Higher Education in the firing line

Here we go.



The Higher Education Funding Council for England wants to take £449 Million out of higher education, threatening thousands of jobs (http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gmg/op/sxhgLJHmi3H7R-DQO91AOkg/view.m?id=316271&tid=120787&cat=News).



As the economy crawls out of recession this is not only an attack on jobs - and on the educational prospects of thousands. This is also deflationary and flies in the face of the need to sustain demand in the economy in order to support employment and economic activity.



That this is happening now illustrates all too well the power of the neoliberal consensus which dominates the thinking of the leadership of all three major political parties - and which is contrary to the interests of Unison members and the policies of our Union.



Where the Higher Education sector is heading today shows all public servants our future (whichever major party forms the next Government).



We should of course all be aware that the Tories will be worse, cutting deeper and faster (http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gmg/op/sxhgLJHmi3H7R-DQO91AOkg/view.m?id=316248&tid=120787&cat=Politics) - but the most important role trade unions can play in the run up to the General Election must be to maximise the all too small number of genuine allies we will have in the next parliament.



We need to work with the Labour Representation Committee (http://www.l-r-c.org.uk/ge2010candidates) and abandon remaining illusions in New Labour Ministers who are now overseeing massive attacks on Higher Education.

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