Labour students in Manchester suffered a severe blow in last week’s annual Union elections, as almost every member of their “Students First” coalition was defeated.
Unlike the Students First candidates, who maintained strong affiliations to the Labour Party and Jewish Society, candidates without party political backing experienced victory on numerous occasions.
There was no triumph for proponents of online voting however, despite expectations that it would boast participation. Shockingly, turnout increased by less than one per cent on last year, with only 8.9 per cent of the student population logging in to vote – that’s a woeful 3,605 votes compared to the more than 4,000 cast in the 2006 Union elections.
The largest margin of the night was won by Lib Dem Kate Little, standing for Academic Affairs Officer, who beat political rival and Socialist Worker Party member Dave Sewell by an overwhelming 766 votes. “I’m so happy that all the students at the University of Manchester have put education before politics,” said Little.
The battle for Campaigns Officer was won somewhat less solidly, with newly elected Laura Williams beating notorious megaphone man and member of Action Palestine Katan Alder on second-preference votes alone.
Reclaim the Uni activist Gabriel Hassantopped the bill after the fifth round of eliminations for the position of General Secretary, beating Labour candidate Richard Neudegg – “like an egg that is naked”, as he said at the Candidates’ Debate – by a convincing margin. Throughout the election, Hassan claimed he was proud of his recent conviction for “aggravated trespass” because it represented a triumph for student activism. “It’s a mixed Council next year and we’re going to be really progressive,” he said of the elections. “This entire Union is going to do a lot of social good.”
In what was perhaps the most deserving win of the election, former Student Direct Deputy Editor Jennie Agg quashed Reclaim the Uni campaigner and Student Direct novice Ruben Seveelaventhan by an impressive 560 votes. Since 2007, Seveelaventhan’s only contributions to Student Direct have been letters of complaint, as well as one Opinion article advocating vegetarianism. The disgruntled activist has persistently failed to pass a motion condemning this year’s publication at a number of General Meetings.
The biggest surprise of the night saw “random independent” Thomas Fairhurst defeating Mohamed Ghalaeiny, another prominent member of Action Palestine, by 237 votes, leaving Labour student and current Humanities Faculty Officer Alex James trailing in their wake. Fairhurst is perhaps most easily identifiable from his campaign video, which he begins with the words “blah blah blah”, deriding the slick public speaking skills and empty promises of the typical student politician.
Another candidate without overt political alliances, Jacques Graves, achieved the position of Student Activities Officer, beating his closest rival Islamic Society candidate Ahmed Khan by several hundred votes. Graves will now be in charge of almost 200 Union societies – despite never having been member of a society himself.
It was second-time lucky for Hands Off the People of Iran (HOPI) candidate Vicky Thompson, who was successful in her election as Welfare Officer, appearing undeterred by her defeat in the race for Campaigns Officer last year. Welfare was however won by the smallest margin of all the contests, with Thompson seizing victory over Jewish Society member Natalie Samuel by a mere 94 votes.
The position of Women’s Officer went to Hazel Kent, already an active member of UMSU women’s rights group The Riveters, who was unopposed in her election.
The blow to the Students First “slate” will have come as a shock to the many students who saw their rows of red and white carbon-copy banners and painted cardboard boxes littering campus throughout the week.
Lib Dem Chris Jenkinson, Academic Affairs Officer and newly elected Postgraduate and Mature Students Officer, claimed that the election constituted “an end to Labour Students in Manchester”. Chair of Manchester Labour Students and Students First Campaigns Manager Mike Joslin was understandably frustrated by the results. “I’m disappointed a convicted criminal was elected General Secretary by telling anyone who would listen that the opposing candidate was a member of the Labour Party,” he said on polling night.
But Students First weren’t alone in their embarrassment. Having run for the position of Academic Affairs last year, Campaigns Officer candidate Katan Alder was hoisted onto a friend’s shoulders in celebration after the second round of eliminations for the position. However, Alder’s festivities came to an abrupt end when Laura Williams was announced the winner in the third round – and supporters rushed to congratulate her instead.
The other non-sabbatical positions on Executive were gained by candidates on both sides of the political divide. Current UMSU Anti-Racism Secretary Oliver Worth secured Humanities Officer, unopposed Jewish Society member Shoshana Ajoodan-Poor is Life Sciences Faculty Officer, Electronic and Physical Sciences Faculty Officer went to Sara Mahmoud of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) and Medical and Human Sciences Faculty Officer was won by Adibah Abdullah (also FOSIS). The position of International Students Officer went to Suha Jafri, another Islamic Society candidate.
Click here to find out how each of the elected officers has been getting on during their year in office and read manifestos and reports from the latest UMSU Executive and Council meetings.
[First published in Student Direct in March 2009]
