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By Zack Whittaker
blogs.zdnet.com
April 20, 2010
Students are demanding that politicians from all parties “come clean on tuition
fees” in the run up to the general election on May 6th. With social media rocketing
in this part of the decade, since the last election, it is pretty much all students
have to share their feeling about this potential lack of access to study.
So far, all major parties and most parliamentary candidates have stated their
position on raising the cap on tuition fees, which currently stands at around
£3,300, but could raise to double or even more than that per year. However with the
general election being less than exactly two weeks away, politicians are holding
back on announcing these decisions until after the election - a major issue for
students who want the opportunity to have their say in democratic means and electing
those who won’t force them out of their degree programme.
This is the first general election in the UK which has fully harnessed the power and
functionality of instant communications, Facebook, social networking and media; just
as the recent presidential election in the US which some argue may have resulted in
Barack Obama getting in office.
So much social media has already erupted, with YouTube manifestos being published
online, Twitter pages being set up, Facebook used to spread the message, and all in
the name of getting through to the younger Generation Y. One prospective candidate
was removed by their party for tweeting offensive comments, which ironically got far
more airtime for Twitter than at any other point so far this year.
A similar trend is being seen with younger eligible voters, that Facebook and
Twitter will have an absolutely unprecedented impact in the outcome - which at this
point in time looks likely to be a hung parliament.
With all UK student voters - including mature, international, and part-time students
- this is about 15% of all eligible voters in this upcoming general election, which
may not seem like much, but it all counts in the local constituency.
Such cities including my own, Canterbury, but also Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh
and Newcastle, have strong, lively yet crucial student voters which could turn the
tables on the politicians. The National Union of Students has the Vote for Students
campaign, asking students to vote for those who will plan to keep tuition fees as
they are or scrap them altogether.
At the moment student voters have two options. The current opposition, the
Conservative Party, are reluctant to share their views on tuition fee rises. Then
again, as they don’t take into account those of a lesser class to themselves, such
as working class background families (as I am from) then students simply won’t vote
for them.
Or, they could publicly continue the social media and online action phenomenons by
live slapping the respective party leaders as and when they annoy the electorate.
el.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=4702&tag=wrapper;col1
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