Date Passed: 1st April
Speaker: Kaytie McFadden
1. That UWESU elections are held, whereby the full-time and part-time officers of the Students’ Union are elected into office.
2. That there is no limit to the amount of money which candidates can spend, but each candidate can claim up to £60 towards the expenses of their campaign.
3. That a great deal of universities already have caps in place for their elections campaigns. For example: University of Northumbria: “Candidates may not spend more than £120 in their election. Candidates may claim up to £45 back from the Students’ Union provided you bring receipts.”
1. That candidates spend a great deal more than the £60 allowed expenses.
2. That this creates economic discrimination between candidates’ campaigns and how visible they are.
3. That this therefore makes it less likely that those students from more economically deprived backgrounds will stand for election.
4. That this discrimination is unfair and should be discouraged as much as possible.
5. That a cap on expenditure will encourage more participation from students.
6. That a cap would mean fewer posters are printed, meaning that less paper will be wasted and that the environmental impact of elections week will be reduced.
7. That managing a tighter budget will also demonstrate the resourcefulness and creativity of students which will be much-needed skills for those successful candidates whilst in office.
1. That the amount which a candidate is able to claim as election expenses should be a set limit.
2. That students should not be allowed to spend any more than the amount set by the Returning Officer of our Union’s elections.