Dear Editor,

I am writing on behalf of a broad group of students who, conscious of the impeding cuts to education have created a group to try to resist them. To launch the movement we have decided to hold a meeting on Thursday. 

 One of the objects of the meeting will be to draw up a statement which outlines what the purpose of the group is.  The statement will be finalised at the meeting but a preliminary one has been drawn up. We would very much appreciate it if you where able to print this in this weeks issue with an extremely small explanatory piece.The statement is below for you to read, as you can see its very short. Everything we would like to explain is in there really. It would just be nice to accompany it with some sentences about who is speaking at the meeting and societies who have already affiliated. (Students for justice in Palestine, Socialist workers student society, People and Planet, Trade Union society and a meeting is being had on Monday with EUSA about how much of a role they want to play in the campaign.)

Joe Downing

Stament follows

The Tory-LibDem coalition has pledged to make cuts to higher education. We believe these cuts will have a profoundly negative effect for generations to come. Only students from privileged backgrounds will have access to the wide-ranging benefits of higher education, limiting social mobility and broadening the gap between rich and poor.The cuts will also fundamentally damage our courses and thus the quality of our education, making it more difficult for ordinary people to access and be successful in an increasingly competitive labour market.

Moreover here at Edinburgh University last year the Moray House School of Education were the first victims of the cuts on campus; jobs were threatened, redundancies were made, and research was discontinued even though well qualified teachers represent an important asset to our society. We stand in solidarity with lecturers, researchers and pledge to defend their job security.
The Anti-Cuts campaign supports any action against cuts in Edinburgh University, and in the wider context of public sector cuts, pledges its support to the demonstration called by Scottish Trade Union Conference. We also support the demonstration called by the National Union of Students and supported by EUSA.

The Anti-Cuts campaign calls on the initiative of all groups and societies in our university that wish to protect our right to education and stand against government cuts. There are alternatives to reducing the national deficit through austerity measures, and we believe that, contrary to what the government has promised, cuts in higher education and the public sector will prove more detrimental to the recovery of our economy.