The Union’s Political Societies debated key issues, from tax Credits to the EU, at Friday’s Question Time debate which was chaired by Politics student Edward Hardy.

The issue of cuts to tax credits saw the political societies united. All of the societies involved opposed the moves with the Conservative representative, Melieha Lloyd calling the move “ill thought out” and the Socialist Student Maddy Steeds calling for a “national strike” on the issue.

Ryan Cairns, of the Liberal Democrat Society, claimed that the Fiscal Charter was a “nonsense piece of legislation”, where the Green Party’s Joshua Alston highlighted that “a surplus does not determine the goodness of the economy” and is largely “irrelevant to day to day needs”.

Labour’s Liron Velleman shared his pride at the “50:50 female Shadow Cabinet” but acknowledged there was “still a long way to go” in terms of equal representation, with all panellists praising the creation of the Women’s Equality Party.

Key areas of contention proved to be on Europe and the divisions on the left. Ryan Cairns accused Labour of “abdicating its role in opposition” and Melieha Lloyd said that Corbyn’s victory had a “snowball effect”. Liron Velleman stated we had to “wait and see” but was optimistic that “values would be elected” in upcoming elections. All wanted to see further EU reform and criticised the idea of a “British Bill of Rights” and all raised concern at the declining farming industry.

(Image: Wikipedia)

Luke Maunsell