Leicester University Students Vow to Continue the Fight Against Willetts, Cuts, and the Marketisation of Education

Written by Artur Wilk and Taran Spivey (originally published by on the Leicester Socialist Students blog)

From early morning Monday 5^th March to the afternoon of Wednesday 7^th March, we students occupied part of the administrative floor of the Fielding Johnson building on the University of Leicester campus. It was one of many student occupations across the country, together with Bath, Exeter, Bristol and UCL, and others such as those at Liverpool and Southampton the week before.

The occupation was part of the student movement of solidarity with striking lecturers and academic staff united in the UCU, fighting cuts to their pensions that were proposed in the new USS scheme by the Universities UK. Alongside this, students at the University of Leicester were fighting back against the appointment of David Willetts as the new Chancellor of the University. Willetts is the Tory ex-minister for Universities and Science, who oversaw the tripling of tuition fees from £3,000 to £9,000 a year. As an MP, he consistently voted against LGBT rights and once claimed that feminism was responsible for lower social mobility of working class men.

Despite initial difficulties with security and administrative staff, students managed to secure the occupation and clear the offices, with great outside support from striking UCU staff and other students. After several hours of protest; the upper management were forced to meet with students over their demands, when it was clear that they were there to stay. The initial meeting in the occupied area was fruitless, and another was decided to take place that evening. However; management went back on their promise and the Vice-Chancellor, Paul Boyle, fled the building out of the back entrance in the evening.

During the occupation protesters received fantastic support from the UCU pickets outside, with strikers bringing in food and water for the occupiers, and from the Students’ Union. President of SU Amy Moran stayed in with the occupying students until late in the evening listening to their demands and supporting them in the negotiations with Boyle.

The promised meeting was held the following afternoon, attended by democratically chosen delegates from the occupiers, however the concessions offered were unsatisfactory to the students and UCU alike. The Vice-Chancellor refused to change his position on the appointment of Willetts, and attempted to defend his despicable voting record on LGBT rights and his atrocious actions over tuition fees. Students wouldn’t take no for an answer and voted to extend the occupation. In the meantime, the protest was bolstered by a new wave of students joining from the outside, despite the building being locked-down by security. Under pressure, another meeting was organised to take place the next day. The following day, the management was more willing to co-operate after constant disruption by the occupiers inside and their huge support base outside.

They agreed to a meeting with David Willetts present where all staff and students were welcome to question him and openly discuss his appointment as Chancellor. Alongside this, it was agreed that the process by which the next Chancellor is chosen needs to be changed to a democratic one, and steps will be taken towards this goal. Management also promised to inform all students and staff on their decision to support unconditional talks between UUK and UCU in their dispute over pension scheme until the situation is resolved. They promised to give a breakdown of the money that was given to HeForShe society, a flagship management initiative to support equality in the University, that is being widely criticised for their lack of tangible influence and positive change, and rather serving as a token gesture by the management to help their image.

They failed to address the concerns that students raised regarding David Willetts, maintaining support for his appointment. In a meeting, Paul Boyle also seemed to trivialise the discrimination faced by LGBT people by saying that it’s debatable whether the issues Willetts voted on, including the rights of adoption for LGBT couples, are rights or not. They also completely failed to come out in support of striking UCU lecturers in their struggle to save their pension scheme.

The occupation was ended when the votes decided that the concessions made were the first steps in the right direction. However, they still did not come close to what was demanded by students and what UCU members have been pushing for during the strikes. Therefore; we are continuing the fight against Willetts, against cuts, against the marketisation of education, against tokenism instead of actual moves towards equality, and for democratisation in our university and universities across the country.