Blair Doesn't Give A Shirt
The OUSU "Take the Shirt Off My Back" campaign came to its culmination last Thursday as the shirts collected from students were wheeled through the streets of London.
The publicity stunt organised by the Finance and Funding Campaign, which was also attended by representatives from Liverpool and Nottingham Universities, saw the participants push a clothes rail from Victoria to Whitehall, stopping outside various landmarks, including Downing Street.
It was already known that Number Ten would not accept the shirts, as they posed a security risk. They were however left at the Department for Education and Skills, and it is believed that staff there donated the shirts to charity.
Will Straw, President of OUSU, told the OxStu: "Thursday's protest was an overwhelming success which seemed to capture the attention of all those that saw it. Combined with the culmination of the invoice campaign it shows that F&F is as innovative as ever at taking a proactive message to the government."
Even Prince William has added weight to students' campaigns recently. He agreed that students have a "just cause" to be concerned about the perilous state of student funding, adding that he was aware of the "sensitive issues" surrounding student debt.
OUSU are also planning to invoice nearly 100 pro-fees dons and Labour MPs for the cost of their Oxford degrees.
Bills for £3,000 per year of study will be sent to leading figures such as Tony Blair, Chris Patten and Sir Colin Lucas. The Prime Minister's bill will come to £9,000 of which he would be expected to pay £1,203 per month based on his earnings.
The protest is in response to the willingness of certain dons and MPs to accept the Government's policy on raising fees.
12th Jun 2003