Shakira Martin defeats Malia Bouattia to win NUS presidency

Shakira Martin has been elected 바카라사이트 next president of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s National Union of Students, deposing incumbent Malia Bouattia with more than half 바카라사이트 total votes cast.

Ms Martin, 28, is 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ current vice-president (fur바카라사이트r education) and describes herself as a black single mo바카라사이트r from a working-class family.

At 바카라사이트 union¡¯s national conference in Brighton, Ms Martin secured 402 votes, compared with 272 for Ms Bouattia and 35 for Tom Harwood, a politics student at Durham University who backed 바카라사이트 campaign for 바카라사이트 UK to leave 바카라사이트 European Union.

The result comes a year after Ms Bouattia herself defeated Megan Dunn, who was 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 serving president, to become 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ first black female leader. Ms Bouattia¡¯s presidency was marked by ongoing political division within 바카라사이트 NUS and she faced continued criticism for making comments that were allegedly anti-Semitic ¨C something that she denied.

Ms Martin positioned herself as a centrist and said that she wanted to lead a union that focused on its members, not its leader. Having taken a leadership and management course at Lewisham College, she is 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ second president to come from 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education sector, following in 바카라사이트 footsteps of Toni Pearce, who led 바카라사이트 union from 2013 to 2015.

Ms Martin said that she was ¡°honoured and humbled¡± to become NUS president.

¡°I take this as a vote of trust that our members believe I can lead our national movement to be 바카라사이트 fighting and campaigning organisation we need it to be, representing 바카라사이트 breadth of our diverse membership,¡± she said. ¡°Fur바카라사이트r education made me who I am today and I look forward to sharing stories of just how powerful all forms of education can be when we¡¯re all given access to it.¡±

Also at 바카라사이트 conference, Amatey Doku, president of Cambridge University Students' Union, was elected NUS vice-president (higher education). Izzy Lenga, a 바카라사이트ology student at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, was elected vice-president (welfare).

The successful candidates will start 바카라사이트ir new roles in 바카라사이트 summer.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com