Politics Society- Autumn 2012

Autumn term started for the Politics Society with an exploration of Black History Month. The society teamed up with UniTV to create a series of videos by students and professors who described their unsung heroes of Black History Month. We were keen to hear about figures away from the mainstream movement. Following on from this exploration, we wanted to learn about the effectiveness of Black History Month, and so invited Linda Bellos OBE, head of Black History Month in the UK, to discuss the impact it has had. This event, which the society hosted for free, received around seventy guests. Bellos not only covered the limitations of history taught within the UK, which she argued excluded much of Black history, but she also touched on issues of feminism, sexism and gay rights. Thus she provided huge stimulation for those present at the talk, resulting in a lively debate. I know many present felt hugely inspired by the range of topics delivered by such a fascinating and experienced woman.

            Coming into November, the society wanted to raise awareness about the Police Commissioner Elections and so we took to Library Square. Our aim was to register students who lived off campus and inform those who did live on campus that they were automatically registered. We registered over one hundred students, although more interestingly seemed to be the consensus among students who held disregard for the politicisation of the Police. Many informed us they intended to spoil their vote. Others were unaware of the election, which perhaps explains the record low turnout. In a slightly more exciting election, the society teamed up with East Slope Bar to show the results of the US presidential election between Obama and Romney. The bar remained open till 6am so students could stay up until the result was known. The event was extremely popular, with queues outside the door from 11pm. The atmosphere was electric; Sussex had a clear consensus on who they wanted to be victorious. Disdain and booing echoed whenever Romney appeared on screen. When it was clear that Obama had secured the swing states, East Slope erupted into dancing and clear excitement.

Our next big event was panel discussions under the question of Does UK political culture constrain the participation of women? This panel was hosted by Sussex’s own Paul Webb and included Professor Philip Cowley from Nottingham, Professor Sarah Childs from Bristol and Sarah Hutchinson from the Fabian Women’s network committee. This provided an interesting insight into the constraints of Westminster for women, but also raised questions about the restrictions to other minorities within politics. Cowley interestingly raised the argument about the influx of the middle class into Westminster which he argued more importantly restricted the disabled, ethnic minorities and the working class.

The Politics Society is hoping to continue its activism going into the Spring Term. We have organised a tour of parliament by Simon Kirby (MP) in the New Year. 

The Year So Far

The Politics Society have been busy creating a society we hope politics students and enthusiasts can be proud of. At the beginning of the academic year we thought it important to host Caroline Lucas, Sussex University’s representative in Westminster. Aware that not everyone is interested in politics, it seemed vital for students and staff to hear what their representative stood for, and what she had achieved in Parliament in the year since she was elected. The event on 21st October was attended by around 80 people from the Sussex community and touched on everything from cycling in Brighton, to the economic crisis, and her experience of being a lone Green MP in the Commons.

This year we have also set about creating an institution that we feel can appeal to a wide audience and bring those interested in politics together, this is Polsoc Film Club. Our film club has screened films such as The Wave, Enron: The Smartest Guys in The Room, and Lefties: Property is Theft. Our most popular screening “The War You Don’t See” by John Pilger, highlighted the media’s coverage of war and lead to some heated debate in the room!

On 7 March we hosted a Politics Society Pub Quiz where, while we put to test the bright minds of Sussex, I begged and pleaded for donations to the Clock Tower Sanctuary - a local charity that helps homeless 16-25 year olds. After a successful night at East Slope Bar, and a morning of counting alcohol-soaked pennies, we had raised £85 to help people our own age get off the streets.

April sees the beginning of an exciting new term for the Politics Society. We have worked hard to organise some interesting talks, beginning on 9th May with Mark Serwotka of the PCS Union, who will address students on trade unions and politics, and the future of unions under the coalition government. On the 24th May we host David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham who recently released his book “Out of Ashes: Britain After the Riots.” This should be an interesting insight into explanations and after effects of the August Riots in Britain. We have also organised a debate which we have called “Is Socialism Dead?” to take place on 24th April, featuring Paul Richards of the think tank Progress, editor of International Socialism Alex Callinicos and the department’s very own Luke Martell.

With the French Presidential elections set to dominate the news in April, Politics Society are helping to organise a round table on the elections on 25th April. With the first stage of the two ballot election taking place on 22nd April, we will be able to take a detailed look at how the election is playing out for Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

We would love to see Euroscope readers at some of our upcoming events! Anyone interested in getting involved with the society can find us on Facebook, Twitter or by e-mailing politicssoc@ussu.sussex.ac.uk. The Politics Society committee were pleased to find out that we have been nominated for “Most Improved Society” at the Student Awards, so keep your fingers crossed for us.

(To be published in Euroscope Summer edition)

A new institution: Polsoc Film Club

The schedule for this term:

26th October - The Wave

Based on a true story, the film explores autocracy and fascism from a modern perspective. After the film, we'll have a discussion about the issues brought up in the film, fascism and autocracy, and the possibility of fascism in the UK.

8th October - Good Night and Good Luck

Based around Mcarthyism and the media coverage within America, the film stars George Clooney among others.

23rd November - Lefties: Property is Theft

The film tells the story of Villa Road in London, an entirely squatted street during the 1970s. Within the houses, anarchists mixed with hippies and feminists, and homeless single mothers rubbed shoulders with marxist revolutionaries.

Mrs Thatcher went on to wage war on squatters, and the new Conservative government are attempting to do the same. After the film we'll have a brief discussion. What should be done about squatting? What type of person squats? And what happened to communities like Villa Road?

"I put Brighton first," Green MP tells students

This is an article from the University of Sussex website about the Politics Society's talk from Caroline Lucas on the 21st October 2011.

"I really try to prioritise the people of Brighton Pavilion," said the UK's only Green MP Caroline Lucas on campus today (Friday 21 October).

She was answering a question about how she balances the role of constituency MP with being leader of the Green Party, during an hour-long question-and-answer session in Fulton A lecture theatre this afternoon (Friday 21 October).

Around 80 students and staff listened to the MP for Brighton Pavilion - the constituency that includes the University of Sussex - answer questions on a wide range of issues.

The leader of the Green Party talked about:

-The (lack of) green credentials of the coalition government

- Tax avoidance

- A Robin Hood tax

- The Trident nuclear weapons programme

- Housing issues in Brighton and Hove, with 11,000 households on the waiting list

- Drugs and alcohol in Brighton, including the possibility of decriminalising recreational drug use

- Her experience of being a lone voice as the only Green MP in Westminster

She then moved on to take questions from the floor, which covered topics such as Parliamentary reform, a referendum on EU membership, recycling, the alternative Higher Education White Paper, protests, and constituency boundary changes.

On the EU, Ms Lucas said: "I will be supporting the referendum [on whether the UK should withdraw from the EU], not because I'm anti-EU but because I'm pro-democracy. I will be suggesting that we should stay in the EU but that it should be radically reformed."

Answering a question about the government's education policies, Ms Lucas was unequivocal. She said that the changes need to be fought: "Education isn't just about training people for the latest hole in the economy that needs to be filled."

She also had a simple message for those currently demonstrating outside St Paul's Cathedral as part of the 'Occupy' protest camp: "Go for it," she said. "What [you] are doing is really exciting and a really positive counter-weight to the sense in the country that there is nothing that we can do [about government cuts]".

The discussion was organised by the Politics Society."

Norman Baker MP on the Coalition Government

On the 25th of February Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes and a newly appointed transport minister, gave a talk on the coalition Government for the Politics Society. With the current government such a contentious issue at Sussex, and across the country, we felt it important to hear the views of someone who believed in that government.

On the walk to Fulton A, Norman asked me if he would face ‘angry students’ or whether on a Friday afternoon it would instead be ‘one man and his dog.’ As we entered, there was a moderate turn out of around 30 people, and no dog.

Norman began the talk by introducing his career, noting particularly his past party positions and his presidency of the Tibet Society. Then I’d asked Norman to address an issue I was sure would be on everyone’s minds - why had he become a part of the ‘con-dem’ government, agreed to work with a party that he’d once so vehemently opposed. Mr Baker asserted that that his party lacked a public mandate, and in the event of a hung parliament had agreed to talk to the party with the most votes first. Therefore forming a Lib-Lab government, as the left had fantasised, was never an option.

By the very first question from the audience, Norman’s joke about students had come back to haunt him. Encapsulating the mood in universities across the country, the first question addressed the issue of tuition fees, as did a large percentage of those to follow. This initial questioner talked passionately on tuition fees and fiercely accused Baker of being ‘spineless’ for abandoning his belief in free education. Norman chose to respond to accusations with a focus on the ‘65%’ of the Liberal Democrat manifesto that had apparently been achieved in government. As well as putting forward the ‘shaving off the edges’ perspective. The perspective that though higher education policy was not proving popular, without the Liberal Democrats, bursaries, and other concessions for poorer students would never have been proposed.

Baker justified Conservative policies with Lib Dem success: the ‘pupil premium’ and the AV referendum for example. Though, the AV electoral system is desired by neither the Conservatives nor the Liberal Democrats. Mr Baker maintained an insistence that coalition governments have to involve compromises, throughout the event, though the rebuttal was that principles should come before political manoeuvring.
Norman was then questioned on how he would deal with the conflict between his government position and upholding his celebrated parliamentarianism (for example, forcing the eventual resignation of Peter Mandelson.) Mr Baker told the student that he still held the same ideals he always had. He stressed that he would continue to campaign on issues he felt strongly about but perhaps in a different manner now that he represents the government.

An interesting question on the ‘big society’ prompted Mr Baker to admit he wasn’t sold on the phrase, but nonetheless agreed that local people taking charge of projects was positive. Here he cited a Railways forum he had set up in his constituency town of Lewes as a victory of these ‘big society’ values.

Overall Norman Baker coped well with impassioned questions from ‘angry students’, and with tuition fees rising to £9000, ‘angry students’ are probably something he should get used to. Like any MP, Norman Baker put forward professional and persuasive arguments. But as hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets, the coalition government will remain controversial.

Sussexstudent.com/politics
Twitter.com/sussexpolsoc

- As published in Euroscope (summer edition)