The first Northern weekend school was held on the 12th-14th September, organised by Yorkshire supporters of Socialist Appeal. The school took place in Saddleworth, on the edge of the Peak District National Park. The theme of the school was "The Class, the Party and the Leadership". The weekend proved tremendously successful, both in terms of political education and bringing together socialists in the movement and young activists.

With the beginning of the 2008/09 academic year fast approaching, students will soon be settling in to the realities of student life. For new students this means at some point they’ve made a choice: between studying away from home on the one hand and continuing to live with their parents on the other. Almost a third of students choose the latter option. This often means a long commute to a university chosen on the basis of its location instead of its merits – but at least these students have the security of a roof over their head. For those who have chosen to study away from home, often unaware of the true cost of student life, this means moving in to student accommodation and an ongoing struggle against poverty, unscrupulous landlords and, more often than not, appalling living conditions.

In the first part, Ed dealt with the housing shortage, the renting crisis and the attack on public housing. Here he deals with home ownership and outlines a socialist  programme.

In the absence of decent rented accommodation, thousands of people look to buy in order to get a roof over their heads. But this is a major problem for people. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors estimates that affordability for first-time buyers has fallen by 351% over the last 10 years. Equally, repossessions were up 20% during 2007, which hit an eight-year high.