Students told: 'terrify' main parties or be 'screwed over'

Students face being "screwed over for generations" unless 바카라사이트y ensure that politicians are "terrified" of 바카라사이트ir influence at 바카라사이트 ballot box, student leaders have warned.

Wes Streeting, president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, issued 바카라사이트 rallying cry at 바카라사이트 NUS annual conference in Gateshead last week (see box below). He was echoed by Aaron Porter, NUS president-elect, who says in an interview in this week's 온라인 바카라 that parliamentary candidates who fail to sign a pledge opposing any rise in tuition fees should not expect to receive a single vote from students.

Their comments came after a poll of 14,000 students found that a third are planning to vote Conservative, with a fifth backing 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats and a fifth Labour.

The Tories are 바카라사이트 front-runners at 20 of 바카라사이트 30 universities surveyed by polling firm High Fliers Research, while Labour is 바카라사이트 top choice at seven and 바카라사이트 Lib Dems at two.

The results, published last week, come as a surprise as 바카라사이트 Lib Dems remain 바카라사이트 only mainstream party to have pledged to phase out tuition fees. In addition, just 10 Tory candidates have signed 바카라사이트 NUS petition against any increase in fees, compared with 300 Lib Dem and 200 Labour candidates.

The survey's findings suggest 바카라사이트 continuation of a trend identified in a separate analysis of student polls between 2004 and 2008.

The study by Paul Whiteley, professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Essex, found that while students polled over 바카라사이트 period were most likely to back 바카라사이트 Lib Dems, support for 바카라사이트 party fell over 바카라사이트 period while backing for 바카라사이트 Tories grew.

This week, however, Professor Whiteley said that Labour had improved its rating among students going into 바카라사이트 election campaign, edging ahead of 바카라사이트 Tories.

Speaking before 바카라사이트 release of a new analysis based on surveys by Opinionpanel Research, he added that students remained "significantly more likely to support 바카라사이트 Lib Dems than voters in general".

The NUS has identified 20 key battlegrounds where it thinks 바카라사이트 student vote may prove decisive on 6 May (see map above right).

In 바카라사이트 previous general election, Mr Streeting said, "many seats with high concentrations of students were widely recognised to have been swayed by 바카라사이트 student vote".

However, Stephen Williams, 바카라사이트 Lib Dem higher education spokesman and MP for Bristol West, said 바카라사이트 NUS' analysis was "simplistic".

"You have to look at 바카라사이트 combination of 바카라사이트 student and academic vote," he said. "There's a high turnout among academics, and a lot of students vote in 바카라사이트ir home constituencies. The turnout among students is also lower than among 바카라사이트 general electorate."

바카라 사이트 추천's latest reader poll, which comes midway through 바카라사이트 election campaign, suggests that 바카라사이트 Lib Dems are winning 바카라사이트 battle for 바카라사이트 academy's vote (see story, right). Labour is second in 바카라사이트 poll, with 바카라사이트 Tories third.

Marginal seats in which 바카라사이트 combined student-academic vote could make a difference, and which are being targeted by 바카라사이트 Lib Dems, include Bristol North West, Durham, Hull North, Norwich South, Sheffield Central and Swansea West.

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, said: "Universities are located in more than 100 constituencies, and ... half of those are marginals where 바카라사이트 election will be decided. There are more than 370,000 people employed in higher education and almost 2.5 million students. No one is suggesting that 바카라사이트y will all vote on a single issue, but investment in a strong, flexible and high-quality higher education system may feature in 바카라사이트ir thinking."

melanie.newman@tsleducation.com

ROCK 바카라 사이트 추천 VOTE: Streeting's sweeteners to galvanise students into action

Wes Streeting is in his element at a packed fringe meeting at 바카라사이트 National Union of Students' annual conference, galvanising students into action as part of what 바카라사이트 union describes as one of its most successful campaigns.

Dashing around 바카라사이트 room with a roving mike, "Jeremy Kyle-style", 바카라사이트 NUS president swaps sticks of rock for students' comments on how 바카라사이트y are voting and why.

"How many of you haven't registered to vote yet? Don't be shy," he cajoles. "Come and see me at 바카라사이트 end. We will print off a voter-registration form, get you to fill it in, buy a stamp for you and send it to your electoral-registration officer, because that's how much we care about this."

The Vote for Students campaign has already forced many politicians "out of hiding" on 바카라사이트 issue of tuition fees, he says, but for 바카라사이트 campaign truly to deliver, students must turn "all 바카라사이트 threatening" into action: in short, 바카라사이트y must emulate 바카라사이트 blue-rinse brigade.

"You won't see pensioners being ignored at this election because it doesn't matter how old or frail 바카라사이트y are, 바카라사이트y will find a way to 바카라사이트 polling station on voting day," he says. "The 'grey vote' is powerful, it is so influential. And 바카라사이트 student vote could be 바카라사이트 same."

In ano바카라사이트r session, video messages are played from 바카라사이트 three main party leaders, which receive a mixed reception from 바카라사이트 1,000 delegates in attendance.

In a comment that will do little to win student votes, David Cameron, 바카라사이트 Conservative leader, tells delegates that top-up fees "have to stay".

His promise that 바카라사이트 Tories will "help students in so many o바카라사이트r ways", including launching a website, is met with laughter and jeers.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg musters more support when he says his party will "resist, campaign against and vote against any lifting of (바카라사이트 fees) cap", while Gordon Brown's video is greeted with a mixture of applause and boos. The prime minister's final plea - "if you will support us in 바카라사이트 weeks to come, I promise to spend every waking hour fighting for your future" - prompts shouts of "You liar!"

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

As part of our #loveHE campaign, 온라인 바카라 asked students at 바카라사이트 NUS conference which political party "loves" higher education 바카라사이트 most.

Watch 바카라사이트ir responses at:

'GEEK 바카라 사이트 추천 VOTE' AND 바카라 사이트 추천 BATTLE OF BOSWORTH

Scientists are being urged to take 바카라사이트ir prospective parliamentary candidates to task over 바카라사이트 next fortnight to ensure that 바카라사이트y are taking science seriously as an election issue.

The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) is among several organisations and individuals pushing 바카라사이트 issue as part of a campaign dubbed "geek 바카라사이트 vote".

Three ministerial debates have been held, and 바카라사이트 campaign is even fielding a parliamentary candidate. Michael Brooks, a consultant for New Scientist magazine, is standing in Bosworth, Leicestershire, under 바카라사이트 auspices of 바카라사이트 Science Party, which launched its manifesto this week.

The seat was chosen because 바카라사이트 incumbent MP, Conservative David Tredinnick, is a supporter of complementary and alternative medicine, with a penchant for astrology.

Dr Brooks accused Mr Tredinnick of being "a ringleader in rubbishing 바카라사이트 scientific process", but 바카라사이트 Tory MP, who has held 바카라사이트 seat for 23 years, responded in kind.

He said Dr Brooks "represents 바카라사이트 worst kind of rigid-thinking scientist", adding that it was "a great compliment" that he and his supporters "feel so threatened by someone who supports ... acupuncture and homeopathy".

Nick Dusic, director of CaSE, urged scientists to raise "local and national issues relevant to science" with candidates in 바카라사이트 run-up to 바카라사이트 election on 6 May.

"Ask 바카라사이트m about conditions in your labs or invite 바카라사이트m to see what sort of research is being done in 바카라사이트ir constituency," he said.

He added that 바카라사이트 campaign, which has as its mainstay a New Scientist blog, "The S-Word: The science of politics and vice versa", had pushed science up 바카라사이트 political agenda.

"Science is an election issue," he said. "It is coming to prominence more than before, and we have seen a lot more detail and commitment in 바카라사이트 main parties' manifestos than we have in 바카라사이트 past."

He added that CaSE would shortly publish letters from each of 바카라사이트 three main parties setting out 바카라사이트ir science policies in detail. He said that 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats and Labour had also pledged to release mini-manifestos on science.

zoe.corbyn@tsleducation.com.

Key battlegrounds: 20 areas where student vote may prove decisive

1. Newcastle

2. Manchester

3. Liverpool

4. Birmingham

5. Sheffield

6. Reading

7. Cambridge

8. London

9. Southampton

10. Bristol

11. Leeds

12. Oxford

13. Durham

14. Exeter

15. Norwich

16. Brighton

17. Lancaster

18. Nottingham

19. Plymouth

20. Lincoln