Leyland Launches Campaigns Website

Current YUSU Academic Affairs Officer and NUS Vice President-Higher Education candidate Charlie Leyland has launched her campaigns website.

The website comprehensively describes Leyland’s policies which include improving NUS and SU transparency, improving quality assurance schemes and the promise to “lead a creative, explosive, and inclusive fairer funding, wider access campaign”, amongst others.

Furthermore, it claims that “[Leyland] is from the new generation of Higher Education, from those who have been misled, short-changed and done over by institutions,” and that she will “champion the fight of young people.”

It also contains quotes of support from members of both York University and other institutions affiliated to YUSU, including praise from current NUS VPHE, Aaron Porter. From York, Jason Rose, Tom Flynn, Zahra Latif, Ben Humphrys and Peter Warner-Medley all write in support of the officer.

Speaking exclusively to Vision, Leyland said that she thought she had a lot of support “because [she’s] always been very clear that what [she’s] doing must genuinely benefit my students,”

However the candidate will have tough competition to face from 5 other people in the running as well as the elusive RON, making it the most contested position at next week’s conference.

“It’s remarkable how many commonalities there are across unions and how much of it relates to national structures that need to be tackled at the core,” continued Leyland, “It’s going to be a big year for Higher Education!”

Elections will take place next week at the NUS Annual Conference in Newcastle, where delegates will vote on behalf of their institutions. YUSU is sending four delegates: Tim Ngwena, Ben Humphrys, David Levene and Sam Westrop. Leyland will also be in attendance, sitting on the National Executive Council.

Leyland’s website can be viewed at http://votecharlie.co.uk/vote/