Manifesto Points:
- Putting power in students’ hands – through better representation structures and influencing the City Council.
- Fighting the cost of living – through better support, part-time jobs and plans on housing and rent.
- Improving the student experience – through an alternative Student Centre, International Student support and nightlife safety.
Keep calm and Parrey on
Hi I’m Lewis and I’m re-running to be your Union Affairs Officer. We need a Union Affairs Officer with the knowledge and experience to stand up and fight for the things that matter, particularly at a time when the student experience is most at risk. I’ve spent my entire time at York campaigning against the University (in this role and as David Kato President) on accessibility issues, financial support, accommodation, and student leaders just to name a few. Now I want to go even further to create a University and City that works for students:
Putting power in students hands
- A student voice partnership agreement with the University, forcing them to imbed student consultation in their decision making and establishing a formal forum to hear student opinions.
- We can also do more at the Union. I’d establish student assemblies as a regular part of our representation and policy structures so that as many students as possible can have their voice heard.
- Set up a student advisory board to the City Council and a joint lobbying group with York St Johns to fight for better housing, transport, night safety and cost of living.
- Work with the graduate research school to create new and unique forms of representation for PGRs and improve links with Wentworth College to expand opportunities for Postgrads.
Fighting the Cost of living
- I have already secured a 5-year commitment from Leeds Joblink to expand into York. I want to deliver on this and set up a jobs site dedicated to connecting York students to part time work.
- I will continue to work with Student Unions and other organisations across the country to lobby the Government for improved maintenance support
- The York housing market is insane! I will start a student union led letting agency that prioritises students over profit, improve renters rights support for students, and continue to fight against huge increases in accommodation rent by the University
- I will work with the University, YSJ, and the Council to develop a student accommodation and housing strategy (can you believe york doesn’t have one!)
- I will expand on work already done this year to improve access to cost of living support like the student pantry, fruit and root and University financial support
Improving the student experience
- The University has cancelled plans for a brand new Student Centre but campus is crying out for more student focused space. I will secure an alternative Student Centre space providing more student group storage, flat floor space and communal student areas.
- International Students have been let down.I will lobby the University to implement a number of recommendations to improve the International Student experience and work with other Student Unions to lobby the government on issues like Visas and graduate opportunities.
- We need to do more to make students feel safe. I will work with other officers to improve nightlife safety and routes for students to raise concerns, and hold Clubs and providers accountable.
- College Committees play a vital role in University life, but are not being supported or recognised as they should, I will fight to make sure that College Committees are put first in the University’s approach to Colleges.
The manifestos appear here exactly as they were submitted to us. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of York Vision.
Don’t get us wrong, the York SU elections are very important. But so much of the election process is formal and serious…which means it can also (at times) be a little bit dull.
But we don’t think it has to be like this. So alongside their manifesto, Vision asked each candidate a series of light-hearted, get-to-know-you type questions. This should give you a little dive into the individual personalities of the candidates:
What would be the theme song for your campaign?
9 to 5
If your campaign had a mascot, what would it be?
Charlie Jeffery (Meow)
Do you fit your college stereotype? (please provide your college)*
David Kato doesn’t have much of a stereotype, however it has become know for its ‘prison gates’ which I have to take responsibility for when I launched an ‘Open the gates’ campaign in first year. So to answer the question do I fit my college stereotype? I accidently created it (whoops).
We gave the candidate a word, and asked them to think of what the question would be:
Answer: Charlie Jeffery
Candidate Question: Who’s Wife did I dance with? (#sorrynotsorry)