Warwick’s Student Question Time event hosted by Politics Society

Warwick Politics Society were hosts to the university’s Student Question Time, which took place on Monday 24 October in the Oculus Building.

The event follows a format similar to the one of the well-known BBC Question Time and to the Warwick Question time, which takes place at the beginning of each academic year.

The panel was made up of representatives from each political party society on campus, with Rhal Ssan from Warwick Conservatives, Matilda (Tilly) Smith from Warwick Labour, Adam Kirsopp from the Liberal Democrats and Alice Saunders from Warwick Greens. Co-host and President of the Politics Society, Ben Newsham, acted as a mediator.

The main topic was “student issues”, with tuition fees being the first question on the agenda.

A lower number of people are going to university this year, so tuition fees should be lower.
Matilda Smith

In response to the topic, third-year Philosophy, Politics and Economics student Ssan from the Conservatives said: “A threshold of £21,000 should increase. We should pay something for our education.”

In opposition, Saunders from the Greens argued that tuition fees should be abolished.

Smith from Labour then commented: “A lower number of people are going to university this year, so tuition fees should be lower.”

The audience were reminded of how the Conservatives abolished the maintenance grant given to low-income students, on which she added: “A loan and a grant are not the same thing.”

Another issue brought up was whether or not the university is doing enough to make campus more affordable. There were mixed views, with Labour arguing not enough is happening.

Rootes grocery store is the only convenience store on campus, which is a joke.
Rhal Ssan

Attention was also drawn to the high bus prices along with students living in Sydenham who can no longer catch the bus closer to home. The consensus was that Stagecoach has a monopoly, with an audience member adding that there should be a real threat of competition.

At the moment, National Express provides the only competing bus services. These bus routes however, often go through Kenilworth and so have a lower appeal to students, as the journey is longer.

The Liberal Democrats concluded that although the university should pressure Stagecoach, it should not be their first step. Saunders for the Greens deemed that “public transport should be nationalised”.

Campus food prices were also debated, with the Conservatives commenting: “Rootes grocery store is the only convenience store on campus, which is a joke.”

Saunders from the Greens, suggested: “If we reduce the amount of food waste then I am sure prices could go down.

I do not think we should be leaving the EU in the first place, and think we should have a second referendum.
Alice Saunders

Brexit soon became the focus of discussion, raising questions about the government’s approach.

Saunders argued: “I do not think we should be leaving the EU in the first place, and think we should have a second referendum.”

The idea of a second referendum was soon turned down by the rest of the panel with Ssan saying we should “think of the societal costs”.

The Conservatives added: “It is not true that a bad deal is better than no deal, we don’t want to be taken advantage of. Theresa May does not want a no deal, no one does.”

Saunders defended the idea of a second referendum based on the “misleading information from the leading party”.

To finish the debate, one student in the crowd raised a comment on whether “the wage gap is justified” or not. A discussion then quickly ensued on the need to tackle the social and cultural biases in society.

The best way to tackle the wage gap is to break down the assumptions societies have about each gender
Adam Kirsopp

Ssan from the Conservatives said: “Employers should not look at women and think five years down the line she might take maternity leave; they should look at men and think five years down the line they might be pregnant with their wife and take paternity leave – this is the society I want to move towards.”

Kirsopp rounded off the discussion by adding: “The best way to tackle the wage gap is to break down the assumptions societies have about each gender.”