'We support the student protests': North East open letter

Trade unionists and campaigners support the students

We support our region's school, college and university students in their campaign to stop this ConDem government's plans for drastically higher tuition fees and savage cuts to higher education. We welcome the demonstrations, nationally and locally, planned for 8/9th December in opposition to fees increases, funding cuts and the scrapping of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

Our young people are leading the way in resisting this government's attacks on public service provision. They serve as an inspiration to all who oppose this government's policies of cuts and privatisation, and to all who treasure the future of education.

We applaud the 60 students who have, since the 24th November national day of action against fee rises and cuts, peacefully occupied the Fine Arts building of Newcastle University. Their actions, alongside other student sit-ins across the country and the protests by school and FE students, serve as inspiration to the trade union and anti-cuts movements.

Kevin Rowan, TUC Regional Secretary
Barry Gills, Professor of Global Politics at Newcastle University, NE Green Party
Kenny Bell, Unison deputy regional convenor
UNISON, Gateshead Local Government Branch
Yvonne Ridley, Journalist & Author
Simon Elliott, Regional Secretary, PCS
Paul Clays, Regional Secretary, CWU
Jo Walker, secretary, Coalition of Resistance – Tyne & Wear
Clare Williams, chair, Northern Public Services Alliance
Shirley Ford, Regional Coordinator of NE Green Party and Joint Women's Officer, Unison South Tyneside Local Government branch
Julie Young, Regional Organiser, PCS
Jeremy Kearney, UCU Branch Equality Rep, University of Sunderland
Tony Dowling, membership secretary Gateshead NUT (pc)
Steve Brown, Northern Region Labour Representation Committee Co-ordinator and National Committe member (pc)
Alex Snowdon, Counterfire and NUT member
Veronica Killen, UCU
Mary Ferguson, PCS Regional Chair
Glen Hatwood - PCS Tyne View Park Branch Treasurer
Simon Hall, Gateshead Local Government UNISON International Officer
Alan Docherty, Unison member
Tom Price, Socialist Party
Di Wood, Green Party
Kevin Alderson, Newcastle College HE student, Green Party and Unison member
Mick Bowman, shop steward Unison Northumberland County Branch
Ben Ponton, BECTU & Coalition of Resistance – Tyne & Wear
Andy Lie, Newcastle resident and freelance inter faith adviser
Mark Tyers, Counterfire and Unison member
Tony Gair, Green Party (south tyneside)
Pauline Smith, retired NUT member
Mo Lovatt, freelance arts practitioner, co-director of the Great Debate
Charlie Hardwick – Equity member
Barry Purdy, Unite member
David Stead, Assistant Secretary, Tyneview Park PCS
Tom May, UCU member, Lecturer Newcastle College
Lindy Syson, Counterfire and Unison member
David Douglass, Former NUM branch official and Yorkshire Area Executive Committee
Rachel Featherstone, Senior Lecturer, University of Teesside
Norman Jemison, Chair UCU Northern Region Retired Members Branch
Ben Sellers, Chair, Labour Representation Committee Northern
Penny Gulliver, Coalition of Resistance - Tyne & Wear
Paul Roberts, NUT member
Kate Bagenal-Lowe, mature student – Open University
Arlo Lapworth, Unite Representative, Gateshead Hospitals
Sue Richardson, retired social worker & Unison member
Dr Pam Wortley, Unite member and BMA - recently retired GP
Carol Meredith, Coalition of Resistance – Tyne & Wear
Angela Kennedy, artist, Coalition of Resistance – Tyne & Wear
Bill Bell, life member GMB
Dee Shaw, Artist, Coalition of Resistance - Tyne & Wear
Derek Robertson, Green Party
Erik Bagenal-Lowe, High School Student
Cheryl Baker, Coalition of Resistance – Tyne & Wear
Annie Bishop, chair, Northumberland Disability and Deaf network (personal capacity)
Organising Committee, Northumberland Public Services Alliance
Yaron Golan
Phlilp Bagenal-Lowe, Unison Member – retired
Dr Ailsa Mackay, Prinicpal Clinical Psychologist, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Trust
Jean Nash, veteran campaigner
Roy Wilkes, NUT Rep, Prestwich Arts College
Val Hudson, member of City of Durham Constituency Labour Party
Tony Pierre, Unison Rep
Rowan Bagenal-Lowe, University student – Bangor
Joan Johnston - Tutor, Writer, Retired UNISON Rep., Parent of Student

Note: This version was sent to a number of local and regional newspapers on Monday night. There may be further names added since then.

See 'Day X in Newcastle: unite our forces on 9 December'


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