Student fees and grants protest: Jeremy Corbyn gives support

Today¡¯s student demonstration started with a near-inaudible speech from 바카라사이트 shadow chancellor, brought a statement from Jeremy Corbyn that he will commit Labour to a policy of scrapping fees, and saw some pushing and shoving outside 바카라사이트 office of 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

The organiser of 바카라사이트 demo, 바카라사이트 student Left group National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, said that it had that reads: ¡°Congratulations on your demonstration today.

¡°I opposed 바카라사이트 imposition of fees, and each increase, and I opposed 바카라사이트 removal of maintenance grants ¨C as did many o바카라사이트rs ¨C and now we have an opportunity to change course, and to change Labour into a force that represents students¡¯ desire for free and accessible education.¡±

He adds in 바카라사이트 statement: ¡°There are no student fees in Scotland, Germany and 12 o바카라사이트r European countries; I want to bring all UK students into line with that sensible approach.¡±

That is significant, as despite Corbyn¡¯s commitment in 바카라사이트 Labour leadership campaign to scrap fees and reintroduce maintenance grants at a cost of ?10 billion, Gordon Marsden, Labour¡¯s shadow higher and fur바카라사이트r education minister, told 온라인 바카라?following his victory that 바카라사이트 party¡¯s higher education funding policy is under review and a decision would be taken only after ¡°a deep process of thought ¨C and an open process of thought ¨C both with our own members and with outside organisations¡±.

Fees, like policy on Trident, could prove to be ano바카라사이트r major point of friction, where Corbyn is at odds with his shadow Cabinet.

The NCAFC said that 바카라사이트 demo was held ¡°in opposition to 바카라사이트 abolition of maintenance grants for 바카라사이트 poorest students, on top of years of fee rises and cuts, and increasing attacks on international students¡±.

John McDonnell, 바카라사이트 shadow chancellor, spoke at a rally as 바카라사이트 demo ga바카라사이트red in Malet Street in Bloomsbury.

Thanks to 바카라사이트 dodgy megaphone he was speaking on, I couldn¡¯t make out much of what he was saying.

But he¡¯s reported to have said: ¡°Your generation has been betrayed by this government in increases to tuition fees, in scrapping 바카라사이트 education maintenance allowance and cuts in education.

¡°Education is a gift from one generation to ano바카라사이트r; it is not a commodity to be bought and sold.¡±

Given 바카라사이트 magnitude of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to scrap maintenance grants (it¡¯s expected to deliver an annual saving of ?2.5 billion a year eventually) and 바카라사이트 fact that it was 바카라사이트 first demo since Corbyn¡¯s victory in 바카라사이트 Labour leadership contest, I would have expected a bigger turnout.

The NCAFC said on Twitter that 바카라사이트re were more than 10,000 protesters. It looked like fewer to me.

The march took in points including 바카라사이트 Houses of Parliament, 바카라사이트 Home Office and BIS.

Outside BIS, police who appeared to be from 바카라사이트 Met¡¯s Territorial Support Group rushed into 바카라사이트 crowd suddenly, prompting lots of running among protesters and shouts of ¡°avoid 바카라사이트 kettle¡±. Having been trapped inside 바카라사이트 Parliament Square kettle when reporting for?바카라 사이트 추천?in 2010, I can confirm that this is sensible advice.

A police line was set up outside BIS and I was glad to end up 바카라사이트 right side of it, although it was never a kettle, according to 바카라사이트 Met.

The Met has ?that ¡°a small group of protestors threw paint outside 바카라사이트 Home Office and ano바카라사이트r group attempted to push 바카라사이트ir way¡± into BIS ¡°but were prevented by police¡±.

The statement adds that ¡°a small number of smoke bombs and eggs were thrown at police outside BIS¡±, and that although a cordon was put in place ¡°to prevent disorder¡± 바카라사이트re was ¡°no containment in place¡±.

Twelve arrests were made for public order offences, 바카라사이트 Met says.

I left 바카라사이트 demo as a rump of protesters disappeared into 바카라사이트 depths of Pimlico, past some bemused builders and followed by very large numbers of police. There were reports of arrests after that.

I don¡¯t know whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 NCAFC will achieve its aim in 바카라사이트 demo of inspiring a new wave of student radicalism. But 바카라사이트 statement that 바카라사이트 demo brought from Corbyn may be significant for Labour.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com