NUS ‘celebrates’ Green Party’s general election manifesto

The National Union of Students (NUS) has ‘welcomed and celebrated’ the general election manifesto from the Green Party of England and Wales. The union described the manifesto as “aspirational and progressive”, arguing it “contains measures which would tackle the many crises the country faces, and would make a meaningful difference to student lives”.

In particular, NUS praised the manifesto commitments to abolish undergraduate tuition fees, to provide free bus travel for under-18s and giving 16 year olds the right to vote. NUS also welcomed the Green Party’s policies on migration, LGBTIQA+ rights, and investment in the green economy.

Despite this, NUS did raise some concerns about the manifesto. The union said the manifesto was light on detail on further education and it was unclear whether apprentices would be included in the Greens’ proposals to raise the minimum wage to £15 an hour.

Speaking on the manifesto, NUS UK Vice President for Liberation and Equality, Nehaal Bajwa, said:  “The Green Party are offering a splash of hope for young people with this manifesto. Students and students’ unions up and down the UK have been lobbying hard to secure a future for us all – and we’re pleased to see the Greens have listened to some of our core asks. Students are the future, they are the next generation of doctors, nurses, teachers and public sector workers; they are the engineers, researchers and political leaders who will solve the crises which threaten our society and our world. Students and young people are looking to their political leaders for hope, a picture of a better future, and a reason to vote for them.

“However, the majority of students in the UK are those in colleges. While we’re pleased to see a commitment to Votes at 16 now, we need to see proper detail on qualification reform and the future of our further education sector.

“This manifesto offers a clear vision for students and young people, who are now a priority target for the Greens. The Labour party has historically taken these votes for granted but, with students holding the balance of power in over 60 constituencies, they need to urgently consider their offer.”