Current Affairs The Labour Party

[davek]

 

[Kurt.]

He’s going to be your leader Dave … accept it. You’ll be bowing down to him come July 5th …. An honest and just man who deserves to be your better.

 

[Ming the merciless]

He’s going to be your leader Dave … accept it. You’ll be bowing down to him come July 5th …. An honest and just man who deserves to be your better.

The man’s a fraud. That’s from someone who has voted Labour since 1970

 

[Goat]

He’s going to be your leader Dave … accept it. You’ll be bowing down to him come July 5th …. An honest and just man who deserves to be your better.

His father was a toolmaker you know?

Loved his Son, he would be so proud.

 

[Sean Ashley]

There are a few things to consider re tuition fees. Firstly, since tuition fees were set at their current level of £9,000 per year in 2010, they haven't changed. If they'd risen in line with inflation during that time, they would currently be £13,478.46 per year. This has meant that most universities actually run a loss when teaching domestic students, as the real cost of teaching them is up around the inflation adjusted figure. This has meant huge job cuts across the sector. This is especially so for courses that are more expensive to teach, such as the sciences, which often require lab work, as the cost of provision has surpassed the fixed cost of the tuition fee. This has meant that the humanities, and other so-called useless degrees that Sunak et al criticise, pay for the courses Sunak et al laud.

Secondly, to cover the shortfall, universities have increased the number of overseas students accepted, who are charged higher amounts. Of course, this has meant immigration figures have risen, which governments want to oppose.

Thirdly, the introduction of loans hasn't really affected social mobility, as taxpayer-funded loans cover the cost of one's studies. What's more, those who are on low income upon graduation don't repay their loans, so their education was heavily subsidised by the taxpayer. This situation is complicated by the fact that we're not in as low an interest rate period as we were when fees were introduced. Then, it was quite easy for the government to borrow money at a lower rate than was charged to students. Now, that's not the case, so the provision of student loans is more expensive.

Lastly, there is an inherent aspect of fairness involved. Graduates still earn more than non-graduates, so should all taxpayers, including non-graduates, pay for their education? Should tuition be free for those doing an undergraduate degree but not for other forms of higher education? Is it right to expose universities fully to the wims of governments in terms of their funding?

I agree with everything you said, Universities run as non-profits and the revenues from domestic students don't cover the costs for the University. With International students, Postgraduate students, and research grants providing additional revenue streams. I would state for international are mostly non EU with EU admissions falling since Brexit.

Opening the national conversation on university funding

We need to have a conversation about how universities are funded. Universities must continue to compete on a global scale, support innovative research and teaching, and educate the next generation.

www.universitiesuk.ac.uk

We really need to focus though on whether University is the best option for young adults. The latest figures suggest among 18 year olds 35.8% went into higher education. A jump from 24.7% in 2006. And is University a false economy for students? We know most young people choose University as to stay with their friends and enjoy the night life. And don't focus on studying until the second or third year of their studies. We must also have to consider why students feel forced into higher education it must mean alternative choices are either not available or not easily sourced.

We need to make apprenticeships, shadowing, free work experience and other similar routes more mainstream, to give proper alternatives to stop just forcing teenagers to choose their careers at 13/14 years old.

How much are tuition fees in the UK and is university worth it?

With rising tuition fees and living costs, do higher graduate earnings cover the cost of a degree?

www.bbc.co.uk

With growing numbers the campus can't house everyone and for the unlucky ones who couldn't get into campus residences the options remaining options are expensive and really exploitive. We need to make sure students are not crippled by high rent costs and there should be caps to limit the profit seeking nature of landlords. Which I was glad Starmer mentioned it had to stop with bidding wars.

Existential housing crisis at UK universities leaving students struggling, says NUS

The university experience, for some, is quite different to what they had in mind. While the student population in the UK grows, the number of available student houses has dropped.

news.sky.com

Personally I also dislike the lower wage for younger people and apprenticeships the figures provided in the article below. I think the lower pay is a way of allowing big corporates such as McDonalds to make mega profits as their workforce is made up of kids. McDonald's GB website state the average age of the workforce at 20 years old. I would make it that anyone above the age of 16 has the same minimum hourly pay rate.

My final point is I would like the government to implement minimum salary boundaries for specific job roles to stop fresh university graduates having to take £20-22k (below the median salary in the UK) starting roles which require degrees, especially degrees that require specialist knowledge.

What is the average age of a McDonald's employee?

www.mcdonalds.com

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66043e0991a320001a82b0e7/The_National_Minimum_Wage_in_2024.pdf

 

[Kurt.]

The man’s a fraud. That’s from someone who has voted Labour since 1970

Bow down to your master Sir Kier of house Starmer

 

[Amw79]

See that Wizard writer can’t bring herself to vote for Labour cos Starmer won’t shout “Biological reality” at trans women, or something.

Another newly shy Tory, who you know exactly where that X is going, come election day.

 

[davek]

He’s going to be your leader Dave … accept it. You’ll be bowing down to him come July 5th …. An honest and just man who deserves to be your better.

He's a Tory rat who'll be hated as much as Thatcher.

 

[Rita_Poon]

they're some big heels to fill.
this gender thing is gonna be quite the rollercoaster.

 

[tsubaki]

He's a Tory rat who'll be hated as much as Thatcher.

Growing up I despised that woman, and its so depressing to think that of all the prime ministers who followed her only two have been better - and of them, only one left it in a better state than he found it.

 

[davek]

Growing up I despised that woman, and its so depressing to think that of all the prime ministers who followed her only two have been better - and of them, only one left it in a better state than he found it.

I wouldn't give you tuppence for Blair or Brown either....although I'd give you less than that for the Manchurian Candidate Starmer.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

After you slap people on ignore this thread be like...

 

[Charro]

He's a Tory rat who'll be hated as much as Thatcher.

He won’t.

Thatcher is another level of hate.

He isn’t going to systematically attempt to destroy working class communities.

 

[Rita_Poon]

He won’t.

Thatcher is another level of hate.

He isn’t going to systematically attempt to destroy working class communities.

attempt? the harm that thing did is still evident today.

 

[tsubaki]

I wouldn't give you tuppence for Blair or Brown either....although I'd give you less than that for the Manchurian Candidate Starmer.

I actually meant Major and Brown, with Major being the only one who left a better situation than he took over.