With most students already living in poverty, tuition fees, standing at over £1000 are due to increase to over £3000 next year!

The maximum loan is only £4000 and this is only for the poorest students. The hardship loan was even abolished, in so students can look forward to finishing their courses £21,000 in debt.

Living on such a low loan forces most students into low paid and badly treated part-time work. This means they have less time to concentrate on studying towards their degree, and are tired from working late. Call centres are one place where the poorest students who are desperate to get a job are forced to turn to, bringing into this dismal equation sweat shop working conditions.

On top of this students can only get a 12 month rent contract with the majority of landlords, although most do not need accommodation during three of these months. In the Holylands especially, many students are crammed into the smallest of spaces and forced to live in rat infested areas. How can students avoid leaving rubbish in the streets if they are not provided with a bin?

Soon poorer students will find it even more difficult to go to university (many presently find themselves scraping together a few pennies in order to buy the students culinary delight of 8p Tesco noodles!). The inability to buy proper food adds further devastation to our lives. It is known that nutritious food is needed in order to be able to fully perform academically.

The Socialist Society in Queen’s has been campaigning on issues affecting the lives of students in Queen’s, and we will continue to do so as long as these conditions persist.

On the 2nd August the newly appointed US Ambassador to the UK, one Robert Tuttle, visited Belfast for two days to comment on the latest move by the IRA and the peace process in general.

As well as being a representative of the Bush Administration, Robert Tuttle is a managing partner of one of the largest car dealers in the US and was an assistant to ex President, Ronald Reagan, during the 1980s.

Socialist Youth organised a "welcoming" picket at very short notice for that morning outside the Stewartstown Road Regeneration Committee offices in West Belfast.

Loud, vocal and angry Socialist Youth and Socialist Party members made sure everyone in the area knew that this war monger’s hypocritical words on "peace" were not welcome in Belfast, while ordinary Iraqis continue to suffer at the hands of US imperialism.

Fascists Out! Campaign members have succeeded in closing down a mail box being used by the neo-fascist Ulster Nationalist Alliance.

The Ulster Nationalist Alliance includes the fascist and racist White Nationalist Party which has been attempting for some time to get a base in Northern Ireland.

These people who encourage racist attacks set up a mail box address in Botanic Avenue in South Belfast, the part of Belfast which has seen the greatest number of racist attacks.

After approaching the company providing the mail boxes, Fascists Out! Campaign members placed a picket on the premises at the end of August. As a result of all this pressure the mail box was closed.

This action has shown the fascists that people will not stand by and allow them facilities which they can use to attack immigrants or spread their fascist and racist ideas.