Clun Castle, Clun, Shropshire

One of my first articles published online at www.positivenews.org.uk - very different from what I’m used to writing!

Elected as a Guildford Borough Councillor for Onslow at the age of 23, Chris Ward has campaigned for many of the issues facing Surrey students during his time in office. Here, he discusses his past and present work for the community, as well as his reaction to The Browne Review as a member of the Liberal Democrats.

 In 2003, Chris Ward faced his first challenge in the world of politics. Then Editor for barefacts, he was involved in the ‘Lights, Camera, Action” campaign to install CCTV surveillance in the Tesco underpass. He continued this after being elected in 2007, coming under fire from Conservative Councillors who denounced Chris as a scaremonger for drawing attention to the frequent cases of sexual assault and GBH in the dimly lit passageway, it was argued that no action would be taken until more crime figures had been established. Tirelessly campaigning against this distorted logic long after the Lights, Camera, Action campaign was formally closed, Chris remembers the day that the cameras were finally put up, “One of the girls who had been assaulted in the underpass thanked me personally, and it was then that I knew I wanted to go in to politics.”

 Since then, Chris has embarked on the ‘Are You Protected?’ campaign for safe student housing, helping vulnerable students check before paying extortionate fees to irresponsible landlords. “My main concern was to prevent Guildford from obtaining the student ghettos you see in such cities as Nottingham”, he explained, “The aim was that if we promoted the fact that students are eligible to three times the compensation if landlords fail to place their deposit in a protection scheme, negligent landlords will be compelled to clean up their act in general.”

 In his ongoing campaign against the Gay Blood Ban, Chris spoke out at an LGBT meeting in Guildford last month to express his own personal encounters with homophobia and intimidation in the past, and to encourage others to speak out who have had similar experiences. In his speech he stated, “I find it both unbearable and impossible to explain how it feels to be a young boy and feel that you are entirely alone and rejected for what you are.  It is something that many people here today will have experienced, and it’s something that still goes on”, before adding, “Don’t entertain the self-corroding paranoia that the world will reject you, because I know I felt that way not so long ago, and I know now that it’s not true.”

 Going into further detail on the ban, Chris explained the flawed evidence that its supporters were using to enforce their preconceptions, “If, hypothetically, a man had a homosexual experience thirty or forty years ago, even before HIV was first clinically observed and ignorantly stereotyped as a gay disease, he would still be banned from donating blood today.”

 However in the current political climate, it is not just the gay blood ban but also the Lib Dem stance on raising tuition fees that has caused the greatest stir, not just in the public but also in the party itself. Chris himself would support a hybrid graduate tax, whereby those taking degrees with the greatest pay off in later life would recompense a larger amount for their studies, but also approach EU students with the same conditions. “The coalition is adamant that a graduate tax would not work because we’d be unable to apply it to EU students who leave the UK after graduation. Yet there is evidence to suggest that some European nations such as Greece and Lithuania apply a differential funding system to their university students. Either the coalition has purposely neglected this option or it has failed to do its homework.”

 Chris went on to acknowledge that although he would still support the abolition of tuition fees altogether, universities had to be realistic in the future. “The UK culture now dictates that everybody needs to do an academic degree with the government failing to push people into vocational work.  Another major issue is the one-size-fits-all student loan which does not cover student essentials in Guildford. That’s fine if you’re from a privileged family, but for the major proportion of students this could be the reason behind the 25% dropout rate.”

 For now, as councillor for Onslow and the University of Surrey, Chris will continue to provide for student needs. “I’m here if anyone has any problems: students belong here as much as anyone else does. I respect the role that Surrey students play in the Guildford community, and that is not a responsibility I take lightly.”

Tom Goulding

“They say they ain’t heard nothing like this in a while/that’s why they play my song on so many different dials” boasts Tinie Tempah on his recent rags-to-riches hit ‘Written in the Stars’.  While the South London rapper’s claim to innovation may be debatable, there is no disputing that his reputation has preceded him over the past six months. Since his first two collaborations with Labrinth on tracks ‘Pass Out’ and ‘Frisky’ hit the airwaves, Tinie Tempah has been shooting his way to stardom, quickly becoming the most talked about act of 2010. So what does make his music so popular?

 The answer is simple, it does exactly what it says on the tin: pop-hooks, club synths and a signature interval of overproduced drum and bass to milk its fashionable return to the mainstream. The problem with this unstoppable formula of instant gratification is always going to be its durability, especially when applied to the concept of a fully furnished album over 45 minutes in length.

 The fact that Mr. Tempah’s label has systematically churned out half the album before its release date this October, does not bode well for the tracks left in between. In fact, for all the hype surrounding this debut, Tinie Tempah seems to rely on a treasure trove of outside talent to spur his record on: Labrinth, Ellie Goulding, Kelly Rowland, Eric Turner and Emile Sandé all provide the irresistible refrains that, together, form the backbone of Disc-Overy. Even when Tinie is given sole vocals on summer floorfiller ‘Miami 2 Ibiza’, producers Swedish House Mafia still manage to smother his contribution with their hugely impressive house anthem, dominating center stage for the second time this year.

 Tinie Tempah would be the first to admit he’s a rapper-turned-pop-sensation, but even popstars have to make an effort when it comes to showing their solo capabilities. Overall, Disc-Overy comes across as an ambitious, but hollow record that will inevitably win many awards for its star-studded cast of musicians and producers. In the meantime Mr. Tempah should enjoy all those groupies at his front door, for the novelty may well be over by 2011.

Tom Goulding

(Dated: 6th October, 2010)

To say politics is a dangerous game would be an understatement. You don’t have to sit down and watch Have I Got News For You? Or The Thick Of It to appreciate the cynicism many voters feel towards the underhanded mechanics of government. Politicians will say one thing when they mean another, avoid direct questions and openly lie in front of millions if it means shielding their career from scandal.  Yet sometimes it isn’t possible to tread lightly or skirt the issue, especially if you’ve based an election campaign around a pledge that remains so important to core supporters, not even Alastair Campbell could sweep it under the rug.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who made one such pledge at the NUS Annual Conference earlier this year, will be faced with a very delicate decision when the findings of Lord Browne’s review are published this week. If he decides to support an increase in tuition fees, thus strengthening his ties with the Conservatives, he runs the risk of isolating not just the student vote, but also the more principled members of the Liberal Democrats, both on the backbench and amongst influential senior figures such as Sir Menzies Campbell and Charles Kennedy.

Under the present circumstances it seems hard to believe that less than six months ago, Clegg was modeled as the perfect candidate for the student population. As a result, the Liberal Democrats benefited enormously from the turnout of young voters in May, claiming many of the constituencies that would have otherwise clinched an overall majority for either of the two larger parties. It seems appropriate that they should now return the favour.

To acknowledge this impending crisis, the coalition government stated, “If the response of the government to Lord Browne’s report is one that Liberal Democrats cannot accept, then arrangements will be made to enable Liberal Democrat MPs to abstain in any vote.”

Is an abstention an acceptable alternative? When Clegg, Cable and 55 other Lib Dem MPs signed the NUS pledge, they were signing a declaration of war against tuition fees. There was to be no compromise when it came to the crunch; Clegg went so far as to propose the abolishment of fees altogether. At this stage even abstaining from the vote would look hypocritical, and at worst, show that the party is completely devoid of principles.

In hindsight, it is easy to see how the Lib Dem manifesto could not realistically live up to the promises it offered. Wiping out student debt is an idealistic notion at best, but at least it was an ideal many voters in our generation could get behind. If Clegg bows to Conservative consensus in favour of retaining his sphere of “influence”, there will be no sympathy when his party finds itself at the bottom of the ladder once again. If the Liberal Democrats have any doubt of this, they should remember that coalitions are fragile, and voters can be easily swayed.

 Tom Goulding

China’s record for violating human rights was called into question again this month, after Norway awarded literary professor and civil rights activist Liu Xiaobo the Nobel Peace Prize. Xiaobo was first imprisoned for his involvement in the 1989 Tiananmen Square student protests, now infamous worldwide for the government’s subsequent crackdown. He served in a labour camp for a period in the 1990s, and co-wrote ‘Charter 08’: a controversial document calling for democratic reform in China, for which he is currently serving an eleven-year prison sentence.

Diplomatic relations between China and Norway have been damaged by the latter’s decision to award Xiaobo the Peace Prize; Foreign Ministry Spokesman for China Ma Zhaoxu denounced the award as a “blasphemy”, while news channels and websites covering the event in Oslo were heavily censored. There are now fears that Xiaobo’s wife, Liu Xia, will not be allowed to receive the award on behalf of her husband and several of his supporters have been cautioned or detained following the news.

This of course reflects China’s steadfast belief that no one should challenge the political status quo; that there are no dissidents, only criminals. With a population of over 1.3 billion people, and an ever-increasing sphere of influence as an emerging geopolitical power, it isn’t only Western society that is now calling for greater scrutiny of China’s treatment towards its citizens. Last week Chinese Communist Party veterans defied the government, signing an open letter that condemned the ‘invisible black hand’ of the Chinese propaganda department. The senior ex officials who were already known for their reformist views, are unlikely to make an impact outside of intellectual circles, but could encourage other activists to speak out.

China’s main concern will be maintaining a veil of silence over the subject of Liu Xiaobo, in case citizens begin to question what Charter 08 is and what it stands for. The government’s scare tactic to make an example of him may not have the desired effect, especially now Xiaobo has joined the ranks of such legendary human rights campaigners as Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. Chinese officials are also finding it increasingly difficult to uphold their false claim to freedom of speech, drawn out in Article 35 of the country’s 1982 constitution. It states, “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration.” As the Chinese elders pointed out, Hong Kong enjoyed greater freedom to debate and question policy under colonial Britain than China does today.

Evidently, the cracks in China’s outdated authoritarian ideology are starting to show. As it moves closer and closer to becoming the world’s greatest economic force, its dominant policy of suppression and intimidation is going to be exposed to such an extent that the international community will no longer be able to tolerate it. The Chinese intellectual circle of journalists, academics and publishers demand that “the system of censorship be dismantled in favour of a system of legal responsibility.” China’s reply has been to place greater restrictions on activists and lawyers who dare implement such a change.

Hopefully, Norway’s defiance in awarding Liu Xiaobo the Nobel Peace Prize will stand as a shining example to others determined not to be bullied into submission.

2010 has been a good year for London-based breakthrough acts. Since Tinie Tempah, whose hugely anticipated album Disc-Overy is due to be released this October, kick started the trend with massive club hit Pass Out in February, the charts have been dominated by such acts as Example, one-time soul superstar Plan B, Chase & Status, Roll Deep and esteemed producer/singer Labrinth. As perfect formulas go, it seems grime, D&B and British hip-hop make for a combinative force not to be reckoned with.

 Not surprising then that Professor Green has jumped on the bandwagon with Alive Till I’m Dead, a debut overflowing with catchy hooks, samples and collaborations. Its major selling point, the irresistible second single Just Be Good to Green featuring Lily Allen, is an innovative tribute to the 1983 R&B classic Just Be Good to Me and establishes Green with a cheeky boys-will-be-boys persona. Meanwhile, other songs on the album are hit and miss: at the best of times they offer a rich glimpse into the artist’s private life as on album concluder Goodnight, while at the worst the listener is left with a wannabe Slim Shady for the UK, whose sharpest lines are occasionally drowned out by an unnecessary bassline.

 Tracks such as Monster and Oh My God are a prime example of collaborative overkill, and while some of the best tracks this year have been the result of unlikely cross-genre collaborations, Green begins to rely too heavily on others: frustrating when you realise his potential as a standalone artist.

 Rumours are already rife that Professor Green will be storming the music scene again early next year, let’s just hope a follow up album will be capable of matching his chart output.