Green Party

The UEA and Norwich University College of the Arts Students Unions have combined efforts to produce a Norwich Student Manifesto, which they are putting to prospective Parliamentary candidates to ask what they will do for local students if elected as MP for Norwich South.

The Manifesto is calling for fairly funded higher education, sustainable and affordable transport and better student housing. They are also concerned about the creation of job opportunities for Norwich graduates and the building of a sustainable future.

Green Party General Election candidate Adrian Ramsay is the first candidate to sign up to the Norwich Student Manifesto, after a meeting with UEA Sabbatical Officers and the Student Union President of Norwich University College of the Arts.

Mr. Ramsay said:

"I’m proud and delighted to be the first to sign up to the Norwich Student Manifesto. All of its points are key to Green Party policies and are things that I will pursue if elected as MP for Norwich South.

"Most important is to ensure that we have a fairly funded higher education system - the Green Party wants to scrap tuition fees and bring back a grants system. I fought against the introduction of tuition fees when Charles Clarke was Education Secretary and will continue to if I replace him as Norwich South MP."

Current Norwich South MP Charles Clarke introduced top-up fees in 2004 and has recently given evidence to the Browne enquiry on the effectiveness of the fees system. Students are facing mounting pressures, with the average UEA student now graduating with £23,194 of debt. Meanwhile, class sizes are likely to get bigger, courses cut and talented staff lost as universities face £900m cuts in Government funding.

The Student Union representatives are calling on prospective Parliamentary candidates to set out their policies regarding students and higher education. They are meeting with all the candidates who have a good chance of winning the Norwich South seat in the approaching General Election.

The student representatives also asked Mr. Ramsay what he will do to improve housing and transport for students.

In response, Councillor Ramsay said:

"We need stronger legislation to ensure that landlords provide better quality and well maintained housing for students. We also need to re-regulate the buses so that we have cheaper and more reliable bus services for students and everyone in Norwich to use."

The winning politician will be responsible for representing the thousands of students who live in Norwich South - on UEA campus and around the city.

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