There will be a General Election in 2024, let’s make it one where students count!
There will be a General Election in 2024, let’s make it one where students count!
The National Union of Students has gathered data among UK students to find out where change is desperately necessary. The results are not surprising, but nonetheless shocking. Key results, for instance, are these:
- After covering rent expenses, the average student is left with a mere 50p per week for living costs.
- 65% of students are trimming down their food intake as they struggle to afford meals.
- The mental well-being of 46% of students has declined since September 2023.
The Manifesto for Our Future outlines five crucial requests for the next government:
- In the first 100 days: Break the student crisis cycle
Lift every student in the UK out of poverty and instil in us hope for a better future
- Invest in a thriving future, invest in education
Ensure education that is free at the point of use and funded sustainably and publicly.
- Homes for our futures
Provide quality, environmentally friendly, and affordable housing accessible to all.
- A welcoming and inclusive future
The UK should be an exceptional place for international students to work and study.
- A healthy future
Guarantee high-quality healthcare available for free for every single person in the UK.
Your Sabbatical Officers, along with numerous other Student Leaders across the country, were actively involved in building this Manifesto.
Our Equalities Officer Natasha for instance was very happy to see issues she raised in the development workshops included in the finished document, for instance better working and studying conditions for international students, and accessible, high-quality healthcare and especially transition-related healthcare free of charge for everyone.
To read the full Manifesto and learn how you can support student matters in the next General Election, visit these links:
www.nus.org.uk/manifesto-for-our-future
www.whatstudentsthink.org.uk