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University with the most left-wing political perspective in the UK?

OP

adam_zed

I lost all hope of any political intellect at Sussex when, on the open day, I saw scribbled on the door:

"Karl Marx? More like Karl Dickhead!"

If that is the best political talk the uni can come up with, I am not holding out for much.

Heh. Sussex has changed quite a bit.

I think what I'm really looking for is a UK version of UC: Berkeley, but I'm not sure it exists.

Reply 41

adam_zed

16

m.grump

Heh. Sussex has changed quite a bit.

I think what I'm really looking for is a UK version of UC: Berkeley, but I'm not sure it exists.

To be honest, I am in the same boat as you. I wouldnt say im particularly loyal to left wing politics as a whole, but for things such as social reform I would say it appeals to me. I may have got the wrong impression though as right wing politics seems more geared towards a laissez-faire type of social policy because thats how most papers peddle it.

Reply 42

m.grump

OP

11

adam_zed

To be honest, I am in the same boat as you. I wouldnt say im particularly loyal to left wing politics as a whole, but for things such as social reform I would say it appeals to me. I may have got the wrong impression though as right wing politics seems more geared towards a laissez-faire type of social policy because thats how most papers peddle it.

I think I'm one of the few CS types that actually wants to do something different, rather than technology for technology's sake.

Postgrad subjects of most practical use to NGOs, such as law and international development, are almost an impossible leap from undergrad CS.. but I'd settle for being at a department where such topics are taken seriously.

LSE actually has some very relevant research and MSc courses, but they have elevated fees (16 grand anyone?) which I find a bit ironic, considering the subject.

Reply 43

Prince Rhyus

15

m.grump

I'm interested in finding out which university has the most lefties (like me).

So far, my only experience was Sussex University, which has a very politically liberal focus, and lots of interesting radicalists.

Are there any other universities you think are particually left-wing?

Cheers.

I found most of the radicals to be outside of the university at places like:

http://www.bpec.org/
and
http://www.cowleyclub.org.uk/

UCL/LSE/KCL in London all have established Marxist groupings - the stuff in Brighton is more environmentalist - even more so as the city has over 10 Green Party Councillors on its council and the first Green MP ever.

Again with other universities, it's a case of which socialist clique happens to be in the ascendency. What sort of things are you looking for? Long discussions about Marxist theory or more practical community-based radical stuff? I'd recommend branching out beyond the campus as I found the more interesting and innovative stuff to be off campus rather than on it.

Reply 44

Prince Rhyus

15

korektphool

Lol, really?

Yep - clue's in the full title - The London School of Economics and Political Science. See http://www.lsesu.com/pages/activities_and_societies/societies/political.html for a full list of political societies there.

Reply 45

usainlightning

17

Any of the **** universities. Where the majority of people do media studies.

Reply 46

m.grump

OP

11

Prince Rhyus

I found most of the radicals to be outside of the university at places like:

http://www.bpec.org/
and
http://www.cowleyclub.org.uk/

UCL/LSE/KCL in London all have established Marxist groupings - the stuff in Brighton is more environmentalist - even more so as the city has over 10 Green Party Councillors on its council and the first Green MP ever.

Again with other universities, it's a case of which socialist clique happens to be in the ascendency. What sort of things are you looking for? Long discussions about Marxist theory or more practical community-based radical stuff? I'd recommend branching out beyond the campus as I found the more interesting and innovative stuff to be off campus rather than on it.

That is true.

I think I generally just want to have a more educated view of social sciences, politics, consquences, and international development.. so I can actually hold an informed view on the matter. I don't feel like I could have that at the moment, as I haven't studied it at any sufficent level, but obviously I would be approaching it from a left-wing perspective.

Engineers without Borders (http://www.ewb-uk.org/) looks actually quite good, and seems to have beneficial placements with NGOs that I could contribute to.

Reply 47

george54

m.grump

Well... obviously you've never been to Exeter :wink:

well, seeing as i live about 30 mins away... i have :wink:

Reply 48

m.grump

OP

11

george54

well, seeing as i live about 30 mins away... i have :wink:

Well then you'd know, wouldn't you.

Reply 49

bananabrain

13

un-jardin-sur-le-nil

Literally couldn't be any more right wing?? Can't believe you don't know its reputation. Its supposed to be full of rahs - beautiful, rich people.

Exeter University is full of rahs, they're all over the place. But as a whole, the city of Exeter is actually quite strongly labour.

Reply 50

dam.p

9

Goldsmiths, I can't believe it hasnt been mentioned!!
EVERYONE is left wing there!!

Reply 51

iwantcheese5

1

I can't beleive that no one has mentioned Goldsmiths college London!
Their student union societies list is essentially as follows:

Look at the SU!

Amnesty International, Autonomy and Solidarity, Charity, Debate, Enviroclub, Feminist, Green Party, Goldsmiths Socialist Students, LGBT, Liberal Youth, Stop the War, Socialist Workers Student Society, Universities Fighting World Hunger or Women’s Institute

There are only about 40 societies at Goldsmiths, the only other societies are subject-based or international ones. Its the most leftie university you'll ever see.

Reply 52

C.Davy

adilmorrison

Warwick.

really? i thought that would be more... erm... Toryish.

Reply 53

HotCoco.

17

Haha my friend is going to Exeter, and she's a tory supporter, and high maintenance. So I guess she'll fit right in. :woo:

Reply 54

korektphool

Prince Rhyus

Yep - clue's in the full title - The London School of Economics and Political Science. See http://www.lsesu.com/pages/activities_and_societies/societies/political.html for a full list of political societies there.

Lol, you can't assess the left-wing spirit of a university by looking at its SU website.

I'm at LSE, and let me tell you that you are unequivocally wrong.

Reply 55

misternite

3

Picnic1

People say that the University of York's biggest society is the Conservatives now but you only have to look at its alumni to see how historically left wing it has been - Harriet Harperson, Tony Banks, Labour supporter Harry Enfield, Peter Hitchens (conservative now but left wing then) and Greg Dyke who looks like a Labour supporter- until he ended up getting the sack that is. I'd definitely speculate that 60s universities will attract more left wingers on the whole than Conservatives.

Unlike Warwick, York has never seriously courted businesses in to attending its campus either - what can be more left wing than that?

I'm not sure if you've spent any time at York but it's certainly not a left wing university. The students here are mostly middle class and white and more often than not, Tory. Certainly, our alumni shows a left leaning but that's not been reflected in my experiences on campus.

The fact that we don't court business is principally down to our awful careers service and management, in my opinion. I guess the excellent teaching makes up for it somewhat though.

Reply 56

Picnic1

19

I have spent a year at the University of York in 1998-1999. The introductory meeting at Central Hall partly consisted of a member of the students union (or could have been a society member they just let on) making an anti-Conservative rant. All very well in a rabble rousing society meeting or at an otherwise balanced debate but not to welcome the new intake.

From what I've heard from other people it seems that, since I've left, the university has become more Conservative. But if the list of famous alumni is anything to go by, it's historically mostly been a roll call of Labour politicians or Labour supporters to date-including the ever-smiling Oona King as well. I don't know who Adam Hart-Davies supports. He looks like a Liberal Labour Conservative to me!

Reply 57

m.grump

OP

11

A lot of universities actually used to be more liberal, politically, but since they've had to start charging more and more tuition fees, and had to dumb down their curriculum to get more undergrads in (sadly..) they cater towards a different crowd now, although that's not to say there aren't places that are more liberal politically than others. Things change.

Reply 58

NoNameAvailable

Universities in UK are not renown for having an specific student body or professor body who labels as left-wing or right-wing. If you want to know about left-wing movements in universities investigate about the student movements in Latin America's public universities that's taking a political side.