Plain Text:

Priorities:

• More affordable student life

  • Cost of living 

  • Sort the buses 

  • Convenient campus

• Overhaul SU Democracy

  • Bring back ASV 

  • Better communication 

  • Modernisation

• A safe, ethical and green campus

  • Ethical partnerships 

  • Student campaigns 

  • Wellbeing

Hi! I’m James (he/they), a final year PAIS student, massive Coventry City fan, and a bit of a Drum n’ Bass enthusiast.

We all know that the SU isn’t working for students: from ever-increasing prices, to a complete disregard for student voices, it's time for things to change.

I’m running because I believe in a different kind of SU - one that puts power in student hands and achieves real change.

Experience

• SU Environment and Ethics Officer 23/24

  • Worked with estates for vape recycling boxes

  • Better labelled, cheaper veggie food in SU outlets

  • Campaigned to get all SU staff paid the real living wage

• SU Steering Group Chair:

  • Wrote the second motion on Angels in POP!

  • Re-established Postgraduate Forum

  • Worked to simplify SU regulations

• PAIS Course Rep 23/24, 24/25:

  • Successfully defended self-certifications from attempts to remove them

  • Achieved more flexibility and module choice 

• Also:

  • Proposer on the petition to Parliament to prevent bus fare increases

  • Warwick Esports Exec 22/23 and 23/24

  • NUS Delegate 2024

Policies:

• More affordable student life, with proper bus services

  • Address the cost of living

    • Work to have more affordable eating options on campus - in the SU’s outlets, as well as lobbying the university to cut prices in Rootes, especially for essentials.

    • We all deserve to be paid fairly - whether you work in the SU or for Unitemps. I’ll continue campaigning for all SU staff to be paid the National Living Wage, and lobby the uni to pay fairly. I’ll also push for greater unionisation in the SU, to protect staff working conditions.

    • Your rent is just too damn high - especially on campus, with prices increasing by over 20% in 3 years, well above inflation. The SU should take a firm, public stance against these increases.

  • Let's sort the buses

    • Ban Stagecoach from advertising in the SU until they get round the negotiating table with the Officer team.

    • We’ll lobby for the ability to spread the costs of the pass, better consistency of buses, especially at peak times, and freezing the price of the student pass after the government lifted the cap.

    • We have a unique opportunity to sort the buses with the new franchising system in the West Midlands - let’s take it.

  • Convenient Campus

    • I’ll work to make sure the SU opens at weekends - meaning more study space, and access to soc storage.

    • The SU App is in dire need of an upgrade. With one consistent points card across all outlets, students can save money. Additionally, we should be able to do ticket transfers on the app, and easily see the latest deals and specials.

    • Improve access to lockers on campus, whether for sports kit, bike helmets/kit or just stuff before a night out.

• Overhaul SU Democracy to give power to students

  • Bring back All Student Vote (ASV)

    • The SU cancelled both ASVs so far this year, by blocking motions submitted by students, regarding almost anything, including Angels in POP!, Postgraduate Forum, and improving Community Safety.

    • I will totally reshape how the motions system works:

      • Easy to understand and submit motions, free of jargon

      • An accountable process, so proposers can easily track the success of their motion

      • A clear and obvious roadmap of how motions progress through the SU

    • I will work to make sure motions are not blocked by staff or the SU Board - you deserve to have your voice heard

  • Better Communication

    • SU Democracy is mostly done behind closed doors, with a huge lack of transparency; the website is constantly out of date, most meetings are private

    • As your VPDD, I will ensure that the website is up to date and accurate, meeting minutes are uploaded, and that getting involved in the SU is straightforward

    • It should be easy to nominate as a candidate, whether for SSLC, Forums, or as an Officer - I will simplify the nomination process, and make all information available well in advance

  • Modernising our Democracy

    • Our Part-Time Officers do hundreds of hours a work a year - all unpaid. Warwick should be in line with other SUs in paying their Part-Time Officers.

    • The SU app is barely functional and even less used - lets start by enabling students to vote on it, as well as accessing discounts (as above!)

    • Continue my work on improving Postgraduate representation, as well as getting more underrepresented students such as International and Medical School students involved in the SU’s democratic structures

• A safe, ethical and green campus

  • Divest from unethical companies

    • Continue the current VPDDs work on a Sustainable and Ethical procurement policy for the SU, and make sure it is implemented thoroughly.

    • Expand this into partnerships too, to avoid promoting companies involved in the arms trade or upholding climate collapse.

  • Support student-led campaigns

    • Easier access to campaigns funding - the SU has loads of money that goes largely unspent for student campaigns. With proper advertising and a simpler process, students can crack on with achieving real change.

    • I won’t shy away from standing up for student interests: from the cost-of-living, for student voices in the SU, and for student campaigns more generally - you deserve to have your voices heard.

    • I’ll continue the work of past Presidents and VPDDs regarding demilitarisation, holding the University to account over their commitments made this year.

  • A Safer Campus

    • Lobby Coventry City Council to turn the streetlights back on in Canley and Earlsdon after midnight, to make walking home after a night out safer.

    • Work with the university for adequate 24/7 mental health support, and to reform their crisis response, with trained mental health staff, not Community Safety.

Voting closes at 5pm on Friday - make sure you and your friends Vote Varney for VPDD!

To find out more or ask any questions - check out my Instagram @votevarney4vpdd