User:BorisAndDoris/sandbox

Clare Solomon article, cleaned of un-sourced comments, but still with a few problems - if anyone wants to take it on then help yourself - I'm away too much to engage in fighting over 'notability' - that she was notable enough for some wikipedians to put the work into creating the article should trump those who delete articles in the name of 'guidelines' which some operate as rules or laws.

Clare Michelle Jane Solomon (3rd November 1973) was the president of the University of London Union during the 2010 UK student protests becoming one of the most notable spokespeople of student discontent over the trebling of student tuition fees and the end of the Education Maintenance Allowance.

Early life
Born in Winchester, Hampshire, the daughter of Michael and Noreen Graham. Raised by her mother and step-father who served in the Royal Green Jackets and Royal Military Police in Windsor, Northern Ireland, Tidworth and West Berlin before emigrating to New Zealand with the family. Solomon later returned to England to give birth to a son, taking the name Solomon from her son's father. She moved to London and married Mohammed Bazlur Rahman, setting up a café near King's Cross railway station.

Solomon joined the Socialist Workers Party in 2005, but was expelled in 2009 following an internal dispute.

Student politics
Solomon began her degree BA Study of Religion at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London when she was 31, became involved in student politics and held several positions including twice elected President of Finance & Communication at SOAS Students' Union. She served as a ULU delegate at NUS conference, served on the steering committee for the NUS LGBT campaign until 2011, and served as President of ULU until March 2011.

Solomon was outspoken during the 2010 UK student protests against the cuts to education, and was a vocal critic of National Union of Students leadership, calling for the removal of its president Aaron Porter. She appeared on the BBC's Newsnight programme alongside Porter and Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes. The debate centred on the perceived violence of the occupation, due to the destruction of property, and potential endangerment of lives when a fire extinguisher was thrown from the roof of 30 Millbank. Solomon steadfastly refused to condemn the protesters.

Solomon led the 24 November protest march against Parliament, and was one of twelve students invited to a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on the day the Browne Review was published. Clare disrupted the meeting by exposing a slogan 'Remember, Remember, 3 November, Government Plot to Blow Up Education' written on a t-shirt concealed under a shirt and tie, and showed the palm of her hands which had 'Hands Off Education' written on them.

Following the passing of the parliamentary bill to increase fees, she called for students to "take the action up a notch" with "more vigorous occupations".

On 17 March 2011 Solomon lost her attempt to be re-elected as the president of the University of London Union to Vratislav "Vraj" Domalip. She later worked at Counterfire's Firebox café in London's King's Cross but this, like an earlier cafe run by Solomon at the same location, went out of business in December 2013.

Publications
On 14 March 2011, Verso Books published a book about the students protests edited by Solomon entitled Springtime: The New Student Rebellions. The Guardian and the Morning Star were positive about the book.