News from Sheffield Labour

Paul Blomfield MP welcomes NUS National Conference to Sheffield

Sheffield Central MP, Paul Blomfield today gave the welcoming address to the 90th Annual Conference of National Union of Students’ (NUS) which is being held in Sheffield at the City Hall. Describing Sheffield as a “student city”, Paul paid tribute to the contribution that Sheffield’s two world-class universities and their students make to the city, and challenged students to help undo the damage done to politics by Nick Clegg’s betrayal on tuition fees.

Paul Blomfield said: “I’m really pleased to welcome you to Sheffield. I’ve lived here most of my life and over my life time our two universities have grown from the margins to take centre place in the city. Sheffield’s past is based on traditional industries, with skills and expertise giving a world-wide reputation for excellence in steel and engineering. But our city’s future lies in combining that traditional expertise with the research and innovation excellence of our two universities, and the work of Sheffield College in developing our skills base.

“But the contribution of students goes well beyond that their contribution to the economy. Sheffield is a livelier and richer city, socially and culturally, because of the contribution of students and the work of our students’ unions.”

“Two years ago Nick Clegg, made his infamous pledge to the NUS Conference to ‘resist, vote against, and campaign against any lifting of the cap on tuition fees’. I wasn’t just angry about the subsequent Lib Dem betrayal on fees but about its wider impact. That betrayal has tarnished the attitude to politics of a whole generation, and the task of undoing that damage falls to students in NUS. Students need to take up the challenge of campaigning, sometimes on the tough issues, to rebuild that trust and engagement in democratic politics.”

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