12 candidates have put themselves forward to represent Cambridge at the National Union of Students (NUS) conference next year, making this election the most contested in recent years.

Cambridge will send six delegates to the upcoming NUS conference, set to take place next April in Glasgow. CUSU president Evie Aspinall will be among them, and the remaining 5 positions are up for election. The group must be gender-balanced, so at least two elected candidates must identify as female.

Last year, there were 11 candidates for the delegate roles, and the year before, only five. At next year’s annual NUS Conference, delegates will elect the national committee and vote on national policy.

Turnout in NUS delegate elections has previously been low: last year, 1,696 students cast votes in the election, representing more than double the turnout of the previous year, but just over 7% of the 23,803 eligible voters.

Voting for these NUS delegate positions, as well as the part-time executive roles, will open next Tuesday, 30th October, at 9am and will close at 5pm on Friday 2nd November.

Alistair Hyde

Alistair is a 3rd year HSPS student, President of the CUSU LGBT+ campaign, Vice President of Downing College JCR, and Co-Chair of CULC. He told Varsity that he wants to be an NUS delegate because, “I see how disengaged people are with the student union system and I really want to change that by actively seeking out students across colleges and faculties”.

His five focus areas are engagement, inequality, mental health, the environment, and anti-marketisation of education, and he hopes to table a motion mandating the NUS to produce material aimed at helping students engage in the national democratic process.

Claire Sosienski Smith

Claire is CUSU’s current women’s officer, and she is running to be an NUS delegate “to ensure that liberation is at the heart of our political organising”. She said, “I want to bring my facilitation skills as Women’s Officer to conference, working with other delegates to ensure that we’re passing meaningful policy that pushes for shifts in attitude towards sexual violence, the role of the university and adequate student welfare."

She has experience in the NUS Women’s Conference and Zones Conference, so “will not be inimidated” by how the NUS works.

Henry Wright

Henry is a second year Computer Scientist who is running to be an NUS delegate to “bring some of the biggest issues facing Cambridge students to the NUS with the outlook of somebody previously uninvolved in student politics.”

His manifesto focuses on five areas: “equality and access; the environment; students in the EU; the mental health crisis and common sense.”

Joe Foye

Joe is a second year Philosophy student at Selwyn, where is Vice-President of his JCR, and describes himself as “one of the most vocal members of CUSU council.”

He told Varsity that he’s running for one of the delegate positions “because the NUS is the opportunity for students to come together and make real change on a national scale.” He aims to make sure, by representing Cambridge students, that “we are driving that change."

Keelan Kellegher

Keelan is a third year History student at King’s and a former president of the Cambridge Marxist Society. If elected as an NUS elected as a delegate, he aims to “work with the other Marxist delegates elected across the country”, with his main aims being to seek the abolition of tuition fees, a vast reduction in rent, an end to the precarious nature of work in universities, and the provision of a living wage to all staff as a minimum. He believes that the NUS should “become actively political” by affiliating to the Labour Party.

Khaled Labidi

Khaled is a second year Philosophy student at Caius and, in his own, words, “a committed activist fighting against this exploitative capitalist system, and for a socialist future.”

He has written for labour4clause4.com, marxiststudent.com and Socialist Appeal, and believes that “our power as students will only be realised if we unite with workers and staff”. He will fight for the NUS to “orientate towards the broader working class movement”.

Lara Parizotto

Lara is a HSPS Student representative, Campaigns Officer for CULC, and representative for Girton in the Living Wage campaign. Her priority in running for NUS Delegate is “to ensure that we make strides towards bold policies that will make our universities truly capable of supporting students.”

She aims to aid movements such as decolonisation, and to encourage universities and Student Unions to provide free sanitary products. She wants to “make sure that NUS officers we elect will be prepared to investigate current policies that are detrimental to students” and to effectively lobby for change.

Matt Kite

Matt is CUSU’s education officer and is running to be an NUS delegate because he believes he has “the experience and knowledge of NUS to make it a campaigning national union that’s fit for purpose”.

His policy priorities are ensuring NUS supports student unions fighting marketisation, ensuring that the learning and working conditions of postgraduate students are taken seriously, and continuing “the great work of NUS’ welfare zone on understanding welfare as a political issue.”

Shadab Ahmed

Shadab is CUSU’s access and funding officer, and is aiming “to bring a unique insight to help shape policy in numerous areas; Higher Education, Welfare and Society and Citizenship”.
He said that his years of experience with access work enable him “understand a whole array of issues that students face”.

He told Varsity “Access is HE Policy. Access is Welfare. Access is Political.” and emphasised, “I aim to best represent Cambridge students as a whole, and be especially vocal for those most marginalised.”

Shannon Bernard Healey

Shannon is a 3rd year Medicine student currently studying Neuroscience, who has previously represented students as part of CUSU’s part-time executive team. He campaigns with activist group Cambridge Defend Education, and has previously served as his Churchill’s LGBT+ officer.

If elected as an NUS delegate, he promises to “represent all Cambridge students and continue to work hard for free and liberated higher education”, with his manifesto focusing on mental health, racism on campus, the corporatisation of education and material conditions and costs for staff and students.

Thais Warren

Thais is a second year History of Art student and activist. She told Varsity, “Our future is hugely at stake”, speaking of graduates employment struggles and the marketisation of higher education, and said “the NUS should not just be a vehicle for careerism and a discount generator”.

If elected as a delegate, she will fight “to make the NUS a true radical union representing, mobilising and fighting for students and workers across the nation on a radical socialist basis”.

Tom Turtle

Tom is a second-year politics and anthropology student at Magdalene and the vice-chair of the Cambridge University Liberal Association. He is running to be a delegate this year “to make the NUS more relevant and effective for students”.

A strong opponent of Brexit, he promises, if elected, to “speak unwaveringly and unashamedly for Europe and fight for the right of every student to achieve their dreams”.