The Tory leader of Oxfordshire council sparked anger by tweeting: "County Hall invaded by an ugly, badly-dressed student rabble. God help us if this is our future."
The Tory leader of Oxfordshire County Council has sparked anger by tweeting:
“County Hall invaded by an ugly, badly-dressed student rabble. God help us if this is our future.”
Keith Mitchell, pictured right with the prime minister, was condemned by student leaders for his outburst. David Barclay, president of Oxford University Student Union, told Left Foot Forward:
“For many of the students involved in the recent protests on scrapping the Education Maintenance Allowance and raising tuition fees, this may well be the first time in their lives they have been personally engaged in a political campaign.
“For them to be so utterly demeaned and insulted by someone who purports to represent them is an absolute disgrace.
“These young people should be applauded for taking a stand on an issue that will have a huge effect on all of their futures. If there is anything we need for the future of Oxfordshire it’s young people engaged in public life, not reactionary politicians telling them they don’t belong.”
In addition to being leader of the council, Mitchell is a governor of Oxford Cherwell Valley College, whose Mission Statement reads:
“Our ethos is to foster ‘A Love For Learning’. Many of our students gain a taste for achievement and continue to climb the educational ladder towards career success long after they have left us.
“The College puts its students first and we have the highest expectations for each and every individual’s educational attainment. Our primary aim is to help you to achieve your desired results and qualifications in order to ensure that your future is filled with possibility.”
Quite how this tallies with Mitchell’s insults is anyone’s guess.
Elsewhere, the government confirmed last night that the vote on tuition fees will be held next Thursday, which, today’s Guardian reports:
“…will give the Liberal Democrats a week to sort out whether they will collectively abstain, or instead split three ways. Labour claimed the coalition was staging the vote on Thursday in the hope that Unionist MPs will not be present, thus reducing the slim chances of a government defeat.
“The National Union of Students and University and College Union have pledged to stage further protests in the run-up to the vote, including a mass lobby of parliament on the day.”
Later this afternoon, Left Foot Forward will have a special report looking at the student protest movement, how it is organised and the wider significance of the protests.
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67 Responses to “Tory council leader calls protesters “an ugly, badly-dressed student rabble””
Anon E Mouse
Eban – But that wasn’t the question. The question was: Is it fair that the dustman pays to educate the doctor?
Wouldn’t a better society involve reducing taxes for the poor so that less of a proportion of their tax did actually do that?
Hey I sound like a Lib Dem – completely opposite to Labour with it’s 10p tax fiasco and NI “Tax on Jobs” proposal…
Anon E Mouse
Deborah – You are impossible woman! I give up…
Eban – I’m not that stern really and I’m sloping off work early so don’t go posting nasty remarks about me ;-}
Eban
AEM, Colin: Peace, guys. It is at this point we all admit we’ve been arguing on false premises. Remember that Coalition budget that raised the low income tax threshold? The whole point is it “lifted people on minimum wage out of paying tax”! The dustman don’t subsidise narfink nomore! Free education for all!
Seriously though, the way you talk it sounds like you’re AGAINST taxing the poor. You know, poll tax, council tax, VAT. Tory taxes all.
The moment Thatcher came to power the VAT, that tax on everyone’s grocery bill, she immediately DOUBLED! Then Major raised it again! Then Cameron raised it again! He’s taking 20% of everyone’s shopping bill. It’s a stealth tax, a poll tax, a tax on the poor all in one, and they raise it every chance they get.
But I’m sure you don’t approve. Peace out.
scandalousbill
Anon,
You ask (or assert)
“Try this. Is it FAIR that a minimum wage earning, manual labourer, who will never be able to get advancement from that position and will therefore never be able to increase his salary beyond that minimum wage should pay for a student who is going to start on a salary he could only dream of because of an education he receives yet doesn’t even have to pay a penny towards that PERSONAL benefit until he earns over £21K a year and then is under £10 a week?”
Can I ask you that if this minimum wage earner did wish to advance him/her self by pursuing a university education, how are the increase in tuition fees not a barrier to him or her?
Deborah Segalini
Yey!
On 10p tax: cutting it was always meant to be temporary (though I too wish we’d kept that band). On NI – funny how this government has kept the workers’ increase: extra tax on having a job, not met by equivalent employer contribution….