Jenny Sutton -TUSC Parliamentary candidate for Tottenham in the 2010 General Election
Jenny Sutton
I’m standing because our current MP, David Lammy, is Minister for Higher Education and embodies the complete failure of the government to represent the interests of ordinary people, in education and across public services.
CUTS IN EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SERVICES
13 years since Labour came to power on a slogan of ‘Education, Education, Education’, we face cuts of more than £200 million in Adult Education and £900 million in Higher Education. Between now and 2012, more than 20,000 jobs in post-16 education are under threat. 30 universities and between 50 and 100 FE colleges may close if these cuts go through. London is one of the worst affected areas, with colleges across the capital facing cuts of 10-25%. My college is being cut by £2.5m, with Esol and Adult Education particularly badly hit. David Lammy, as Minister for Higher Education, got where he is today through education, but is shamefully now drawing up the ladder behind him.
Cuts in education are mirrored by cuts across public services that have the biggest impact on the most vulnerable in our community. Haringey has no Accident and Emergency Unit, and now one of our nearest A&Es at the Whittington Hospital is threatened with closure.
WIDENING GULF BETWEEN RICH AND POOR
Education cuts will widen the social inequality in Britain that has grown dramatically in the last 13 years. In Tottenham, men die 17 years sooner than in the wealthiest areas. Seven million adults can’t read or write confidently, yet there are 1.5 million fewer people in Adult Education than in 2000. I’ve been teaching Esol in Tottenham for 17 years now, and have seen how empowering language and literacy can be for some of the poorest and most marginal groups in our community. The classes I used to teach, and many like them, are gone, driving women from refugee and migrant communities in particular back into the home and into social isolation.
The UK has one of the lowest proportions of teenagers in education compared to other developed countries, and is one of only 2 cutting funds to post-16 education – when unemployment is 3 million, 1 million 16-24 year olds and half of young black people are out of work. Tuition fees and student loans make university a distant dream for many, and opportunities for adults to return to education and training to improve their skills are being destroyed. While cutting chances for fulfilling education and work, the army targets areas like Tottenham; the UK is the only country in Europe to recruit 16-year olds, sending teenagers to illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
THE MONEY IS THERE!
The government chooses to sustain illegal war and occupation while cutting education, health and public services. They found £500 billion of public money to bail out the banks, and more than £11bn was set aside this year for bankers’ bonuses. RBS, now 84% owned by the taxpayer, has set aside £1.3bn for bonus payments. All MPs should get the average wage and no more!
