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Royal Holloway's financial report for 2012-13 was released this January and amongst much controversy as it reveals a lot about the financial facts surrounding current hot debates on the recent strikes on pay cuts on campus. Firstly, it reveals that RHUL Principal, Paul Layzell, received a 3% (£8k) pay increase, bringing his total salary up to £265k per year in a figure that includes his pension, as well as his free house ‘Settrington' which is positioned adjacent to the campus. This has caused a stir, especially amongst staff who went on strike twice last term in conjunction with UCU and Unite unions, protesting against below inflation pay rise, in effect cutting their wages by 2%. It is unclear whether Professor Layzell had taken a rise for the current 2013-2014 academic year...

On May 10th the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh, which produced clothes for Primark, H&M and Gap, collapsed in flames, killing 1,127 of its workers. This has triggered worldwide concern as to the standard of health and safety being kept to supply popular clothing brands as cheaply as possible. There is increasing pressure against chain stores such as Benetton and Zara, who source their clothing from the Bangladeshi factory, to move towards safer working conditions for the people who work in these ‘sweatshops'. By signing the binding Fire and Building Safety Agreement, the clothing companies make a promise to protect the garment workers by ensuring that all safety standards that are expected are kept. H&M were one of the first to sign the agreement, as other chains followed in their path ...

As the Conservative government openly defy Cameron and ask for an EU referendum, the Prime Minister has to make a decision whether to hold the referendum in 2017. But what should he do? Cameron has been in a tight corner this month and no matter what decision he makes on the United Kingdom's remaining in the EU, he will upset someone. While Cameron has already promised a referendum, this next step will place it in stone – in case anyone thought the Conservatives would go back on an election promise. There are 3 ways forward for the prime minister: If he holds the referendum tomorrow, the people will almost definitely vote ‘no' for EU participation. In this economic climate, there is just too much hatred and scapegoating of the EU. This will lose Britain her only place in a rapidly globali...