The Department of Politics, a world-leading centre for the study of Politics and International Relations at Birkbeck College, University of London, is threatened with jobs cuts as part of a major restructuring. The proposals threaten to undermine a unique institution which aims to make education as accessible as possible.

This petition is written to highlight the threat to Politics, and to express solidarity with other Departments and all staff. The proposed cuts threaten to undermine a unique institution. Please sign to support us in our opposition to jobs cuts in Politics and across Birkbeck. 

The Department of Politics has a rich history of creating cutting edge thinking and research, as well as engaging and participating in politics. The Department has helped reshape how we think and do politics since the 1970s, and has been a leader in thinking about a whole range of issues from gender and politics to the politics of food. Our 50th anniversary events this summer demonstrated how much we have done, and how much we can do in the future.

Readers of this petition are invited to:

• Sign this petition in solidarity to oppose these cuts and call for more time to see how the structural reforms work.
• Circulate this petition on social media and with other interested parties to raise awareness.
• Write to their MPs and elected representatives to alert them to the threat these cuts and redundancies present to Birkbeck's future and to widening participation in higher education.