Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, addresses a rally at Westminster Central Hall and accuses the government of hypocrisy:

"I come from a family of teachers, and coming from the family I do, I could never underestimate the power of education to change things. Or the determination of teachers to stand up for what is fair. An attack on teachers is an attack on education itself. And an attack on education is an attack on hope.

"I received an email from Diane from Norfolk who is on a pension of £120 a week. So to hear Nick Clegg talk of public sector fat cats and gold-plated pensions makes my blood boil. He must apologise for that remark.

"The average pension of a female college lecturer is just £6,000 a year. This is a government that has already presided over an increase in the income of the richest 1000 people by 18%. How dare they call us gold-plated? How dare they preach to us about fairness?"