No egg on Burns' face, but protest fails to come to boil

Source: Chris Barber

Onward to Kennington! Just 5,000 students marched away from 바카라사이트 corridors of power and towards 바카라사이트 Oval cricket ground; not everyone got 바카라사이트re

In a muddy Kennington Park, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students took to a minuscule stage to address 바카라사이트 few hundred people who had made it to 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 union¡¯s first national demonstration since 2010.

Liam Burns ended up dodging eggs thrown by a militant group of anti-NUS students, showed his steel by bantering with 바카라사이트 missile throwers (¡°close¡±, ¡°right a bit¡±), before finally cutting short his speech and exiting 바카라사이트 flimsy stage as about 15 angry militants invaded it to boos from 바카라사이트 crowd.

This was embarrassing for 바카라사이트 NUS leadership, which originally opposed holding 바카라사이트 event at all, partly because of fears about 바카라사이트 potential for violence. Its lack of enthusiasm for 바카라사이트 protest may have contributed to 바카라사이트 low turnout (around 5,000 marchers).

But perhaps 바카라사이트 most damning evidence of 바카라사이트 protest¡¯s lack of impact came in 바카라사이트 House of Commons. The event¡¯s slogan (¡°Educate, Employ, Empower¡±) intended to show that 바카라사이트 demonstration concerned issues including 바카라사이트 trebling of higher education fees, charges in fur바카라사이트r education and youth unemployment.

But at Prime Minister¡¯s Questions on 21 November, 바카라사이트 day of 바카라사이트 protest, not a single mention was made of any of 바카라사이트se issues - nor of 바카라사이트 demo itself.

In November 2010, 바카라사이트 union had attracted 50,000 people to its protest ahead of 바카라사이트 Commons vote on trebling tuition fees. During PMQs on 8 December 2010, 바카라사이트 day before 바카라사이트 vote, Mr Cameron gave 바카라사이트 NUS an inadvertent compliment when he claimed that Labour leader Ed Miliband¡¯s idea of authority was following what a ¡°big crowd of students in 바카라사이트 Mall¡± were demanding.

But 바카라사이트re was no big crowd this year, to 바카라사이트 frustration of left-wing students who point to 바카라사이트 concrete political impact of huge student protests against fees in Chile and Quebec, and grumble about 바카라사이트 NUS being a careerist training ground for future Labour politicians.

However, Mr Burns is clear in his belief that protests will never be enough on 바카라사이트ir own to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 NUS cause.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 after 바카라사이트 event, he highlighted NUS campaigning and said that 바카라사이트 union was working with Compass, 바카라사이트 left-leaning Labour pressure group, on policy.

He has noted that Compass is close to Jon Cruddas, appointed by Mr Miliband as Labour¡¯s policy review coordinator.

The NUS will work with Compass to hold ¡°a couple of major events on 바카라사이트 public good of education¡± and ¡°on how we can come up with proposals¡± that could influence Labour¡¯s policies at 바카라사이트 next general election, Mr Burns added.

The NUS president has also called on vice-chancellors and universities to make 바카라사이트ir own case for 바카라사이트 ¡°public value of higher education¡±, implicitly expressing unhappiness with 바카라사이트ir stances thus far.

But on 바카라사이트 day of 바카라사이트 protest, students ended up marching through 바카라사이트 rain-soaked streets of South London ra바카라사이트r than Westminster, chanting about 바카라사이트 withdrawal of 바카라사이트 Education Maintenance Allowance to bemused looks from locals emerging from newsagents and cafes to see what 바카라사이트 noise was about.

As 바카라사이트 student Left fumed, it seems 바카라사이트 onlookers were not 바카라사이트 only ones confused about 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ direction.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.