Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Spanish student strike shows the way forward

The major student organizations and unions in Spain called a national university strike on the 26th and 27th of March. I joined the picket lines in the University of Alicante, in the Valencian region. The strike was called to fight the austerity policies of the current PP (right-wing) government that are destroying public education in Spain. Tuition fees have rocketed throughout the country, the number of scholarships has plummeted, classes are overcrowded, Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Success for Marxist students on the campaign trail

This academic year has seen significant steps forward for students fighting for the ideas of Marxism on their campuses. This has been reflected in the success of the founding conference of the Marxist Student Federation (MSF) in February 2014, and also in the campaigning and election of Marxists as student representatives in a number of universities. With over 100 members at around 20 universities across the country, and with weekly meetings that Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Manchester Marxists: inspirational miners’ strike meeting

On Thursday 20th March, we at the University of Manchester Marxist Society held a meeting on the 30th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike, with guest speaker and ex-miner John Dunn in attendance. As someone who is relatively new to the Marxist Society (having only become involved in Marxist politics at the beginning of the academic year) and coming from a solidly working class background, the opportunity to hear John speak about the Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

UCL Marxists campaign for a socialist student union

University College London Union recently held spring elections for full-time and part-time positions to represent students. Standing in the elections were three members of the Marxist Student Federation and, whilst they did not win, by presenting a clear socialist perspective on student issues their campaign has shown that a real, socialist alternative is possible, and it greatly helped in the task of spreading Marxist ideas among students. The three candidates, Timur Dautov, Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Marxism and feminism in the student movement

The ideas of Feminism have traditionally found support in universities, and these ideas are currently enjoying a surge in popularity amongst students. At a time when the ideas of Marxism are also finding a growing echo in the student movement, what attitude do Marxists take towards different feminist ideas? How far are these schools of thought compatible? What are the points of contention between them? And what does it mean to call Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

The scandal of child poverty in the UK

Recently, news of child poverty in the UK has been in the headlines again. It is a sad reflection on a failing government and a failing economic system, which, by casting a generation on the scrap heap even before they have grown up, fulfils Marx’s prediction that “the bourgeoisie produce[s], above all…its own gravediggers.” It is things like this that show how ripe society is for socialist revolution. Capitalism is thoroughly rotten Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

The Marxist Student Federation: “the next big thing”

Saturday 15th February 2014 will go down as a historical day for the student movement in the UK, as it saw around 70 student representatives from 20 Marxist societies across the country, along with international visitors, meeting in London for the founding conference of the Marxist Student Federation. The founding of the Federation itself marks a big step forward for the work that has been taking place over the last few years Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

“Democratise SOAS”: the struggle for student-staff democracy in our universities

There is tension and anger in the air at SOAS – as well as in virtually every other university in the country. While students – having woken up from their temporary slumber – are starting to protest again against fees and privatisation of their debt, lecturers and regular members of the staff are striking for an increase in their wages. The struggles at SOAS Students and workers at SOAS (the School of Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

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