Free Education (against means testing)

‘Kat Fletcher National President and proud to stand here as a committed free educationalist in defence of our free education policy. Conference let’s vote down this cynical attempt to re-introduce means-testing to NUS policy.

If I had the time I’d talk to you about how we should be treated as adults not as dependants, about how means-testing discriminates against women, LGBT students, disabled students and women students.

But what I’m actually going to talk to you about is unity. We must remain united for an education that is accessible to all.

Conference, I remember the last time that Labour Students succeeded in rolling back our education funding policy. Conference, they told us then that our policy was unrealistic, no longer affordable, that our demands were unreasonable.

Conference, rolling back our policy paved the way for the government to abolish grants and introduce tuition fees while NUS weakened and divided failed to mount the campaign our members needed to defend our education.

In the year that top up fees are about to hit our campuses and with vice chancellors already lobbying higher fees, now is not the time for NUS to sell out it’s funding policy.

Vote against this cynical, dangerous amendment. Vote for free education. ‘

Coke Anti-boycott

604 b – First Against – Kat Fletcher, NUS

‘Conference,

I’m appalled at this deliberate attempt to confuse and polarize our debate –

• undermining the unity we had on Tuesday when Hernando spoke

• attempting to reduce the conflict in Colombia to an issue of fizzy drinks.

I’m a trade unionist and an internationalist – if I believed that Coca Cola was complicit in the murder of workers or students I’d not just boycott my Diet Coke, I’d campaign against it.

Conference, I base my politics in the labour movement and the overwhelming majority of trade unions in Colombia and the Columbian TUC – say no to boycott that’s my line

I hate passive campaigning:

• if it’s worth fighting for, fight for it.

• If it’s worth opposing, actually oppose it.

The idea that removing Coke from the shelves or bars of our unions will somehow stop the murders in Colombia instead of the real action in the previous amendment – action Colombians and their trade unions actually want – is contemptuous nonsense.

To convince trade unionists like Hernando or retiring students activists like me, you’ll have to do better than that. So take your dodgy dossiers and vote against them.’

Ginger Representation

Kat Fletcher National President and former NUS women’s officer.

‘Conference,

I have not spent the last 9 years I the student movement campaigning for liberation, fighting for equality and defending student rights to leave this movement with a ginger students officer.

You may think this is a joke conference, you may vote for this conference because it’s a bit of a laugh and you think this is all a bit of a giggle.

But is 248 disabled people being killed in the last 10 years because of disablism funny?

Is a 23 year old man being stabbed to death just because he is gay a laugh?

Do you think it’s a giggle that race riots are caused every year because of the BNP?

And every 8 seconds a woman is beaten. Laugh that one off conference.

Conference,

I am disgusted that this is even on the table to be discussed here at our Annual Conference. This motion makes a mockery of our liberation campaigns. If you think our already limited resources to a ginger representation is the priority of the body of students that we represent then you are wrong.

You may think that ginger people are oppressed but do they face being estranged because of their sexuality? Do they face 15% cut in their wages just because of their hair colour? Are they branded ‘mentally retarded’ because of their skin colour? And are they denied branded as unemployable because of their disability.

Conference, this motion may be ‘funny’ but what it does is take away from the real issues of oppression facing our liberation groups. It may be ‘funny’ but opens the door taking away our much needed resources to campaigning. Conference, it may be ‘funny’ but it is shameful. ‘

• Obviously it’s worth saying that I chaired a lot of this year’s conference, which I totally loved.

• Didn’t wake up on Friday until 5pm!

• Spent Saturday and Sunday in Eastbourne at the TUC Youth Conference. I have to admit I was very jealous of other NEC members relaxing, however I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and think the value of NUS working more closely with the TUC and in particular its’ young members cannot be overestimated.

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