Marking Boycott will affect students at 69 universities

Over 100,000 thousands students may be affected by a marking boycott on 6^th November as academics rebel over proposed pension changes.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) will stop any planned exams and stop students receiving coursework, formal marks or feedback.

The UCU says the action is necessary after the plans proposed from employers are: “full of holes and the information they are apparently relying on to back them up keeps being exposed as misleading.”

The UCU held a ballot in which 87% of the people that voted were in favour action short of walkouts, such as the boycott. Although over three quarters of the voters were in favour of complete strike action.

The turnout for the vote was 45%.  

Talks between the Union and University UK, the employers who are proposing the pension scheme change, are due to be held the day after the Boycott starts on the 7^th November.

In response to the industrial action, Universities UK released a statement on their website saying that: “We are disappointed that the UCU has decided to pursue a damaging course of industrial action aimed directly at disrupting students' education.

“Taking industrial action will not make the substantial scheme deficit and the risks to the future viability of the scheme go away.”

The E.U. Conundrum

The United Kingdom has been told by the European Union to pay an extra £1.7bn towards the EU budget.

Also slapped with the deadline of the 1st December, the Conservatives and UKIP have gone into overdrive in condemnation and disbelief at paying.

At a time of heavy Anti-EU feeling within the UK, the rise of UKIP, and right-wing Tories having an ever increasing presence, could this be another nail in the possible EU coffin?

For the ever present soundboard of Nigel Farage, this is his prefect opportunity to stay in the spotlight, keeping up his condemnation of the EU and all it stands for.

Today in interviews he has been comparing the commission to “Thirsty Vampires” and also laying down gauntlets to the Prime Minister saying “that Mr Cameron has to veto this if he is to have any credibility at all”.

Bold words for a leader with one MP, as it stands.

But with another By-election in Rochester and Strood in the not too distant future, and being able to use big headlines like this, along with immigration fears in the general public, a possible second could be on the cards.

David Cameron on the other hand, has it all to do.

After already stating that he wanted to renegotiate the UK’s position within the EU, this announcement has dwarfed news that the British economy is still growing, something that the Tories could have shouted about.

But now, instead of being able to quiet the other political parties for a while, he has to take up arms and defend his position again.

He has started very strong, combating Nigel Farage with a very angry and powerful speech, saying that he would not pay. At least not on the 1^st December.

It would seem then that David Cameron knows the severity of this political crossroad.

But I find it very unlikely that Britain will not pay any extra, even if a deal is agreed.

EU finance ministers have agreed to an emergency meeting of disgruntled countries, as it is not just the UK that have to pay extra, although we do have to pay considerably more. With some other major countries getting a ‘tax rebate’ of sorts.

Losers	Additional sum to pay
SOURCE: LEAKED EU COMMISSION DOCUMENT
United Kingdom	£1,676m
Netherlands	£506m
Italy	£268m
Greece	£70m
Cyprus	£33m
Winners	Reduction
France	£801m
Germany	£614m
Denmark	£253m
Poland	£249m
Austria	£232m

   

With countries like France and Germany set to profit from this new budget, a deal will be improbable.

But whatever deal Mr. Cameron might be able to make with the EU, it could have a direct result on the general election next year, as I fear that if UKIP are allowed to build up steam on the back of big negative EU stories, we could be in store for a very different looking government.