News
City Council supports the Union of UEA students' fees campaign
Norwich City Council has voted unanimously to support the Union of UEA Students’ Higher Education funding campaign and write to the Minister for Higher Education expressing concern about possible rises in fees.
Many UEA students were in the audience at City Hall on Tuesday night to hear the debate as each of the four political parties outlined their position on student fees.
The Council also supported a proposal to commission an investigation into the impact of student debt which will be conducted by the Scrutiny Committee.
Natasha Barnes, Communications Officer, for the Union said: “This is fantastic news and I am really pleased that Members of the City Council have shown their support for students.
All of the local political parties have said loud and clear that the recession should not be used as an excuse to pile more debt onto students. We are now looking for their colleagues at Westminster to do the same.”
An amendment was also tabled by the Green Councillor, Adrian Ramsey, suggesting that the Council should be lobbying for the abolition of fees. This was supported by the Liberal Democrats but opposed by Labour and Conservative Members. The amendment was defeated by nineteen votes to eighteen.
Members from all parties also praised the role students praised in the city. Responding to a public question from the Union of UEA Students asking what the Council saw as the key benefits were of having a large student population in Norwich, the Leader of the Council, Steve Morphew said:
“There is no doubt that the student population make a huge contribution Norwich and are invaluable to the future of the city. Both the city and the council benefit enormously from having a large student population. Our student population has helped to boost the city’s profile in ways which would have been impossible without them.”