Manifesto Points:
- Decisions are not being made in our interest, they are being made to aid the financial interests of corporate partners
- Despite claims of independence, YorkSU is primarily funded by the University it should hold to account
- Structural changes, on a national level, are needed for YorkSU to truly represent us
YorkSU is broken!
Our Student’s Union should be a strong force holding the University’s, and the Government’s, toes to the fire over their failure to deliver for students. Instead, our SU is bankrolled by the University itself and run as a quasi-commercial entity focused on financial gain not students’ best interests.
Too often financial incentive has been treated as the aim of the SU, rather than the best interests of students. Corporate ties with York Parties has seemingly prevented any action to protect students on nights out. This is indefensible given the disgusting level of spiking that has been reported recently. The SU also has a sponsorship deal with Domino’s, a company complicit in Israeli Apartheid and Genocide. This institution prioritises money over morals. Further, any policy or campaign that could threaten the financial interest of the Unions’ commercial services wing is blocked, something I saw firsthand during my time as Environment and Ethics Officer last year. Our collective voice should be run as a vehicle for advocating students’ needs, not as a corporate entity.
Despite claims of independence, YorkSU’s primary source of funding is the very University it claims to hold to account. It would be naΪve to assume that the Union could effectively lobby the University for the radical change we need whilst being existentially reliant on its continued funding. The nearly £2m given each year by the University to the Students’ Union has ensured that the University’s closure of services, large scale sacking of staff, and complicity in genocide have gone largely unchallenged by what is supposed to be our representative body.
The problems with our Students’ Union are deep and embedded, they are also not unique. Education and Charity law places legal limits on the operation of Students’ Union’s across the country. Whilst there are some short term fixes that could be put in place (such as commercial services switching to a cooperative model to embed students’ interests within it), turning YorkSU into a true campaigning force for the good of all students would require structural change at a national level.
I am not running in this election to win. I am running to send a message. That we as students are not being represented and we demand change. I am sure that whoever wins this election will be entirely qualified for the job and will give it their best effort, the problems I have identified are not with individuals but with the institution. But whilst operating within the confines of a broken Union, and a broken system, I fear their efforts will be in vain. Only a vote for this campaign will send the message that we demand better.
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?
This is meant to be a somewhat disruptive campaign, so perhaps ‘Anarchy in the U.K.’ by the Sex Pistols
If your campaign had a mascot, what would it be?
The donkey statue in the student support centre and/or Shrek.
Do you fit your college stereotype? (please provide your college)*
The question of the Alcuin stereotype seems to have been thrown in the air in recent times (thanks to a certain anonymous submission Instagram page). I certainly don’t fit those stereotypes!!!
We gave the candidate a word, and asked them to think of what the question would be:
Answer: Charlie Jeffery
Candidate Question: Who is paid over a quarter of a million pounds each year whilst cutting jobs and services left, right and centre?