▁professor ▁of ▁soci ology ▁at ▁Manchester ▁University . ▁Although ▁he ▁is ▁leaving ▁his ▁post ▁at ▁The ▁Guardian , ▁he ▁will ▁continue ▁to ▁write ▁for ▁the ▁newspaper . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁and ▁education ▁You n ge ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Steven age , ▁H ert ford shire , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁born . ▁He ▁is ▁of ▁Bar bad ian ▁extra ction . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁aged ▁ 1 5 , ▁he ▁briefly ▁joined ▁the ▁Young ▁Social ists , ▁the ▁youth ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁Work ers ▁Revolution ary ▁Party , ▁but ▁left ▁a ▁year ▁later ▁after ▁har ass ment ▁from ▁other ▁party ▁members , ▁including ▁alleg edly ▁being ▁accused ▁of ▁working ▁for ▁M I 5 ▁and ▁claims ▁that ▁he ▁supported ▁F idel ▁Castro ▁only ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁eth nic ity . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 7 , ▁You n ge ▁went ▁to ▁teach ▁English ▁in ▁a ▁United ▁Nations ▁E rit re an ▁refuge e ▁school ▁in ▁Sud an ▁with ▁the ▁educational ▁char ity ▁Project ▁Trust . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁he ▁attended ▁Her iot - W att ▁University ▁in ▁Edinburgh , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁French ▁and ▁Russian , ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁Vice ▁President ▁( W elf are ) ▁of ▁the ▁Student ▁Association , ▁a ▁paid ▁s abb at ical ▁post ▁he ▁held ▁for ▁a ▁year . ▁ ▁Career ▁In ▁his ▁final ▁year ▁at ▁university ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁b urs ary ▁from ▁The ▁Guardian ▁to ▁study ▁journal ism ▁at ▁City ▁University ,