Is uni worth it?

I'm nearly 17 and obviously by this time next year I will have had to have chosen what I am doing.

I'm studying history, english language and sociology at a level, doing well in each and got high/top grades in them at GCSEs.

Question is, is I'm really not sure if I should go to uni or not? It seems like the social life would be a big plus for me as I haven't really got one, but at the same time you end up with a fair bit of debt (I know after a while it goes away but still0 and a lot of people who go to uni still can't get a job. Are there many jobs you can get without degrees? I want to go into politics eventually, but I personally think university isn't the right way for that just because every politican seems to go there. I'm already heavily involved in local labour politics and never has the candidate (who went to oxford and exeter) been asked what degree or uni he went to. He ends up working for David Lammy of all people, and I'm sure he didn't ask him what degree he had. (worked as some kind of advisor). I kind of want to do something different first, maybe even something like going into the fire brigade, because its something I've always wanted to do, plus it's a good opportunnity to get involved in the FBU and other things. I've resigned myself to the fact that a large part of any job I will probably do will involve sitting down, but I really don't want to do anything meaningless on a computer all day. I feel like if I go to uni I will have another three years without earning anything, when I could be out earning something.

My parents seem to be very much against the idea of me not going to uni, even though none of them actually went themselves (dad did open uni in about 2004). I know i'm probably quite intelligent as they keep reminding me and I've mentioned about going into he fire brigade before and all they ever say is that i'll need two jobs, and that its a bad job and I could do better.

anyone with any ideas, please.

Thanks