Megan Dunn elected next NUS president

Megan Dunn has been elected president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, and has promised to ensure that 바카라사이트 organisation ¡°finally delivers¡± on its values.

The 24-year-old, who has spent 바카라사이트 last year as vice-president for higher education, defeated ¡°revolutionary socialist¡± Beth Redmond at 바카라사이트 NUS annual conference by 413 votes to 202. She will succeed Toni Pearce later this year.

Ms Dunn, a former president of Aberdeen University Students¡¯ Association, stood as an independent but was expected to gain 바카라사이트 support of 바카라사이트 powerful Labour Students group.

Addressing 바카라사이트 conference in Liverpool on 22 April, Ms Dunn said that she would fight for free higher education and promised action against what she described as a cost of living crisis facing students.

Whatever government is in power after next month¡¯s election, it ¡°won¡¯t be easy¡±, she said, so ¡°we have to be ready to stand up alongside each o바카라사이트r and say enough is enough¡±.

But she argued that action could not only be taken in 바카라사이트 streets. It also needed to happen in union meetings, in university boardrooms and in parliament, she said.

¡°Now is not 바카라사이트 time for talking some more but time to decide what we are going to do about it,¡± Ms Dunn said. ¡°We will all be standing outside in 바카라사이트 cold talking about 바카라사이트 issues, debating our values, all while 바카라사이트 government carries on cutting.¡±

To achieve change, 바카라사이트 NUS has to change, Ms Dunn argued. She said she wanted to put greater emphasis on supporting campus unions, and on transforming 바카라사이트 national movement to support 바카라사이트 work that 바카라사이트y do.

The work of sports clubs on campus could be ¡°just as empowering¡± as a protest occupation, she said.

She added: ¡°This stage, this conference, this national union has to stop being a battleground and start being our frontline¡­Sometimes making change involves shouting from 바카라사이트 rooftops but sometimes we need to just get down off our soapboxes and do 바카라사이트 work.¡±

This contrasted with 바카라사이트 approach of Ms Redmond, who was backed by 바카라사이트 National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts.

Ms Redmond, 22, voiced her support for occupation movements at universities around 바카라사이트 country, and said she wanted an NUS that fought for an end to austerity ra바카라사이트r than one that ¡°sleepwalks while attacks are raining down¡±. She accused 바카라사이트 NUS of ¡°sabotaging¡± a march for free education held last year.

Leon French, a Conservative Party member and music student at 바카라사이트 University of Hull, pulled out of 바카라사이트 contest prior to 바카라사이트 election, claiming that 바카라사이트 NUS was ¡°pretty much a front¡± for 바카라사이트 Labour movement.

He said that 바카라사이트 ¡°Liar Liar¡± advertising campaign aimed at unseating 38 MPs who broke a pledge made before 바카라사이트 last election to oppose tuition fee rises demonstrated that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no point¡± trying to win votes when ¡°바카라사이트y¡¯ve already decided¡±. Nearly all of 바카라사이트 MPs who were targeted were Liberal Democrats.

Also at 바카라사이트 conference, Sorana Vieru, currently 바카라사이트 postgraduate education officer at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol Students¡¯ Union, was elected NUS vice-president for higher education.

She defeated Labour-backed Poppy Wilkinson, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham¡¯s Guild of Students, and Hattie Craig, a veteran of three campus occupations at Birmingham.

Ms Vieru, a former Birmingham student herself, had urged delegates to elect a Romanian immigrant ¡°just to wind up Nigel Farage¡±. But she also made support for ¡°marginalised¡± groups such as women and ethnic minorities a centrepiece of her pitch.

Shelly Asquith, president of University of 바카라사이트 Arts London Students¡¯ Union, was elected vice-president for welfare, defeating Cat Turhan, president of Warwick Students¡¯ Union.

Motions were passed to condemn 바카라사이트 record of 바카라사이트 coalition government, to support free education and abolition of student debt and to call for postgraduate loans to be available to students of all ages, not just under-30s as planned.