A Scottish student in Glasgow caught Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinton flat-footed during the election campaign, slamming her for enabling austerity policies which have left people “dying in poverty.”
Jay Sutherland, an 18-year-old student from Strathclyde University, challenged Swinson over her role in the Conservative and Lib Dem coalition government, which implemented a harsh austerity program for the UK between 2010 and 2015.
The young voter didn’t hold back his anger at Swinson for the “unforgivable” welfare and public service cuts implemented while she was a junior minister.
People are dying because of austerity… because of the Lib Dems enabling that.
Swinson, who became leader of the Lib Dems earlier this year, is attempting to regain the trust of students after the party reneged on their promise to abolish university tuition fees, their flagship policy in the lead up to the 2010 general election.
It doesn’t seem to be working, at least with Sutherland. Seeing her bus, his “first thought was how [his] own family was impacted by austerity,” the student told RT.
"I clearly remember how it impacted my community in Ayrshire and how it continues to affect Glasgow so I felt I had to say something.”
The tuition fees have remained a sore issue for many young people, especially in England, where university courses costs tens of thousands of pounds. It’s a point raised by the teenager during his altercation with Swinson.
Sutherland says many of his friends in England feel “cheated from having a decent standard of living because of the tuition fees lie, they think they have rebranded themselves, but not in Glasgow.”
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