Paper Fight Top of the Flops
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This move is a tactical one by the Government to try and reclaim student voters, not a godsend – PAGE 10 Issue 543 20p where sold Top of the flops Paper fight Penis puppetry fails to arouse Tabloids and broadsheets in an Laura Davies on PAGE 36 all out war on PAGE 16 The Cambridge student newspaper 5 October 2001 www.varsity.cam.ac.uk FEES SCRAPPED • Labour signals massive U-turn on fees • Attacked for putting spin over substance • Students unlikely to be better off to win!” But a more cautionary note, Pav tested grant, resulting in a lower level of no promises over tutition fees. issue of top-up fees re emerge. David Sophie Morphet then argued that despite the promising tax. Andrew Oswald, Professor of Nick Fawcett, Campaigns Officer for the Palfreyman, bursar at New College, Judith Whiteley words, students still have to ensure that Economics at Warwick University, said the CU Conservative Association, told Varsity, Oxford, claimed that it is only a matter of “the government follow through” with contribution was likely to amount to a “Tuition fees are another stealth tax. Access time before the university will be forced Grants are to be reintroduced, and tuition reintroducing grants. CUSU’s Higher penny on income tax for graduates. In the to university is more about the ability to into charging them. He pointed to fees may be scrapped, in an overhaul of Education Funding Officer, Johsua long term, therefore, the scheme would be pay than academic ability.” Cambridge University’s financial vulnera- the government’s much reviled higher Reddaway, also reiterated the warning that self-financing. Lembit Opik, the Liberal Democrat MP bility too, suggesting that if it did not start education funding policy. the fight is far from finished: “It’s a really It is a major change in policy for the and spokeperson for Wales, Northern charging top-up fees it would risk loosing Estelle Morris, the Education Secretary, good thing, but we need to make sure that Government, as it will mean that students Ireland and Youth Affairs told Varsity in an its status as one of the world’s best teaching announced on Wednesday that mainte- this time they get it right.” pay for their degrees on the basis of their exclusive interview last night: “What they and research institutions to its American nance grants are to be brought back, cer- The give-away is not without strings. own future earnings potential, rather than have said so far is not a solution. Tony Blair counterparts. tainly for students from lower-income There are two funding models up for con- that of their parents. However, students would be a hero if he said tomorrow ‘We The reforms announced yesterday will families and perhaps for all. Student loans sideration, but both would require all and politicians remain cautious due to the were wrong. We shouldn’t have broken our not immediately address wider university will still be available for those who want graduates to pay a ‘graduate tax’ for up to Government lack of committment to the election promise about tuition fees. We’ll funding problems because revenue will not them. She admitted that “for many low twenty five years after their earnings push abolition of tuition fees. Richard Burgon, abolish them:’ Whether he’ll do this is be generated in the short term. Moreover, income families, fear of debt is a real worry them into the 22p tax band. The first pro- Chair of Cambridge Labour Students, doubtful. But if he did I’d be the first to as it is being considered for introduction in and could act as a barrier to higher educa- posal would make maintenence grants warned that “those who have to pay applaud him. The Prime Minister’s spirit is autumn 2003, it will be of limited comfort tion. I want to make sure that our future available to all students, paid off later via tuition fees under the present system willing but his budget is weak.” to current students, who will still be left reform tackles this problem.” the graduate tax. The second model, shouldn’t crack open their champagne bot- The timing of the announcement has with on average £12,000 worth of debt at Pav Akhtar, CUSU President said “after thought to be the favoured aproach, would tles just yet.” The “grant will definitely be also sent confusing messages to the student the end of their degrees. years of campaigning, students are starting retain student loans alongside a means- restored” but he highlights that there are population in a week which has seen the • Editorial - Page 10 News Features 6 • Outlook 14 • Listings 20-22 • Music 26 • Visual Arts 29 • Film 34 • Theatre 36 • Sport 40 5 October 2001 2 NEWS www.varsity.cam.ac.uk Huntingdon: Hard up or not? Judith Whiteley let the company use the Bank of England’s facilities. Now that “the Campaigners against Huntingdon Life concern about financial stability has Sciences have poured scorn on sugges- been removed...orders for research tions that the animal testing laborato- have gone up enormously. The future ry is making a financial comeback. looks very positive for Huntingdon,” Natasha Taylor, spokesperson for the spokesman claimed. SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Animal SHAC, however, reiterated their Cruelty), told Varsity, “Huntingdon’s claims that cases of gross staff incom- losses have increased from £3.9 mil- petence, animal cruelty and the falsifi- lion in the first half of last year to £6.3 cation of research are rife at the million for the same period this year. Cambridge laboratory. They insist Any company that consistently loses that their campaigns will continue more money than it makes is going to until Huntingdon Life Sciences is shut the wall.” down and therefore are currently con- Her comments were a response to centrating on some of Huntingdon’s news this week that Huntingdon’s high profile customers, such as Shell. quarterly revenues are at the highest SHAC claim that many employees of level for four years. A spokesperson for companies associated with the Cambridge laboratory, who Huntingdon have silently expressed wished to remain anonymous, said support for their campaign by regular- “the company is in no danger of clos- ly leaking sensitive information to the ing down...and the underlying busi- group. ness of the company is extremely pos- However, Huntingdon’s spokesman itive.” insisted that it had “enormous sup- The spokesperson said that the port” from its customers and the local reported half yearly losses were entire- community. He also said that ly predictable after financial institu- although SHAC are “giving Shell an tions withdrew their support for the exciting time at the moment”, their company following a concerted and campaigns were no longer making an sometimes violent campaign by ani- impact. “More animals are killed at mal rights protesters. Huntingdon was Cambridge University than at saved when the government agreed to Huntingdon,” he added. Our Victory Cards cock-up lems that occurred last year, when Morris admits that CUSU may not Simon Mullet many colleges were only issued with a be able to afford the new officer, but is In an e-mail leaked to Varsity it has proportion of the University cards interested in pursuing the idea never- emerged that CUSU is investigating required. It had also been reported theless. He adds that it has not even creating a new paid position. This is in that students were having problems been agreed as to whether a committee response to the failure of CUSU to getting their university cards recog- will be set up to study the proposal. deliver on time the university and nised as genuine student ID outside of What can be ascertained is that CUSU CUSU cards to colleges, that are an Cambridge. The new cards should have found themselves in the same integral part of a student’s life at have overcome these difficulties but predicament two years in a row, and Cambridge. they too ran into complications that have yet to find a way to deal with it. Stewart Morris, CUSU Services have meant delays for students this Officer, admitted in the e-mail that he year. • Editorial page 10 was to blame, as he had not exercised significant “restraint” when passing on details to colleges concerning the arrival times of the cards. He added, “I’ve learnt the lesson that only when something has been delivered to CUSU should arrangements be made.” Morris asserts that the reason behind this is that CUSU sabbaticals are over- worked in the summer vacation. Burdened with getting to grips with the basic requirements of the job, such as typesetting and deadlines, he claims they do not have time to consider long term issues. Therefore, he believes that the extra time gained through the effi- ciency of having a permanent member of staff would be “of great benefit to CUSU.” Morris suggests that one way to rem- when he declared his fatwa on the edy the problems with the cards would Sophie Morphet Pakistani president. The fatwa was be to create a new paid post, to over- issued in response to Pakistan’s decision see the publications department, Following on from last weeks Varsity to support the United States in the “war which he currently runs. He argues exclusive, the investigations into Sheikh against terrorism.” In addition, he may that a new officer is needed to “co- Omar Bakri Muhammad have widened. be charged under the Public Order Act if ordinate” the six sabbaticals that begin The Crown Prosecution Service had he is found to have incited racial hatred.