Natalie Bennett interview: ‘Young people have a good reason to feel betrayed by their elders’

Young people, whatever they’re doing, have good reason to feel betrayed by their elders. I often begin talks by apologising to young people for the state of the world we older people (I’m 51) have bequeathed them. There’s the schools turned into exam factories, the huge weight of tuition fee debt, the challenges in securing a job you can build a life on and the difficulty of finding affordable, decent housing.

And there’s the great worries about the state of the natural world on which we all rely – not just climate change, but the destruction of biodiversity (the number of wild animals having halved in the last 40 years), the turning of our oceans into a plastic soup, the trashing of our soils.

Students particularly are suffering from the commercialisation of universities and colleges, the impact of zero-hours contracts on academics and the quality of education they provide, and the narrowing of subjects on offer. Beyond tuition fees, the loss of grants and bursaries is forcing out many, and leaving others having to spend so long in jobs that its tremendously difficult for them to focus on their studies.

Where does the Green Party stand on Brexit and what do they want the outcome of Brexit negotiations to be?

I’m proud that we ran a strong, positive campaign during the referendum, which focused on the benefits of free movement within the EU and the protections of the single market. We’re continuing to defend those – they should remain – and also for the rights of citizens from other parts of the EU who’ve already made their lives here. They’re not “bargaining chips” but people with lives, families, jobs, who deserve security and certainty. During the referendum there was no clear or certain picture presented of where we were headed, so when the talks are concluded, there should be a ratification referendum, that give people the option to decide whether they will accept what’s decided, or reject it.

What do you think Brexit will mean for students? As an Australian, are you worried about the prospects for immigrants and international students post-Brexit?

I’m an immigrant. I chose to become British, and that’s an option that should continue to be available to a wide range of people. All students will suffer as fewer citizens from the other parts of the EU come here, as fellow students or academics. That Theresa May’s government should even float the idea of deliberately reducing the number of international students is an indictor of just how the Home Secretary who sent out the “Go Home” vans and created a “hostile environment” for migrants thinks.

We know that many cities like Sheffield are heavily economically dependent on international students, as are many universities, and that they enrich the courses in which they participate and the places they live. The rise in racist hate crime in recent years is not, I believe, because people have on average become more racist. Instead, what’s happened is that people already racist have felt empowered by the actions and words of those in authority to act on their beliefs. That needs to be resisted, stood against, and sadly from both of our largest political parties we’ve seen very little of that. It is both morally reprehensible and politically stupid not to stand against racism, xenophobia and prejudice.

Tuition fees are set to continue rising, with some universities now being able to charge £9,250 a year. How do you think this should be combatted?

I’ve got a saying that politics should be something you do, not have done to you. I’d urge every student to act – to boycott the National Student Survey, as the NUS is calling for, to talk to their friends and fellow students not just about the increase but about how fees are simply wrong: that education is a public good that should be paid for from general taxation.

You are said to support the economic and cultural boycott of Israel. This is a controversial issue in universities, with many Jewish students feeling universities are no longer safe spaces for them. Do you support the boycott in light of this? And how is best to deal with this spike in anti-Semitism?

Green Party policies toward other countries are built on the need to promote and support human rights – and take action where they are not being respected. I’m proud that, for example, in the second leader debate in 2015 I was able to raise the issue of arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Supporting human rights is morally the right thing to do, but also the best way to ensure the world’s future security.

That’s the context in which the Green Party supports the boycott of companies and institutions that are acting to support the state that is utterly failing to respect the human rights and right to self-determination of the Palestinians.

I’m horrified that we’ve seen a rise in anti-Semitic attacks and abuse. Students and staff need to be supported and encouraged to report all incidents and universities need robust policies to take action as soon as cases are reported.

What’s your advice to students who want to enter a career in politics?

It’s not necessary to study politics, but you do need to ‘do’ politics. If you run a campaign – whether for student office, for safer local roads or cheap transport, for better services or against discrimination – you’ll learn an enormous amount, from how to organise a public meeting or a petition, to getting a team together and dealing with the rough times. The first time you’ll make mistakes, and you’ll learn from them, the next time will be better.