Yikkkkkkkkkkkkkies

Where on earth do I begin with NUS? A federation that is in a 3 million pound deficit? Most of it coming from cost of sales, with a failed NUS card and NUS deals app. However rather than cutting or reducing its commercial services NUS has moved the costs onto some of the most vulnerable students by deciding to cut women's representatives across the UK as well as cutting representation and resources for trans and international students.  This is disgusting considering society's rising levels of misogyny, transphobia, xenophobia and racism, NUS should not be cutting international students’ representation, even more so when the British Government is carrying out Brexit. Trans students have been fighting for decades to have their own NUS campaign, but NUS is proposing to cut this just after the decision was democratically decided only a couple of years ago. Women’s’ representatives across the UK have allowed us to make strides in getting women to apply to stem courses and lowering gender based violence on campuses. 

If I get elected to go to conference, I'll work to prevent cuts to liberation (LGBT+, Trans Women, Black and Disabled Students) and international students and support a motion of no confidence in the NUS President who signed off on a 3 million pound deficit. I will also support policies backing free education, giving students more control over NUS and their own education and backing policies helping working class, international and liberation students. 

My past record in student activism includes campaigning to increase financial student support in the summer, improving the wifi at UWS, democratising education, fighting against international tuition fees, keeping UWS in Hamilton and more. Outside of student activism I spend most of my time campaigning for trans and sex workers rights.

My current work at SAUWS this academic year is developing and advocating for union policies around the National Student Survey, giving students a bigger voice over their education, working to increase the funds to help with the upkeep of classrooms and protecting liberation students' funding. You can have a look at them here: https://www.sauws.org.uk/representation/sauwsstudentsvoice/

I would grateful to have you 1st or 2nd preference vote, having the chance to represent UWS students for one last time would mean the world to me and if you have any questions or points feel free to get me on twitter @pickle_bee.

With love and solidarity 

Beth Douglas