The UAL Marxist society recently discussed the November 10th march and what we felt might be the next step of the campaign against the education cuts. They have produced this flyer in order to highlight the impact of the cuts, particularly among the arts, and come up with some concrete steps to defeat this attack on education. On November the 18th they will hold a meeting in Chelsea Art college entitled 'The Student Struggle. Where next?'

Events have taken a turn in Britain as the first mass reaction took place this week against the programme of vicious cuts being introduced by the Tory-led coalition. On Wednesday, November 10th, London witnessed an overwhelming response from the students as a demonstration of over 50,000 marched in protest at the attacks taking place in Higher Education.

The National Union of Students (NUS) and the University and College Union (UCU) have organised a national demonstration to protest against the cuts to higher education and the Browne proposals of unlimted fees. The demo, entitled “Funding Our Future: Stop the Cuts” is taking place in central London on Wednesday 10th November, with assembly at 12noon at Horse Guards’ Avenue.

Lord Browne, a former BP Chief Executive, has proposed a “radical reform” (i.e. counter-reform) of Higher Education funding: unlimited fees. After more than a decade of rising costs for students, the Browne Review calls for further privatisation, and paves the way for a more elitist education system. Students need to fight these proposals and take a stand against fees altogether. In short, we must demand a free education system.

The University of London Union Marxist society invites you to come and see this acclaimed film about the Spanish Civil War, the heroicism and the betrayal. Then hear KEN LOACH, the famous left-wing director of the film, answer questions and give his views about it.

Despite media hype and weeks of preparation, Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain was greeted with indisputably underwhelming support.

Just as students were preparing to return to Glasgow University for another year of study or, for some, to begin their courses, it has been announced that the university has a £35m deficit, with unions warning of “savage” cuts (BBC News website, 9th September 2010).

The ConDem coalition has wasted no time in getting to work unleashing its program of austerity.

John McDonnell’s recent withdrawal from the Labour Party Leadership contest has both disappointed and agitated many left-wingers inside and outside of the Labour Party. Only one of the five remaining hopefuls (Diane Abbott) has openly described herself as leftwing, but few radical policies, if any at all, have been seen, and none which might have persuasively distinguished her from McDonnell. Andy Burnham, Ed Balls, Ed Miliband and David Miliband have all been tainted by their reputations as careerists and Blairites, but the recent Labour Youth Hustings, held on the 11th June, seemed to imply that they were all inching towards new radical ideas founded on the fundamental beliefs of old Labour.

Saturday, 03 July 2010, 1pm, Room 2E, University of London Union, Malet Street, London. For Marxists the decisive question in 2010 is how the struggle against the ConDem government will unfold. When will it begin, and for what reason? What will be the pace of developments, and how deeply will the mass movement draw in the working class? How will class consciousness develop as a result? Above all, what political form will this movement take?

On the final morning of the nomination deadline John McDonnell announced that he was pulling out. His primary reason for doing so was that he would not have secured the required number of MP nominations to put him on the ballot paper. In this way the voice of the left-wing in the Labour Party has been silenced. It cannot be argued that McDonnell’s voice was an insignificant one. Trade union after trade union came out in support of McDonnell. In spite of this, a place in the leadership contest was denied.

The new Higher Education minister David Willetts has come out with a clear indication about the Con-Dem coalition's attitude to young people, anticipating their announcement to raise tuition fees for university students. In an interview with The Guardian, Willetts labelled students' degree courses a "tax burden that had to be tackled" and that students should consider fees "more as an obligation to pay higher income tax" than a debt! It is clear that the ruling class is bent on unloading the cost of the crisis onto the shoulders of young people by continuing to attack living standards and limiting opportunities. Yet for many the capitalist crisis means a choice between joining the back of the dole queue and continuing in education.

The economic downturn has placed a heavy burden on the shoulders of the working class who have paid the price for the mistakes of the bosses and bankers through cuts and redundancies. The youth in particular have been hit hard with many unable to find work or being forced into education. While the capitalists may speak of laziness the fact is there is very little work out there - 5 people are now chasing every job. This is the fault of the bourgeoisie who are solely concerned with gaining the most profit possible (or, in these times, making the smallest loss). The unemployment that is caused by this failed system leads to terrible consequences with many living in poverty and seeing no way out of their desperate situation.

The general election result signalled a state of panic for the ruling class. Following their months of planning and great effort the result still came as a disappointment with the Tories not even managing a slim majority. In light of the recession a strong Tory government was what was required in order to carry out a raft of cuts so as to place the economic struggle firmly on the back of the working class. The Labour administration of the past 13 years was long past being able to carry out such measures without facing the wrath of workers’ fury. No, the bosses knew what was needed. It was time to go back to their classic roots - the Tories.