On 24 February the Students’ Union held an invite-only candidate breakfast for society presidents and the LeadMCR 2025 candidates.
The Students’ Union explained that society presidents “hold a lot of influence over campus life” and are “key voters in LeadMCR”.
The event promised society presidents a free breakfast and a space to ask questions, speak to candidates, and decide who to endorse.
The Mancunion spoke to the attendees about the importance of society endorsements in the LeadMCR election.
The incumbent City and Community officer Elliot Briffa said society endorsements “make things a little bit easier when students might not have time to read through everyone’s idea statements”.
Vice president of the PPE society, Maja Skowron, echoed a similar sentiment: “Not a lot of people have time to go through each candidate so we kind of have to take the lead on that and it’s important they trust us”.
Some candidates spoke about why elections are important to students in society.
The incumbent Activities and Culture officer Charlie Roberts said “Societies are often full of the most engaged students on campus and what happens in the SU is particularly important to them because they are usually the most affected by it”.
Emily Bennett, Union Affairs candidate, recognised societies as important “third spaces” but their endorsements are not “the be-all and end-all”.
Her opponent and incumbent Union Affairs officer, Lexie Baynes said societies engaging with LeadMCR is “really important” and that it is their chance to decide who represents them.
Other candidates spoke about the benefits that endorsements can provide to candidates.
“Societies hold an important role because they provide us with connection in areas we otherwise might not have access to,” stated Michael Hrycek-Robinson, City and Community candidate.
Faculty of Humanities candidate Alec Severs said endorsements can be “a great vote of confidence to boost a candidate’s morale”.
Rhi Patel, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health candidate said it was an “important” way to learn what your peers are thinking.
Others felt less positive about the prevalence of endorsements by society.
Wellbeing and Liberation candidate, Sharon Mary Dominic Raj described obtaining endorsements as “really difficult”, having only been in Manchester for six months.
Ellie Eckersley, Faculty of Humanities candidate, said it was “misleading” for societies in other faculties to endorse Humanities candidates: “It’s not really the place”.
Some were more ambivalent about the process.
Jonah Willitts, a Faculty of Humanities candidate, said he didn’t know if it was important, while another, Evelyn Fong, said it could be “effective in some way” but not the “main thing [she] should seek”.
Daniel Garvin, Activities and Culture candidate, said he has “really been wondering” about the effect of society endorsements and suggested political societies are more influential.
It remains to be seen how much of an impact society’s endorsements will have on the LeadMCR 2025 results.
Voting closes on 27 February.
