Four Gripping Speeches and a Fifteen Minute Voting Window...

What follows is an article written on the second day of the National Union of Students' National Conference. Due to errors made and final year workloads at Keele, it was never published by Concourse. However, though it may not be directly relevant any longer, I'm publishing it here to show the work done under pressure and time restraints whilst covering the Conference, which was not only thoroughly enjoyable, but a fantastic opportunity to experience live political reporting.



 Four Gripping Speeches and a Fifteen Minute Voting Window...

Where are we?

NUS National Conference, voting for the next National President, of course!

On the 2nd day of Conference, the floor heard four speeches, one from each of the Presidential candidates, as their final act before the ballot commenced. The ACC had been awash with campaign materials, such as T-Shirts and enthusiastic supporters, representing each of the candidates, but this was their last opportunity to sway the undecided and cement the votes of the converted.

None of the speeches were surprising. After months of campaigning, and innumerate leaflets and manifestos handed out, most people in the Liverpool ACA knew what was coming. But these speeches still gripped the thousand delegates, and many more observers, on Conference floor.

 Jack Duffin argued fluently that recent changes to the school system has meant that many people who don’t “need” to go to Uni, do so. He also argued for a return to the grammar school system nationwide. Whilst it is well-known that Duffin was running with the backing of UKIP, which has been a source of much debate, this was barely mentioned in his speech.  However, controversy was not entirely skirted by Duffin, and a small number of delegates decided to show their displeasure at his aims and intentions by staging a walk-out during his speech.

Aaron Kiely, the 2013-14 Black Student's Representative on the NEC (National Executive Council), ran on an anti-Austerity, anti-cuts, and anti-Racism platform. He was supported by Labour Students, and this party-political strain to his campaign came across strongly, and he pointed out the many faults he indentified in the Tory-Lib Dem Coalition government. He was a vocal figure throughout Conference, and this did not change during his speech. His voice was often raised, and reached fever-pitch when discussing his call for solidarity with Palestine. This point was supplemented by his wearing of a Keffiyah during his speech.

The third candidate to take the rostrum was Daniel Lemberger-Cooper. He was previously a member of Royal Holloway Union, and has been heavily involved in action on campuses across the capital this year as President of the University of London Union. Again, he ran on an anti-cuts and anti-austerity platform, though through his more militant approach and strong oration, came across as a more realistically radical candidate than any of the others. Cooper was supported by the Green Party. He described himself as a militant Trade Unionist, which seemed to garner cheers and jeers in equal measure.

Finally, the incumbent candidate, Toni Pearce, took the stage. Pearce stood out, not only as the current NUS President, but as the only female-identifying candidate (for this position) in a Conference shaped by the rhetoric of Women in Leadership, for which Pearce is at least partially responsible. Pearce is perhaps the only one of these candidates who could hold a candle to the oration skills of Cooper, and as she had already shown this with her Opening remarks a day earlier, it was no surprise that she earned a standing ovation for her five-minute summary of her year in the role, and promises for the next twelve months. 

After these speeches, which all merited the applause they received, the delegates were instructed to assign the candidates a mark of one to four based on preference (the NUS uses the same voting system, STV, as KeeleSU), on their ballot papers, and file out of the conference hall doors to deposit their papers. The remaining occupants were then instructed to leave, the doors were locked, and a tense fifteen minutes ensued as all the votes were counted.

Once delegates returned, the main business of the conference continued, until the Elections Committee interrupted in order to announce the outcome.

In a landslide victory, Toni Pearce was re-elected as President of the NUS. She beat her nearest competitor Aaron Kiely by 304 votes. Third place was Daniel Cooper, with Jack Duffin coming in last with only 18 votes. RON had 16 votes.