Students and The Budget

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling has delivered his last Budget before the general election in May. He announced measures to cut spending and boost the economy following the recession.

But what does it mean for students?

There are several key points affecting students in this year’s budget:

· Tax rises on alcohol: From midnight on Sunday, cider duty will rise by 10% above inflation. This means the price of a bottle of cider will increase by 9p and a litre by 5p. The price of a pint of beer will go up by 2p, a bottle of wine will cost 10p more, while the cost of a bottle of spirits will rise by 36p.

· Smokers are not so badly affected. Tax on tobacco will increase to 1%, increasing by 2% each year until 2014.

· Universities are set to benefit. £270 million will be made available to universities to fund 20,000 extra places and improve other services.

· By January 2011, the price of fuel will have increased by 3%. It was thought previously the increase would be introduced next month.

· Darling “guaranteed” that any 18-24 year olds that are out of work would be offered work or training within six months of becoming unemployed.

Reaction

Darling says the price hike on alcohol will help to reduce binge drinking, but industry experts predict devastating effects for cider producers. Henry Chevallier, chair of the National Association of Cider Makers, said: ”This dramatic increase could well reverse the growth we have generated in recent years.”

Facebook groups protesting about the tax added to cider have already been set up. ‘The Wurzels – I am a Cider Drinker for UK no.1 Cider tax protest song’ has 397 members. James Maclean said: “Spread the word people, invite everyone and anyone. To paraphase Anne Boleyn, ‘let them drink booze!’” Professor Stephen Glaister of the RAC Foundation said of the fuel duty increase: “at least there is some relief for cash-strapped motorists.” AA president Edmund King added: “Perhaps the thought of 32 million fuming drivers and voters influenced Government thinking.”

NUS President Wes Streeting said of the university funding: “We await the full costings of these proposals and will scrutinise them carefully to ensure promises are kept and that the money is provided to deliver additional places.”

The Budget has attracted criticism from Shadow chancellor George Osborne, labelling it “empty”, while the Lib Dems say both Labour and the Tories are ‘in denial” about the amount of spending cuts required for the country.

To see how the 2010 Budget will affect your lifestyle, go to the BBC Budget Calculator: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8582847.stm

Well look what we have here...

The remarkable beauty of England’s oldest cathedral dominates Canterbury’s skyline. The city is a tourist’s fantasy, however it has a pretty good night life too… The ancient ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey is a beautiful reminder of this City’s life, then pop just round the corner and you hit the 21^st Century: Chill, Studio 41 and BaaBar’s.

During the day Canterbury remains a picturesque examp what Kent has to offer. Take a visit at night, and the City is vibrant and stimulating. BaaBar’s is open 7 days a week, and is home to Canterbury's largest parties and most memorable events. With three dance floors, all showing off their very own DJ’s, the club can appeal to anyone.

Along with its luxury hotels, fine restaurants, and welcoming pubs, the City’s attractions combine to give a complete experience. Whatever your wishes, whether it be a peaceful wander around Canterbury with a boat trip along the River Stour or a wild night out in Studio 41, it really does have it all. The crystal clear waters offer a tranquil journey for those who want more of a peaceful trip, whilst the nightlife offers an energetic night out with unlimited supplies of cocktails or vodka mixers. Canterbury really does have something for everyone.

Click here to see what appeals to you..... www.canterbury.co.uk

Billy Webb

Marlow Theatre Rising from the Ashes

From its demolition in early 2009, construction on the new Marlowe Theatre has been swift. Its £25.6m redevelopment is now on schedule to be completed by autumn next year.

Its new features include a larger 1,200 seat auditorium, combined with a second stage featuring community and educational productions.

This week, Theatre Director Mark Everett promised that the new Marlowe Theatre would be “one of the best theatres in the country.”

Its modern design and state of the art facilities means that it will become a venue for production tours of the highest level. “The major musicals, best opera and largest ballet and dance companies will be among the acts performing” he added.

Graduates Losing Out

With the amount of people choosing to attend university growing each year the competition for jobs in every industry is growing too. Talking to one student who graduated from Canterbury Christ Church University last year I found out just how tough the competition is getting.

Samantha Cowley, 21, has a degree in Marketing and Retail Management, which she received in June 2009. She has since been looking for a job as a retail buyer. Asking how hard she has found it to get a job she said 'it has been extremely difficult', going on to explain that employers are looking for more than just a degree, they want experience too. This is a problem for Samantha as her course did not offer any practical experience, such as a 'sandwich' year, which she says are more commonly found in the business and marketing side rather than retail management.

The retail industry is very competitive, especially since the recession, as there have been lots of job cuts so a degree is not enough anymore. They are looking for other attributes as well. In most job descriptions it is stated that you need at least a 2:1 to get hired at an entry level position. I asked Samantha what she is doing to overcome this problem and she said she is still applying to graduate schemes, as well as trying to work her way up through a company, gaining experience that way. She also said that while doing her degree she worked with two major fashion retailers. Samantha is also doing an excel course as many companies are looking for people who have these skills and she says she is 'making sure I put myself ahead of the competition'.

The last question I asked was whether Samantha thought the issue would continue to grow, to which she said 'yes'. She gave a number of reasons for this, the biggest being the amount of people receiving degrees every year and the fact that it means it is not just this years graduates looking for jobs but last years too.

Alex Cowley

Students set to miss out due to government spending reviews

Government spending cuts were announced yesterday, and for the first time since Labour came in to power, universities are being forced to cut back.

University funding body Hefce, have revealed that the overall funds have been reduced by over half a billion pounds to £7.3 billion.

Students are in uproar over the reduced budgets, many are protesting and staging sit-ins in an attempt to sway the decision.

Unions are predicting that hundreds of university lecturing jobs will be lost, which will inevitably mean a reduction in the courses that universities offer.

Not only this, but the spending cuts will also result in less spaces for future students hoping to apply for places this academic year.

With smaller departmental budgets, courses are expected to seriously suffer and deteriorate in standard.

You may expect it to be the less known universities which are going to suffer, but even prestigious institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge are being forced to tighten their belts, having a restoration grant of £40 million withdrawn.

Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the academics' trade union, the University and College Union, said: "Anyone who thinks this won't massively impact on the quality of education in this country is living in a dream world."

As the country is being forced to ‘dumb down’ Britain continues to spiral uncontrollably into economic downturn, which looks like it might be here to stay for quite some time. Students should prepare for the possibility of unemployment when leaving University, as unemployment rates are currently at their highest of the past 30 years.

Melissa Green