West: Student Politics

In the 1960s there were many student demos

What with top-up fees, loans and impending war, students have a lot to protest about. The only surprise is how restrained they are. It seems student politics is not what it used to be.

Contrast today with 35 years ago and the Grosvenor Square riots in London. Thousands of students battled with the police outside the American Embassy in protest against the Vietnam war.

Roger Berry, a Bristol MP, was a student in Bristol 35 years ago. A self-confessed idealist and activist, he joined the marches and took part in a sit-in at the university's offices.

Reflecting on this time, Roger says, "Young people were challenging the traditional power structures, traditional political parties and there was a fair amount of that going on in Bristol."

Contemporary students

Britain is now on the verge of another war which the politicians are finding hard to sell to the British public. So what are the students doing this time round?

At Bristol University now, the biggest society is the ballroom dancing society. With more than 600 members it's ten times the size of the university Labour group.

Students today are not in search of a cause - they're in search of a career.

Can Okar a student from the university says, "Most people don't think going on a student march is going to aid their career aspirations."

Ideologically stripped

It's not as though Bristol doesn't have the heritage of university protest. In the 60's they would have been marching against war and for social change.

But Can Okar says it is the period since the 60s that has made students less inclined to take action.

Can says, "The problem is we've been ideologically stripped. We're the kids of Thatcher. We all believe that basically there's no society, we're all quite selfish."

Roger Berry, MP, agrees students are less engaged than they used to be and says, "I am surprised that I do not get more e-mails from students about Iraq."

Cynicism

At the University of the West of England students have deliberately taken non-committal stances on Afghanistan and Iraq, something unimaginable in the 60's. Where there was once optimism there's now cynicism.

Student Hayden Fusco explains why, "The students don't believe in anything the politicians say these days because it's lies, it's smear, it's scandal, it's propaganda."

Gus Glover, another student, says, "If the parliamentary Labour party itself can't stop a war in Iraq - if it's going to be decided between Blair and Bush and not the actual elected government - I think that's one of the main problems."

"The cabinet won't even listen to its own party so what's the chance of it listening to us?"

Disappointment

But Roger Berry believes the students hold more power than they realise.

He says, "I would have thought that people engaged in political issues - and all students ought to be - can see that protest, lobbying and demonstrating actually have an effect."

"There have been a number of changes to policy under the present government because of protest. Even during the previous government, protest removed the poll tax."

"It is disappointing frankly that students aren't more active."

Some might say they are not helped by the fact that the people who once fought to change the world may end up bombing it.

But Roger Berry at least is still prepared to stand up for his principles - he's voted against the government in protest at its willingness to go to war with Iraq.

What do you think?

We want to hear your views on why students seem less involved in political struggle than they used to be. Send us your comments below.

And join presenters Jeremy Vine and David Garmston for The Politics Show every Sunday at noon on BBC One.

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