University of Manchester students back Tom Harwood for NUS President
University of Manchester students have voted to back Tom Harwood for NUS (National Union of Students) president in their Primary elections, mandating the University of Manchester Students’ Union delegates to vote for him tomorrow at the NUS conference.
Speaking to The Independent, Harwood described the NUS’ current leadership as from the “extreme end of far-left politics”, and added that he hopes to “drag the NUS back to the centre so that it can speak for all students”.
Tom Harwood has pledged to create a more “credible, inclusive NUS” as he claims that the “NUS is in crisis” and is “failing students”. His campaign Facebook page states that “whether it’s embroiled in yet another anti-Semitism scandal, organising riotous protests, or involving itself in foreign policy discussions, it’s clear that [the NUS] has not been working for students”.
Harwood’s manifesto outlines his plans to create a more inclusive NUS, claiming that “only when [the NUS] is inclusive to all can we achieve real change”, promising to “tackle mental health stigma”, “combat sexism”, and we “fight anti-Semitism”.
Promises listed on Harwood’s website include a one member one vote system in all NUS elections, allowing every student the right to vote for an NUS president, and a call to raise the threshold at which Further Education students have to pay back fees to the UK average wage of £26,500.
His policies also include some more satirical pledges, from an aim to defeat ISIS using NUS boycotts to ensuring every lecture begins with a pledge of allegiance to the NUS.
Harwood is looking to oust the current President Malia Bouattia, who is also standing to be NUS President again under the slogan: “For a strong transformative union.”
Bouattia’s Vice President, Shakira Martin, is also in the running, with the aim of “making education an option for everyone”.
The vote for the National President is planned for Wednesday 26th of April at 10.30am.
In a statement on the University of Manchester Students’ Union website they outline that “in accordance with the Union bye-laws, the NUS Conference Delegates are required to vote in accordance with the outcome of a Primary Election, open to all University of Manchester students.
“This ballot was held 5 April 2017 (20.30) to 24 April 2017 (12.00) following the Hustings event held 5 April 2017.
“The results are in and our NUS National Conference delegates are now mandated to vote for these candidates in the election they’ll vote in at conference.”
The chosen candidates are as follows:
National President: Tom Harwood
Vice President (Higher Education): Ana Oppenheim
Vice President (Society and Citizenship): Danny Nasr
Vice President (Welfare): Izzy Lenga
Vice President (Union Development): Matt Grange