Hannah Ponting, Liverpool student president candidate
The upcoming student union elections provide a unique platform for socialist ideas. I am very proud to be standing as the socialist candidate at the University of Liverpool, on an anti-cuts, anti-war platform.
Labour’s recent tuition fee hike has made financing university life even harder for students. Our campaign is building the fightback against these increases, and raising the idea that university education should be free for all.
Our campaign is fighting the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, expanding the University of Liverpool’s night bus, and saying the university should open its finance books to students and staff. This is particularly important considering uni job cuts across the country, and Liverpool uni’s ‘voluntary redundancy’ scheme.
These policies were decided collaboratively by a group of young socialists on campus. We believed it was important to choose policies which are nationally relevant, such as building the fightback against tuition fees under a Labour government, as well as policies specific to Liverpool uni, such as expanding the night bus to ensure students have safe and reliable transport home, as well as reinstating the university food pantry, and making access to it much easier.
After the campaign’s programme was chosen, we selected our candidate. I am very proud to be that candidate, and to have the opportunity and platform to speak publicly about the issues facing young people today, and raise socialist solutions to these issues.
I have already had the opportunity to speak alongside other candidates at society meetings, as well as being given an amplified social media voice, due to my candidacy. I look forward to further campaign activity to spread these ideas further.
I would encourage other young socialists to stand in their student elections. They provide a brilliant opportunity to spread our ideas on campus.
