The first article to be published is written by Rob Tidy and is entitled “Why won’t our Union campaign for LGBT rights?“. Rob has proposed the “Love Without Borders” LGBT rights motion at several General Meetings and the motion has never been passed - potentially because quorum was never met or was lost when the motion was up on the agenda. Rob outlines some of his frustrations in this article.

The second article is entitled “Winning a Free Education“, written by Chris Jenkinson. Chris has been elected for the role of UMSU Academic Affairs Officer for next year and states in the article why he opposed the free education motion at last week’s General Meeting and some of his views on how we should be campaigning for a free education.

If you are interested in writing articles for the society, drop me an email at james@manchesterpolitics.co.uk.

I knew that speaking in our Students? Union general meeting against a motion entitled ?Fight For a Free Education? would inevitably open me up to attacks that I don?t agree that higher education should be free, as it was before 1997. So before I start describing how we can win a free education, let me set one thing straight: I believe that access to higher education should be accessible to all, and the best way for this to happen is for the cost of the education to be paid by the government through general taxation, and for students to be supported with universal, rather than means-tested grants.

Where I differ from those I affectionately describe as being on the ?hard left? is how to achieve it. The Students? Union should have policy supporting a free education, but needs to be a sensible and inclusive one which reaches out to students. It shouldn?t be prescriptive - specifying a monthly quota of flyers or the text to appear on a plaque is counterproductive.

We need a policy which enables campaigners and activists to reach out to less politicised students and allows them to take ownership of the campaign, engaging them and ensuring that even small actions taken are steps towards victory.

The challenge we face

In 2009, the government will appoint a body to independently review the funding system for higher education. There is one fact which I am sure that everyone will agree on ? universities are significantly underfunded. The Labour government, since 1997, has never put higher education at the top of their agenda for education funding, choosing to focus on schools, a fact for which Bill Rammell MP, the government minister for higher education, makes no apology.

It is we, as students, who must make the case for a free education. We must be united in our demands, not just in Manchester, but across the country. We face a difficult task, but with hard work and a solid case, we can return to a free education. There will be many people nationwide, who argue that tuition and top-up fees work and the

Wednesday 30th April saw one of the best attended UMSU General Meetings this academic year, second only to November?s spectacle of democracy. We?ve debated policies about war, finance, environmentalism and internationalism: a list that shows just how conscientious and politically active our members are, and one which leaves me speechless. Almost.

This year, the General Meeting, ?the supreme decision-making body of the Union?, has decided that it still quite likes Palestine and that it?s not too keen on global warming, which I’m sure most of us (except perhaps for next year’s supposedly right-wing Zionist Union Executive committee) would see as both laudable and worthwhile. It’s been presented, when it’s actually managed to achieve quoracy, with a further twelve undebated motions ranging in topic from the dire state of our bars to cold-blooded murder. Without being passed by the GM the union can’t take any real stance on these issues, which is a sorry state of affairs for the largest student union in Europe to get into given that we need less than 1% of our members to give up a few hours a term. It?s just not cunting (see http://www.umsu.manchester.ac.uk/pdf/MOTION_H_30.4.08.pdf).

Students, as is well documented by such unbiased and level-headed sources as the Mail on Sunday, are a lazy and apathetic lot. Gone are the days of a student activism to be reckoned with, replaced by egoism, self-absorption and only sitting in the debating hall when not doing so might mean that you can?t ?go on boats and get drunk” anymore. The same happened in November, when I commented that ?the very fact that we dropped from the largest GM attendance to below quorum after the first motion means that in fact we saw the largest display of self-interest in our Union?s history,? but hoped that the next General Meeting would be less of a farce.? Clearly, my hopes were in vain.

That said, it?s not as though I don?t have any personally vested interest in a quorate General Meeting. Wednesday was, by my reckoning, both the fifth time I have submitted a motion about LGBT Human Rights Abuse and the fifth that inquoracy has prevented it from being discussed. I’ve been asked why I keep bringing the same old issues back to the table if UMSU doesn?t care enough about them to give them a voice, but the answer is simple - the ’same old issues’ aren’t going away.

According to the statistics, between the quorate GMs seven more Trans people were murdered because of their identity and how they expressed it. In the same time, our government has tried to deport a gay man back to Iran, where homosexuality is a capital offence, and hundreds of people have been kept imprisoned for daring to be themselves.

Male homosexuality is punishable by death in seven world states (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Sudan and Mauritania) and is illegal in around eighty more, whilst female homosexuality is illegal in some forty, but only 14 countries accept asylum claims on grounds of homophobic and transphobic persecution.

The NUS, amongst many other campaigning organisations, is trying to protest against these abuses of basic human rights in the international community and the Love Without Borders motion proposes that we support this, quite frankly, essential campaign. Why can?t we? Because we can?t pass it through a GM. Because it?s sunnier outside the Main Debating Hall. Because Through The Keyhole is on the telly. Because Topman have got yet another sale on.

None of those are especially strong excuses ? the summer, BBC iPlayer and the 364 other Topman sales aren’t going anywhere.

If you didn’t bother to come to the GM, shame on you. But if you came and left after the military motion, shame is too mild a word- it’s thanks to you that UMSU isn’t supporting the campaign against the rape, torture and murder of people because of whom they are. The Love Without Borders motion will be making yet another appearance at the next General Meeting ? please come, give up a small amount of your time, and at least try and make a difference.

Here?s hoping the next General Meeting will be less of a farce.

Rob Tidy

The ?Fight for a Free Education? motion was debated first in the meeting. The motion, proposed by Sundara Jerome and seconded by outgoing UMSU General Secretary Tom Skinner, pledged to ?force the NUS to?run a national campaign calling for a Free Education? and noted ?the University of Manchester and the Russell Group have argued for limits to the [tuition] fees to be lifted?. The motion was defeated by 159 to 119 with 15 abstentions. Skinner conceded that the Education motion may have been defeated primarily because it was too specific on policy: ?I take the point: had the motion?just said we believe in a free education?maybe the motion would have passed? he said. He argued that the abolition of tuition fees was an important issue for most students, adding that the vote was ?a setback but not a defeat.? The motion’s defeat does not however signal the end of the Union’s campaign for a free education. Next year’s Academic Affairs officer, Chris Jenkinson, gave a speech opposing the motion but stated that it was the methods prescribed in the motion that he disagreed with. He said that he will propose an alternative free education motion for the first GM of the next academic year.

The ?Going Green? motion, which pledged to focus attention on environmental sustainability at the University, was passed unanimously after a procedural amendment to go directly to the vote was approved immediately following Robbie Gillett’s proposal speech. The motion contained several points and the Union will now be required to look in to procuring 100% of its electricity from renewable sources and to lobby the University to undertake a comprehensive review of it’s environmental impact.

The ?Keep the Military Off Our Campus, Get the Military out of the Middle East? motion was defeated by around a two-thirds majority. The motion had pledged to ?ban the military of any country from union premises?. The rejection of the motion was greeted with cheers by some in the meeting, a number of which were members of the Officers? Training Corps (OTC) organisation whose students had encouraged its members to vote against the proposals. Questions posed to the Proposer of the motion, Andy Cunningham, were critical of the ?misleading? phrasing of the motion which promised to ?keep the military off out campus? but also to ?get the military out of the middle east.? Cunningham was also asked if he believed it would be more effective to ban the Labour Party from campus.

Some students expressed anger that the meeting lost quorum, with numbers falling to around 100, after the third motion. The fourth motion, proposed by Rob Tidy was entitled “Love Without Borders - International LGBT Rights” and called for a campaign for international LGBT rights. Jennie Killip, Student Ambassador for the University, said it was a ?disappointment? that quorum was not maintained, but insisted: ?we are going to keep fighting to get important motions brought up at general meetings. We are not going to give up.?

Many students felt that the presence of the military motion on the agenda had resulted in the meeting reaching quorum, and there was speculation about whether the large-scale advertisement by OTC activists on the motion had resulted in the organisations members being heavily represented at the vote. This could also explain loss of quorum before the LGBT motion.

The other motions not heard were “More Art on Campus”, “Comfortable & Accessible Seating”, “Reclaiming Cunt” and “Time at the Bar”.

Were you at the meeting? How do you feel about the motions being passed and defeated, and how do you feel about the motions lost after quorum was lost? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

If you have not been given your polling card, you can still vote without it - you just need to take proof of ID with you to the polling station.

Fallowfield Ward: Oak House, Owens Park and Woolton Hall.

Your candidates are:

Conservative Party: Colin Power
Green Party: Daniel Lee
Labour Party: David Royle
Liberal Democrat Party: Kas Afzal

Your polling station is Union Chapel, Wellington Road, Fallowfield (View Map).

Rusholme Ward: Allen Hall, Ashburne Hall, Dalton Ellis Hall, Hulme Hall and Sheavyn House

Your candidates are:

Conservative Party: Dola Miah
Green Party: Penny Collins
Labour Party: Atiha Chaudry
Left List: Nahella Ashraf
Liberal Democrat Party: Paul Shannon

The polling stations for this ward differ depending on your hall:

Allen Hall: Birch Community Centre, Brighton Grove, Danes Rd entrance, Rusholme (View Map)
Ashburne Hall & Sheavyn House: Birchfields Primary School, Lytham Road, Fallowfield (View Map)
Dalton Ellis & Hulme Hall: St Edwards RC Parish Hall, 13 Thurloe Street, Rusholme (View Map)

Levenshulme Ward: Richmond Park

Your candidates are:

Conservative Party: Abbas Khurshid
Green Party: Justine Hall
Labour Party: Quammer Ahmad
Liberal Democrat Party: Keith Whitmore

Your polling station is at Birchfields Primary School, Lytham Road, Fallowfield (View Map).

Moss Side Ward: University Place and Whitworth Park

Your candidates are:

Conservative Party: Kashif Ali
Labour Party: Alistair Cox
Respect: Ali Shelmani
Liberal Democrat Party: Zeke Ukairo
Green Party: Nigel Woodcock

We do not know the location of this polling station - if you live in either of these halls please comment and we can update the article.

City Centre Ward: Lambert & Fairfield Hall, Chandos Hall and Weston Hall

Your candidates are:

Conservative Party: Rob Adlard
Green Party: Peter Birkinshaw
Labour Party: Anthony McCaul
Liberal Democrat Party: Marc Ramsbottom

Your polling station is the LGF Building, 105-107 Princess Street (View Map).

If you’re undecided on whether or not to vote, or not planning to vote, have a read of this article by Will Palmer.

One reason many cite for not voting is a lack of knowledge in the political process. So here is a quick explanation: Manchester is divided geographically into 32 electoral wards (with about 10,000 people in each), with each ward represented on the council by 3 councillors. After election each councillor then has to serve a 4 year term. Therefore, there are local elections in Manchester 3 out of every 4 years ? with a different councillor up for election each time. Currently out of Manchester?s 96 councillors, 61 represent the Labour Party, 33 the Liberal Democrats with the Conservative and Green Parties holding one seat each. Therefore this year there is an election in all 32 seats with the chance to choose one of the three councillors who will represent your ward. The main wards covering student areas are Fallowfield, Levenshulme, Rusholme, Withington and the City Centre.

So What? How will the chosen candidate affect your life? In some ways local elections are more important than national elections. With 3 councillors representing about 10,000 people they are by far your most approachable elected representative. In contrast one MP is responsible for nearly 90,000 people which they must combine with their Westminster duties. Therefore it is important your councillor is someone who will represent your views as they will be your first point of contact with any local issues. For example if you are concerned about the rising number of burglaries on your street or the deterioration of your local environment, the right councillor will have the right contacts and the influence to resolve these problems. Your local councillor also represents you when Manchester wide issues are being debating by Manchester City Council. One issue which will affect the whole of Manchester is the proposed introduction of Congestion Charges with each of the major parties all taking a different view.

Not convinced? Although these are local elections fought on local issues, these elections are always seen as an indicator of the national mood. Since last years local elections two of the major parties have had change of leader and these elections will be seen by many as a referendum on their leadership. Conservative leader David Cameron, for example, has asked voters to ?punish? Gordon Brown for his decision to scrap the 10p basic rate of income tax. Therefore by voting on Thursday you can show your support or distain for the current Government.

If these reasons have not convinced you, I still urge you to vote on Thursday. Democracy is important and without it there would be no way to hold accountable the officials that are supposed to represent us. Also voter apathy can led to undesirable consequences. The BNP have 3 candidates standing in Manchester this year and votes are needed for the moderate parties to prevent them from succeeding. Do you need anymore excuses? The polls are open all days from 7am to 10pm and if you are a student in halls of residence you are automatically registered ? so turn up even if you have not received a polling card and make your voice heard.

Earlier this year, Student Direct, following a challenge from Vice-Chancellor Alan Gilbert, investigated the truth behind the plummeting numbers of teaching hours and discovered that Politics students spend an average of just 86 hours per year in lectures and tutorials, compared to twenty years ago, when university education was free and politics students benefited from 200 hours of teaching a year.

The forced retirement of the well-known feminist scholar Sheila Rowbotham also caused an outrage amongst the students who are demanding an end to staff cut-backs. What’s more, there are complaints that the university libraries don?t have enough books for the expanding student population that need them and that the Arthur Lewis building which cost the debt-ridden university

A rare afternoon of active political involvement amongst Manchester?s students. Those who have secretly been craving for an opportunity to welcome some of Britain?s most renowned political figures to the University took a sigh of relief, when the political spotlight turned to ?Kro Bar? on Tuesday, 15th April. William Hague MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary, came to campus to speak to students about democracy, how it affects them and why voting makes all the difference. The event was hosted by Rob Ardlard, Conservative candidate for the city centre.

The problem with low turnouts that has consistently dogged Manchester?s Student Union in the past was fortunately not a characteristic of yesterday?s talk. With more than 60 young people attending, the event?s turnout exceeded the expectations of the organisers with ?a massive response and a room jam packed full of students?, says Conservative Future Area Chairman Rob Largan. The event was so popular that people were happy to stand at the sides to be able to join the discussion.

Students had the opportunity to demand real answers from a top politician of both domestic and foreign affairs. Similar to the UMSU General Meeting on the disputed twinning with the Palestinian University of Al-Najah last November, it was predominantly the interest in controversial issues that attracted many of the students. When confronted with the ever-present question of American-British relations, Hague admitted that political developments such as Guantanamo Bay did much to undermine America?s moral authority and stressed that Britain needed a ?solid but frank relationship? with Washington. His comment on the Middle East that one ?can make mistakes if you don?t understand well enough a country?s history? indicated some criticism of Labour?s involvement in Iraq alongside its American allies.

Students were particularly concerned about the future of China and how it might affect Britain. It became clear that the Conservative MP favoured greater responsibilities for the economic giant to ?keep the door open? for a strong friendship. However, Hague remained vague on the controversy surrounding the Tibet issue. Although he pointed to the importance of protecting human rights in the area, his argument revealed that Britain intends to avoid any direct alienation of the Chinese, by refusing to recognise Tibet as a separate state.

Despite the fact that foreign policy issues formed the lifeblood of the discussion, the politician repeatedly emphasised the need for more local democracy in Britain. He said the move towards self-government could be achieved by giving the councils more freedoms in the decision-making process, although it is worth noting that Hague was strongly opposed to Labour’s devolution policies back in 1997. Democracy only works if it directly involves Britain?s citizens at a local level, as ?politics is about nuclear proliferation and globalization, but also about who?s-fixing-the-pavement?, Hague told the Politics Society. The Conservative MP made it clear to the students that politics is relevant and everyone can make a change. He himself was heavily involved in student politics during his time at Oxford University, where he was President of both the Oxford University Conservative Association and the Oxford Union.

Although Hague?s intention was to address the problem of political apathy among the young, he did not really have the platform to reach those of the student population who would abstain from voting, because most people who attended the discussion already had a strong interest in politics or were students of political sciences. Hague believes that, nonetheless, voting abstention remains a major challenge to make democracy work. After all, issues including climate change, nuclear proliferation and our relations with the Middle East ?will matter for the rest of your life, so don?t miss your opportunity to have some say on this.?

Prominent figures in union politics were keen to discuss the reasons for this trend. Rob Pinfold, who will serve as UMSU General Secretary for 2008-9 has called for greater participation in student politics through increased use of the internet and online resources as a means of stimulating interest. He said: “we need to bring these things online, bring in online voting and online participation” and also suggested that GM?s be made ?more accessible? to the student population. Tom Skinner, the outgoing General Secretary whose left-wing coalition was beaten decisively in last week?s election, was critical of UMSU council members who fail to turn up to GMs, saying “everyone on council has a duty to do their job.” He added that fatigue after the election was also a factor in the poor turnout at the latest GM.

The union executive cannot be criticised for a lack of energy in recent years. UMSU under Skinner has seen an unprecedented increase in demonstrations over a whole range of issues and hard campaigning. But this energy has not resulted in higher turnout at elections, leading critics to claim that the executive is wasting time and money on pointless campaigns which are out of touch with the concerns and interests of everyday students. The enthusiasm and commitment of those involved in student politics is not in question, but the communication of this enthusiasm to those who rarely, if ever, set foot in a GM presents is a significant challenge for Pinfold and next year’s executive.

The problem may not lie with the policies of individual factions and parties within the union. Pinfold has an interesting argument when he says that the union “doesn?t go out and talk to or engage students.” Rather, the union has been cautious, perhaps even ineffective, in actively promoting itself to the student body. Critics of Tom Skinner have been quick to denounce his agenda over the past year as “extremist” and “far left”. But will students be more inclined to vote simply because the far left bloc is no longer setting the agenda on campus? It may be that the solution to apathy lies not in a change of policy ideologically, but rather by a radical overhaul of the way in which the union advertises what it does to the student body and actively seeks out people?s involvement, rather than simply standing by and waiting for students to get involved.

Election night events began with the disqualification of Alex Castro, the current Communications Officer. Castro was running for the position of International Students Officer. His disqualification came after negative campaigning by a supporter and Castro?s abuse of his current position to send out campaign emails to students ? a measure banned under current Union election rules.

Some candidates suffered a nerve-racking wait for the results to be announced. The majority of votes were close and at one point there was a difference of a mere 3 votes in the General Secretary count. Tensions increased, culminating in a euphoric celebration broke out as Rob Pinfold was declared General Secretary for 2008/2009, defeating the incumbent Tom Skinner who was standing for re-election.

Speaking to the Politics Society after the results were declared, Pinfold promised to begin “spending student’s money on student’s resources” and also stated that “the age of the megaphone; the age of shouting at students, is hopefully over”. The video below shows our brief interviews with the winning candidates for General Secretary, Campaigns Officer and Academic Affairs Officer:

Video credits: Tristan Humphreys

The results of the other Executive positions are as follows:

Executive Sabbatical Positions:

? Academic Affairs: Chris Jenkinson
? Campaigns Officer: Daniel Lee
? Communications Officer: Robbie Gillet
? General Secretary: Rob Pinfold
? Student Activities Officer: Emily Randall
? Student Direct Officer: Susannah Birkwood
? Welfare Officer: Ellie Reyland
? Women?s Officer: Jennie Killip

Executive Non-Sabbatical Positions:

? International Student?s Officer: Priya Jajoo
? Postgrad and Mature Student?s Officer: Jason Holloway
? Engineering and Physical Sciences Officer: Karen Davies
? Humanities Officer: Alex James
? Life Sciences Officer: Carly McKenzie
? Medical and Human Sciences Officer: Ali Yazdi

The Politics Society would like to congratulate all those who won a seat in this year?s elections. We look forward to working and building closer links with the Union next year.