We believe in our right to higher education

Thousands of students took the streets of London yesterday to voice anger at the Government’s plans, following which university tuition fees tripled two years ago.

 

Students from all over the UK gathered outside the University of London student union at 11am, to defend their right to higher education.

 

Police issued warning notices to protesters that they risked arrest, if they deviated from the pre-arranged route from the University in Bloomsbury via Embankment to join the other demonstration at Westminster Bridge.

 

The march took place amid a heavy police presence and Scotland Yard obtained a section 12 order banning protesters from going past the Houses of Parliament.

 

According to the National Union of Students (NUS), the number of applicants to all British Universities dropped 7.7 per cent, with highest fall of 18 per cent in the capital, following the introduction of the £9,000-a-year-fees.

 

Figures show that the steepest decline in application was from people living in the London boroughs of Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

 

Today demonstration was the biggest since 2010, when nearly 50,000 students protested against the tuition fees increase and a group of protesters smashed their way into both the Conservative Party HQ in Millbank and several stores in central London.

 

These young people believe in their cause and want higher education to be a priority. 

 

However, students are those battered the most by the cuts. In fact, not only tuition fees tripled but also the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) was abolished last year.

 

Two children are more than enough

The Secretary of Work & Pensions Iain Duncan-Smith (IDS) wants to cap welfare benefits at just two children.

At present out-of work households get more benefits the more children they have.

At least 1.2 million out of 7.8 million families receiving child benefits have more than two children and according to the Organisation of Economic Co-Operation and Development, the UK spending on family benefits as a percentage of  GDP is the third highest of all major economies.

Iain Duncan-Smith has expressed his concern over the fact that many working families in the UK decide against having more children or any child at all for financial reasons, while large households on welfare do not have to confront such reality. 

Child poverty campaigners expressed disapproval over the proposal, as children will be the actual victims if the Government follows through on this plan.

 “A cultural change is required so that the welfare system is a springboard into work, rather that something which traps people into a life of dependency,” Mr Duncan-Smith answered.

It is not yet clear which child-related benefits would be covered by any cap. However, the plan will not come into effect until after the next general election in 2015.

BBC Director General resigns over a storm of allegations

New BBC Director General George Entwistle resigned last night over the Newsnight fiasco.

Mr Entwistle, in office only 54 days, said quitting was the “honourable thing” to do.

He declared: “When appointed to the role, drawing on my 23 years as producer and leader at the BBC, I was confident the trustees had chosen the best person for the post.

“However, the wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude the BBC should appoint a new leader”.

Newsnight, the 22-year-old corporation’s flagship current affairs programme, is now under fire for broadcasting a report on November 2 that led to the former Tory politician Lord McAlpine being implicated in the sex scandal at the Bryn Estyn care home.

Newsnight did not name the peer directly, but allegations made by Steven Messham, who is the abuse victim, pointed to the politician.

A week after Mr Messham admitted he made a mistake, as Lord McAlpine was not involved in the case.

Mr Entwistle has been pitched into a news crisis since he began his mandate and he was doomed the moment John Humphrys, who is the Today presenter, humiliated the BBC Director General on Radio 4’s Today show.

George Entwistle admitted he had neither watched the controversial Newsnight nor seen the front-page of Friday newspaper story that raised serious concerns over the 2 November report.

As the Director General of the BBC, he is ultimately responsible for all content as the editor-in-chief and this is the reason why he decided to step down.

He was set to put in place big changes within the BBC but was overwhelmed by all the events linked to Savile sex scandal and made his dramatic resignation statement outside Broadcasting House in London. 

BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patten, who was at his side, said:”George Entwistle has very honourably offered us his resignation because of the unacceptable mistake, which has caused so much controversy. He has behaved as an editor with huge courage”.

The BBC has been one of the most respected national institutions for nearly a century.

However, the corporation is now at a crossroad as its integrity has been damaged in front of the world and the whole future depends on the public trust.

Tim Davie, the current director of audio and music, who was due to take over as chief executive of the Corporation’s commercial arm NNC Worldwide, will temporarily replace George Entwistle.

The bitter taste of the Oyster

Oyster card. Source: Wikipedia

Londoners will spend a fortune on commuting costs from next year.

The London Mayor Boris Johnson yesterday announced above inflation increases averaging 4.2 per cent for bus, tube, DLR and rail tickets from January 2013.

When the Mayor took over in 2008 a single bus fare was 90p, while now it costs £1.35 and will soon rise by 5p to £1.40. According to the new scheme a weekly travel card for zone 1-2 will cost £30.40 and a monthly one £116.80.

Mr Johnson insisted he was keeping transport fares as low as possible, while continuing with crucial investment in the network to provide faster, more reliable and frequent journeys for Londoners by the end of this year.

The second surprise news that the Boris Bike charges will double from £1 to £2 a day, with weekly access rising from £5 to £10 and yearly membership going up to £90, gives rise to further concerns among commuters.

Transport for London said the increase will be the first since the capital’s bicycle-hire scheme was introduced in July 2010 and it is required to make improvements.

Boris Johnson declared he had managed to limit the overall fares increase of the blue bikes by securing an extra £96m from the Treasury. However, there have been questions over the amount of the contribution of key sponsor Barclays.

Meanwhile all free and concessionary travel is protected and the daily ‘pay as you go’ cap will be frozen at 2012 levels.