Charley Weldrick is running to be Union Affairs Officer, here are his views on how we can deal with the current threats to our student life.

Considering the current state of Britain, and at the world at large, it is high time the student population made their presence known and started agitating to change society. With me as your Union Affairs officer, you’ll get exactly that. There are three major issues that we, as one of the biggest student union’s in the country, need to fight for. We need to make sure that our university leads by example and does all it can to help the refugee crisis, we need to make we have a Brexit that works for students and we need to fight the Teaching Excellence Framework, a policy that is already increasing our tuition fees.

There are a few ways I’m going to do this. We have 34,000 students, and there are countless more people in the wider community of Beckett, Trinity as well as those in Leeds who do not attend a university. As it currently stands there is a lot of anger and passion in this university, and the wider city, which we need to capitalise on. I am going to provide a much needed sense of direction, making sure our every effort is as useful as it can be. I’m going to lead Leeds to the forefront of change.

This is about more than just me, though. In addition to providing leadership I’m going to facilitate the creation of a new generation of leaders. I will ensure there is free transport to London for every major national demonstration, because protest should not be an option only for those who can afford it.

Additionally, I recognise that change is about more than just protest and conventional movements. That is why I’m going to facilitate socialising and community cohesion by drawing on the local music scene to put on free weekly gigs at the union, and combat cuts to grants with cheaper drinks.

If you want to get involved, I’ll make sure that you can. Whether you want to make music, start organising gigs yourself, learn how to put together a protest or get involved in the wider community I’m going to make use of Leed’s incredible network of contacts and hold workshops on all of those skills and more.

Vote Weldrick for Union Affairs. I’ll entertain you, empower you and engage everyone. That’s why you need me Leading Leeds.

Charley Weldrick, running for Union Affairs Officer.

(Image courtesy of Leeds Socialist Students)