Press release -

NUS PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NATIONAL STUDENT DEMONSTRATION FOR 21 NOVEMBER 2012

In a video message to delegates at the National Union of Students (NUS) Further Education Leadership training event for newly elected officers in colleges and sixth forms, NUS President Liam Burns has announced that NUS is calling on students to march in London on Wednesday 21 November.

In his video Mr Burns laid out the reasons why students around the country are so angry and called on student leaders to create a new generation of activists that could set the political agenda for the next general election.

Addressing the delegates, Liam Burns, said:

“You’ve got a lot to be angry about. You’ve had your education systematically attacked across the board by the coalition. And even if you get to the other end, what have you got to look forward to?

“Youth unemployment is at an all-time high, getting on the property ladder is next to impossible and we don’t even have the safety net of pensions to look forward to any more.

“In a year in which there are no votes in parliament and no legislation coming before politicians, it’s about time we started setting the agenda.”

The video was shown to delegates at 7pm today (Wednesday) and following the announcement NUS Vice President, Toni Pearce, answered questions from the delegates.

Wednesday 21 November will mark the first national demonstration called by NUS National Conference since 50,000 people marched in London in November 2010.

The announcement comes as the Intergenerational Foundation have published a report showing the young have lost out compared with older generations since the financial crisis of 2008, and Prime Minister David Cameron's proposed earlier this week to exclude those under-25 from eligibility for housing benefit.

The demonstration follows NUS campaigns against the Government's decision to shelve its planned higher education bill which would have ensured protections for student loan interest rates and repayment and the decision to introduce higher education-style loans for adults aged 24 and over studying A-levels, apprenticeships and access courses,

ENDS


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Topics

  • Education

Categories

  • housing
  • unemployment
  • university
  • demonstration
  • national union of students
  • nus
  • Liam Burns

Regions

  • England

NUS (National Union of Students) is a voluntary membership organisation which makes a real difference to the lives of students and its member students' unions.

We are a confederation of 600 students' unions, amounting to more than 95 per cent of all higher and further education unions in the UK. Through our member students' unions, we represent the interests of more than seven million students.

Contacts

Will Hoyles

Press contact NUS UK Press Officer 07866 695010

Alex Jones

Press contact Press and Public Affairs Manager

Mike Heffron

Press contact NUS Scotland Campaigns and Communications Officer 07554 451941

Joni Alexander

Press contact NUS Wales Campaigns and Communications Officer 07966 102363

Ian Williamson

Press contact NUS-USI (Northern Ireland) Policy and Public Affairs Officer 028 9024 4641

NUS UK Switchboard

Press contact 0845 5210 262

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