Candidate Profile: Thomas Stuart Taylor

Tom Taylor is a second year music student and is the current treasurer of the Lemon Press. He is relatively unknown on the student politics scene but he claims this will work to his advantage “The University of British Columbia argued that democracies are weakened by the traditional type of person who enters politics. As someone who has never wanted to go into politics, I am surely an excellent candidate. Indeed, a serious candidate.”

His manifesto outlines six “movements” that he claims he intends to adopt should he win the presidential election. However, it is difficult to ignore the ironic tone that runs throughout his manifesto.

Movement I suggests making the student support service “Night Line”, currently operating only during the night, into a 24-hour service so as not to discriminate against “non-nocturnal depressives.” The presidential candidate supports this policy by offering the following reasoning: “Why not Night AND Day Line (NDL)? NDL, the abbreviated form of the Netherlands (high standard of living) and the acronym for the National Diet Library. Coincidence? No.
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Some of Taylor’s other main policies promise to increase geese police patrol, graduate employment and transparency in YUSU.

He proves his initiative on increasing transparency in YUSU by citing his own personal blog as evidence of his dedication to the cause “I can do talk AND walk. I have already (totally unprovoked) started a video diary where for no charge you can watch me tell you how I am and what I’m doing.” However, he provides no information as to where this blog might be found.

A general trend throughout Tom Taylor’s manifesto is his promised initiative to take direct, personal action. In regards to his suggested changes of Night Line he promises to “to man the phone lines for every hour otherwise unmanned/womaned by a trained volunteer (probably arts students during the day).”

Similarly in regards to his policy to get the library finished he pledges to “lay every brick not laid by someone paid to lay bricks.”

The Tipster’s odds: 10/1

Given the comic nature of Tom Taylor’s manifesto, the fact that he is a second year and that he has had very little involvement in the universities student politics we say his prospects are low. However, his sense of humour may win him a few votes.