The biennial Lunch Hour Lecture given by UCL Provost Malcolm Grant is a highlight of the calendar for those who love him – and a chance to be vocal for those who do not. Edwin Clifford-Coupe, a Living Wage activist and UCLU Education Officer, fell into the latter category as Grant theatrically left the stage following persistent heckling from him and other activists.
Clifford-Coupe stood up at the start of the lecture, interrupting proceedings with a question to The Provost on whether the Living Wage would be discussed. Before waiting for an answer, he and several other activists began a chant of “Low pay no way, redistribute Malcolm’s pay.”
Grant responded by asking whether the audience would like to hear his speech. After gaining the overwhelming approval of the assembly, Grant was again interrupted by a shout of “what about student debt?” from student activist Tali Janner-Klausner just 15 minutes after proceeding with the lecture.
Grant was visibly irritated and said: “I’m not going to continue.” He then thanked the audience “for their tolerance” and left the theatre.
Clifford-Coupe then became embroiled in a lengthy set-to with disgruntled attendees, unhappy at the abrupt end to the lecture. When approached by a woman who had apparently taken a train just to hear the lecture, the usually cheery Education Officer was only able to offer a conciliatory apology. Fabian Paul Eckert, President of UCLU German Society, remarked that the activists had put and end to a “highly interesting lecture”, adding that it is sad that “such a noble and important cause has been adopted by such an unreflecting, inconsiderate and immature bunch of would-be revolutionists.”
Janner-Klausner and Clifford-Coupe were questioned by security and evicted from the lecture theatre.
In conversation with The Cheese Grater after the lecture, Grant said that he felt it was “sheer arrogance” that Clifford-Coupe should think the audience would rather listen to a student than The Provost and reiterated that he had agreed to implement the Living Wage.
In response to this, Environment and Ethics Officer, Natasha Gorodnitski said: “Management vaguely committed to incrementally increasing the pay of the workers in small steps towards the LLW. It is not clear whether this has happened - what is clear of course is that this does not constitute the LLW, the “bare minimum” needed to live in London.”
UCL cleaning contractors Office and General told The Cheese Grater that the process of transition towards the London Living Wage is already underway, and that the timescale is in line with the Provost’s statement from earlier this year.
The punishment for the activists did not end at their removal from the lecture. Each was summoned on separate occasions to Ruth Siddall, Dean of Students (Welfare), for further reprimands. Clifford-Coupe was given a twenty pound fine for failing to show his ID card to security staff on demand in the lecture, a fine that was then doubled when he failed to bring it to his meeting with Siddall. A further thirty pounds was added for the original act of disruption, described as a violation of the UCL Disciplinary Code. This is punishable by a fine of up to £300, at the discretion of Siddall.
The discretionary discipline culture of UCL is such that Siddall felt able to threaten to fine Clifford-Coupe an extra £10 for “lip”.
The case was similar for Janner-Klausner, who was fined £30 for disruption of the lecture but no more, despite threats of additional fines for an alleged lack of ID. She was also threatened with further action should she be involved in any more activism around UCL in the future.
Both activists insist that the real disruption to the lecture was Grant’s decision to walk out, rather than their heckles, and sources close to Janner-Klausner added “It is unsettling and frustrating. The university clearly wants to use structures in place to crack down on protest on campus. I would urge [Siddall] to have student and staff welfare in mind rather than capitulating to her management, or resign.”
When asked about the threatened fine for lip, Siddall said: “I won’t put up with anyone undermining my authority in my office.” Seeking to clarify her position, Siddall continued: “I’d like to make it clear that my role is not to be political and that my political opinions do not count in any interactions that I have with students. It is a black and white breach of regulations. There never, ever, ever would be any disciplinary action against anyone’s political beliefs.”
UCLU Council took a different view, and Siddall’s actions were condemned at Union Council on 25 October as political in nature. A motion was passed to pay the fines of both activists in unbagged 10 and 5 pence pieces, an action described by Bartlett Faculty Representative and prominent UCL activist Ben Beach as “a big ‘fuck you’ to management.”