Students across the UK call for remain

A Leave victory would be a massive defeat for all students. We face an ideological fight against a Government committed to removing public funding from our education system and institutions, whatever the outcome of tomorrow’s vote. But a vote to leave the European Union – which provides 15 per cent of Britain’s university funding and a vital targeted 75 million to British colleges – would provide an obvious hock for further fee increases and marketisation.

But this vote is about more than money: it is about the kind of world we want to live in. We want an open, pluralist society. We value the freedom to study and work on the continent, as tens of thousands of young British people do every year. The European students who study at British universities, and the European migrants who come here to work, enrich our lives and the society we live in.

Like everyone else in Britain, we suffer from housing shortages, low wages and overstretched public services. These problems do not arise from migration; they are the product of decades of failed government policy and an economic system that exploits us for the benefit of the rich. A vote to leave will rob us of key legal protections, and make these problems worse, not better.

We urge all students, and everyone who cares about the future of Britain’s education system, to vote Remain tomorrow.

Signed by:

Megan Dunn, President, National Union of Students

Josh Berlyne, National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts

Yusuf Hassan, Federation of Student Islamic Societies

Charlotte Elizabeth Martin, Students for Europe

Zarah Sultana, Young Labour

Aaron Parr, Young Greens

Sophie Nazemi, Labour Students

Kate Stevenson, Shout Out UK

Hannah McCarthy, Momentum Youth and Students

Charlie Kingsbury, Liberal Youth

Benjamin Smith, Student Assembly Against Austerity

Sorana Vieru, NUS Vice-President Higher Education

Shakira Martin, NUS Vice-President Further Education

Piers Telemacque, NUS Vice-President Society & Citizenship

Richard Brooks, NUS Vice-President Union Development

Vonnie Sandlan, NUS Scotland President

Ebbi Ferguson, Deputy President NUS Wales

Susuana Amoah, NUS Women’s Officer

Rosie Inman - Women’s Officer NUS Wales

Emily Beever, NUS Scotland Women's Officer

Robbie Young, NUS LGBT+ Officer

Rob Henthorn, NUS Scotland Vice President Education

Noorulann Shahid, NUS LGBT+ Officer (Open Place)-elect

Hareem Ghani, NUS Women’s Officer-elect

Deborah Hermanns, NUS International Students Campaign EU place-elect

Anastazja Oppenheim, SUARTS Campaigns Officer and NUS NEC-elect

Shabina Raja, NUS Black Students Campaign & NUS NEC

Sahaya James, NUS NEC

Beth Redmond, NUS NEC

Omar Rai, NUS NEC-elect and UCLU Labour Vice Chair

Rachel O'Brien, NUS NEC (Disabled Place)-elect

Daniel Nikola, NUS NEC-elect

Yinbo Yu, NUS NEC-elect and International Students Campaign

Abi Banner - NUS Scotland Executive Committee Elect

Ashley Hickford - Student President, New College Lanarkshire & NUS Scotland Executive Committee

Ashley Cameron - NUS Scotland Executive Committee

Nona Buckley-Irvine, LSESU General Secretary

Aysha Al-Fekaiki, LSESU Community and Welfare Officer

Scarlett Langdon, SUARTS Welfare Officer

Hansika Jethnani, SUARTS Education Officer-elect

Katy Jalili, SUARTS Women’s Officer-elect

Julius Jokikokko, SUARTS LGBTQ Officer-elect

Ben Hunt, KCLSU Vice President Education (Arts & Sciences) and President-elect

Sayed Alkadiri - Vice President, Middlesex SU

Gary Paterson, President of the University of Strathclyde Students' Association and Vice President (Communities) of the National Union of Students Scotland

Conor Marshal, Vice-President (Communities), NUS Scotland

Jack Douglas, NUS Scotland LGBT officer

Sophie Nazemi, Labour Students Regional Coordinator London

Genna Clarke, Student President, Aberdeen University Students Association

Jenny Killin, incoming Welfare Officer, Aberdeen University Students Association

Lewis Macleod, incoming Communities Officer, Aberdeen University Students Association

Laura Cristea, President for Environment and Ethics, Aberdeen University Students Association

Chubbe Anucha Student President Incoming, Aberdeen University Students Association

Megan Burgoyne Sports President Aberdeen University Students Association

Tom King, Co-President Welfare and Campaigns, SOAS SU

Huda Elmi, SOAS Labour Co-Chair

Will Sheret, SOAS Labour Co-Chair

Mahamid Ahmed, NUS NEC Postgraduate Students Campaign

Deej Lashley-Johnson, BME Officer UoM Student Union

Alex Ferguson, Deputy President, Liverpool Guild of Students

Hassun El Zafar, Education Officer, Sheffield Hallam SU

Natalie Poernig, Central Students' Union President

Danny Filer, UCLU Labour Chair

Susannah Bain, UCLU Labour Women's Officer

Nazza Ahmed, UCLU Labour Media and Communications Officer

Mark Crawford, UCLU Labour Secretary and incoming Postgraduate Students Officer

Ben Towse, UCLU Labour Campaigns Officer & NUS Postgraduate Committee

Rosie McKenna, Vice President Academic Representation, Edge Hill Students' Union

Christy McMorrow, President, Sheffield SU

Minesh Parekh, Education Officer, Sheffield SU

Dom Trendall, President-elect, Sheffield SU

Annie Gainsborough, Activities Officer, Sheffield SU

Gabi Binnie, Welfare Officer, Sheffield SU

Anna Mullaney, incoming Welfare Officer, Sheffield SU

Serena Cavasin, incoming Women's Officer, Sheffield SU

Anna Berestova, incoming Activities Officer, Sheffield SU

Ali Day, incoming Education Officer, Sheffield SU

Michael Kind, incoming Development Officer, Sheffield SU

Ana Gabriela Popa, incoming International Students' Officer, Sheffield SU

Peggy Lim, outgoing International Students' Officer, Sheffield SU

Kieran Maxwell, Co-Chair, Sheffield Labour Students

Katie Haughey, Co-chair, Sheffield Labour Students

Isaac Leigh, President Warwick SU

Luke Pilot, President-elect, Warwick SU

Nathaniel Panda, Warwick Postgraduate Officer

Hope Worsdale, Warwick SU Education Officer-elect

Chloe Wynne, Warwick SU Welfare & Campaigns Officer-elect

Charlie Hindhaugh, Education Officer & Deputy President, Warwick SU

Oliver Rice, Democracy and Development Officer, Warwick SU

Becky Gittins, Democracy & Development Officer-elect, Warwick SU

Marissa Beatty, Societies Officer-elect, Warwick SU

Alex Roberts, Sports Officer, Warwick SU

George Creasy, Societies Officer, Warwick SU

Monty Shield, Queen Mary Labour Issues Campaigns Officer

Ted Crowson, Warwick SU Sports Officer-elect

Mohamed Lamin Wurie, Coventry University, NUS International Students’ Committee

Sarah Gibbons, Society and Citizenship Officer, University of Sussex Students' Union

Lizzy Kelly, University of Sheffield, Momentum Youth and Students National Committee

Laura Potter, Welfare Rep, QMSU

James McAsh, Birmingham University

Aisling Gallagher, Goldsmiths University

Zaak Muddle, Bristol University and NCAFC

Rose Taylor, Postgraduate Students Officer, University of Sussex

Sanjay Lago, NUS Black Students Officer

Sally Williamson, Students For Europe Bath Coordinator

Samuel Grisa, Loughborough University

Stuart Kirk, University of Bath

Liam David Hopley, Loughborough University

Fiona Edwards, Student Assembly against Austerity

Jake Short, Royal Holloway, University of London. President, Royal Holloway Liberal Democrats

Natalie Jester, University of Bristol

Marcus Johns, Manchester University Coordinator for Students for Europe

Alexander Catt, University of East Anglia & UEA Young Greens

Finlay Knops-Mckim, University of Exeter

Andrew Mitchell, Royal Holloway University, Royal Holloway Labour Students

Guy Bud, University of Oxford

Jordan Smith, Vice President, Queen Mary Young Greens

Rob Selby, University of Exeter, Social Media Co-ordinator of Exeter Students For Europe

Vasiliki Ntalampira. Loughborough University

Christopher Waller, University of the West of England

Yasmin Gasimova, University of Liverpool

Joshua Alston - University of Leeds, Leeds Green Party Young Greens Officer

Florence Scott, University of Leeds, President of LUU Green Party Society

Matthew Vine, University of Nottingham

Cristina Tudoran, Loughborough University

Jordan Thorpe, Young Greens President, University of Nottingham

Sammy Barry, University of Nottingham

Ella Thorp, Northumbria University

Leah Rea, Queen's University Belfast

Demaine Boocock, University of Sheffield

Frank Oxley, University of Nottingham

Junaed Khan Kings College London

Lara McNeill, King's College London

Jamie Green, Chair of Goldsmiths Labour

Dan Mulloy, Goldsmiths College

Alice Moore, University of York

Abdiwali Duale, University of Plymouth

Hannah Rich, LSE

Harlan Matthews, LSE

Gareth Bell, Birkbeck

Katie Leach, UAL

Karol Stefanowicz, UAL

Robin Brabham, Chair of University of York Green Party

Callum Alston, University of York, BAME Officer

Callum Shannon, University of York

Jack Worrall, University of York Liberal Democrat Treasurer

Tristan Marris, Durham University

Yan Malinowski, University of East Anglia Liberal Democrats

Tom Johnston, University of East Anglia Liberal Democrats

GK Teh, Durham for Europe Chair

Alexander Jensen, University of Portsmouth

Sean Mclaughlin, St Andrews University

Christopher Flossman, Essex University

Gareth Bell, Birkbeck University

Jack Robinson, UEA Students for Europe Co-Chair

Theo Antoniou-Phillips, UEASU Undergraduate Education Officer

Chris Ball, UEASU Non-Portfolio Officer

Jamie Sims, University of Warwick

Alex Stuart, University of Surrey

Marie Dams, University of Warwick

Rhian Grant, University of Bristol

Rahma Hussein, King's College London

Joe Toovey, University of Cambridge Liberal Democrats

Hannah Winslade, University of Leicester

Amy Longland, University of Nottingham

Ben Lawrie, University of St Andrews

Adam Hall, Durham University

Katie Ward, UEA Labour Students

Mike Green, University of York Liberal Democrats

Lee Brown, UEASU LGBT+ Officer

Firstly I would like to thank The Independent for its balanced and thoughtful approach to reporting the EU referendum. So balanced in fact that, even after coming to the opinion that it is best to remain, a significant number of virtual column inches were given to Sean O’Grady to make the case to leave. His piece was interesting and one of the more coherent arguments to leave that has been made. However, his analogy of the Euro 2016 football championship, while superficially attractive, oversimplifies a complex matter. At worst, if the analogy extends to include the tribalism and violence we have seen attending that competition then it does not augur well for continued peace in Europe. Even assuming that the analogy has merit, he draws completely the wrong conclusions. We are free to change our “team manager” now; what we are not free to do is to change the rules of the game unilaterally. If our response to not quite getting what we want is to pick up the ball and walk off the football field, we should not be surprised if the other teams no longer want to play with us.

Mark Evens

Cumbria

Thank you for Dawn Foster's article “Help to Buy is failing because the housing market is about profit, not people”. I do wonder if a better fix than more public housing maybe in an annual land tax or land rate system to encourage building and drive down land prices where speculators are sitting on assets for future profits?

Phil Isherwood

Leigh

Whilst I have no liking or support for the disgusting behaviour of bogus and greedy landlords, I do have to take issue with the two penultimate paragraphs of Holly Baxter's article "What will happen to the UCL rent strikers when they leave university".

My husband and I have been letting out our separate buy-to-let properties since 2000 and I have also been director of the management company set up to manage a block of flats in which I owned a property.

I am amazed by the statement Ms Baxter makes about the landlord stealing her deposit of £1,000 regardless of the reason, because the deposit should have been placed by the landlord/letting agent into one of the government landlord deposit schemes. This has been a legal requirement for the better part of 10 years now and anylandlord/letting agent faces a heavy fine for not doing so if reported. Had Ms Baxter been naive and not asked for the certificate of deposit and the terms and conditions of the particular scheme her deposit was placed into then she has paid a heavy price for her naivety. There is, however, still time for legal redress if she is within the three-year legal time limit for a claim and possibly the cheapest way is the Small Claims Court.

She states that she was fined £100 by a property management company for leaving a cardboard box in her own hallway. Property management companies have no legal authority to "fine" tenant or owner for what they do within the property. They can ask the property owner to have a polite word with the tenant or send a more formal letter on behalf of the property owner if the cardboard box was in a communal hallway but not if it was inside the property. Incidentally, neither the owner nor any appointed agent is allowed to enter a property without a minimum of 24 hours’ notice and permission of the tenant unless there is a perceived emergency which would normally need a call to the police.

A Landlord must give two months’ notice if an assured short-let tenancy agreement is in place and this can only be served after six months if there are no serious reasons for requiring repossession by the landlord. Putting his or her children in is not one of them. No court would issue an eviction order without all the legal obligations have been fulfilled by the landlord and one weeks’ notice is not one of them.

My advice to Ms Baxter is to learn all the facts about renting before doing so. It is best to rent via a proper letting agent, because the many of the bad landlords put their properties to let in the small ads column of local newspapers to avoid fees and to be in a position to cheat the naive and unsuspecting potential renter.

Perhaps all universities in Freshers Week should provide written information or have lectures in common sense and being street wise with regard to property renting so that their students don't fall prey to illegal, bogus landlords.

Please don't tar all decent landlords with the same brush!

Cynthia Younis

Address unknown

In 1776 a group of people on the eastern seaboard of the United States broke away from the shackles of the mother country. Were they quitters?

Edward Thomas

Eastbourne