News

NUS SHOCKER! 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION STITCHED UP

The NUS leadership has been left with a lot to answer for this week, after a whistleblower revealed to the ‘National Student’, a national student newspaper, that this years’ NUS Presidential election has been stitched up, ensuring that Labour Students’ leader, Wes Streeting, is elected.

Kevin Atkinson, the North West observer on the NEC National Executive Committee broke his silence this week, speaking out at what he calls the NUS ‘inner circle’, who for months have patronisingly said they knew what is best for students.

The deal, it is claimed, guaranteed that Tumelty’s ‘Organised Independents’ faction would not stand a candidate for President position this year and in return, asked for Labour Students’ full support of Aaron Porter, for the position of Vice-President for Higher Education.

This agreement was allegedly confirmed by Gemma Tumelty at the ‘Labour Students Political Weekend’ conference on November 17 last year.

Atkinson, who only now decided to speak out, emphasised the ‘unbelievable arrogance’ he faced within this ‘inner circle’, adding that as he was planning on leaving the student movement at the end of the year, he wanted ‘to go out with a clear conscience’.

If proven true, this would be yet another embarrassment for the NUS leadership, which is already facing an increasing revolt over the new governance structures. Only last month, University of Leeds students went to the polls and voted to reverse the S.U.’s decision to support the review, followed by UCL’s decision to send its delegates with strict orders to vote against the new structures.

At the time of going to publishing, neither Tumelty nor Streeting had made any comments.

Privacy Policy  •   Terms of Service  •  Student Newspaper Advertising   •  Contact Us