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NUS Presidential Election

Close of nominations saw four candidates contesting NUS's top spot.

  • Brooks Duke - current VP Education - standing as part of an Independent slate. Long time NUS officer.
  • Carli Harper-Penman - current National LGB Officer (open place) - standing as part of the left-wing UFE slate. Former ULU welfare officer.
  • Geraint Hopkins - current National Treasurer - standing as an Independent. Former President of Liverpool University. Sparked controversy soon after his election through his proposed budget cuts to balance NUS's books.
  • Mandy Telford - current NUS Scotland President - standing as a Labour Student
Prior to Conference Geraint withdrew from the election claiming he feared 'splitting' the anti-Labour Student vote. Geraint stated, on news service educationet.org, that there was 'no scandal, no deal, nothing', and that the decision was prompted by the need to ensure that Labour Students were beaten because Labour has 'treated students disgracefully'.

As expected, campaigning at Conference was heavy, and expensive, with all sides devoting significant resources to their favoured candidates. It still all to play for as the candidates gave their hustings speeches, with insiders from the campaigns claiming that there was an almost exact 'three way split' between the candidates. Telford spoke of the need for unity and an attitude of constructive criticism towards the Government, Harper-Penman on the need to activate NUS's membership and strengthen the liberation campaigns and Duke on the need for independence and more support for Union officers.

Results

Despite being narrowly ahead in the first round, and even further ahead after the votes to re-open nominations were redistributed, Harper-Penman's votes, when she became the first of the main candidates to be eliminated proved critical. With 199 of her 300 votes transferring to Labour's Mandy Telford and only 45 to Duke, the final round saw Telford beating Brooks by nearly 80 votes. Brooks, held to be the Manchester United of candidates (you either love him or hate him), proved to have fallen prey to the left's dislike of his apolitical agenda.

Round 1

Brooks Duke (IND)374
Carli Harper-Penman (UFE)296
Mandy Telford (LAB)307
Re-open Nominations (RON)18

Round 2

Re-distribution of RON

Duke384+10
Harper-Penman300+4
Telford309+2
RON---18

Round 3

Re-distribution of Harper-Penman

Duke429+45
Harper-Penman---300
Telford508+199Elected

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 Paul Leake, Liberal Democrat - fighting for an open and accessible NUS! 

Editor: Paul Leake

You can contact Paul by email at paul@durge.org or by phone on (07776) 156 678

This page was last updated 22-04-2002
This page is written and maintained by Paul Leake

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