UoM Chair to Step Down at AGM

With the club’s Committee elections a month away now I thought it would be worth letting people know my intentions so members can start to consider what they might be interested in standing for.

I've decided that I will not be re-standing as Co-Chair (UoM) at the AGM next month and therefore will stop being Chair a week after that.

It has been a really difficult decision but I feel that at this point in the year when we have been able to achieve a good level of members and I've been able to ensure that club's finances are in the best position they have been in to date, a new Chair would have all the resources needed to work with the rest of the Committee to have a really successful year.

I won't be standing for any position on the Committee at the AGM and therefore will act as Returning Officer for all the non-Liberation posts. If you would like more information on the elections take a look here: http://www.manchesterlabourstudents.org/elections

Although I’ve only been Chair for 8 months, I’ve been on the Executive Committee for 2 years and in that time I’ve been the club grow hugely not just in size but also in its culture and influence.

Manchester Labour Students is an excellent organisation that I know will go from strength to strength and I’m really excited to see it move to its next generation of leadership.

Please please please please, please come to this, please. Please.

As our lovely blog readers I would take it as a personal favour if those of you that *cough* self identify as women would go to awesome Hannah’s awesome women’s forum event. I’m very sad that I’m not allowed to go. :(

First event of the year for self defining female members is Wednesday 28th October at 16:30 in Bikos cafe University of Manchester SU.

This will be a chance to catch up, discuss key issues for women in the labour party and decide a priority campaign for this year. And make a plan of action for future events that you would like. After will be a chance to go to the riverters which is the womens rights collective at University of Manchester and is open to Man Met students as well.

If you cant make it but would like to get involved in the Womens' Campaign Group there will be many more events, but you may want to go to Manchester Labour Womens' Forum this saturday at 12 at the Co-op Rooms, Barlow Moor Rd with the Withington PPC Lucy Powel.

Why Twitter is Basically Awesome

So this is my first proper post on the Manchester Labour Students Blog. My plan was for it to be insightful, thought providing, witty and clever...screw that, let’s talk about why Twitter is awesome.

I’m not going to tell you what Twitter is: if you don’t know, you can google it. What I do want to tell you is why Twitter might help you want to get involved with Manchester Labour Students. This post is really for you members that haven’t quite made the leap of being active. Twitter can help you want to become an activist; Twitter can help you get to know some of us.

There are five of us on the exec that tweet: Richard, Mel, Jonty, Rob and myself. The other four keep us all updated about what they are up to and what funny or stupid thing just happened around them: I tweet to avoid getting any work done. We all tweet different amounts and about different things but what we all like to do is have a natter. What you won’t ever see is any of us being anything other than genuine and personable.

That’s the fun, personal side of it. Meeting people you know from twitter is always easy: the ice has already been broken. So if you’re unsure if you want to come to one of our campaign days, political debates or even one of our meetings then chat to some of us on twitter and find out for sure.

Generally though, Twitter is starting to make a serious impact politically. Two issues this week, promoted primarily by people tweeting about them, have made national news. So if you didn't know about this and/or this...where have you been?

After following me, Richard, Mel, Jonty and Rob on twitter you've got to follow Kerry McCarthy who is the Labour Party's twitter Tsar (that isn't her official title, but her official one doesn't have alliteration).

Cheers!

Do you have a broken leg?

If you don’t have a broken leg then you should be at campaign training at 13.30 on Sunday. Lucy Powell, our favourite Labour parliamentary candidate for Withington will be there. As will our favourite MMU student union president for 09/10, Rob Boardman. Our favourite co-chairs of Manchester Labour Students will be there... (sorry, I’ll stop doing that now).

But seriously guys, if you can be there please go. It’s so important we get out and campaign this year. Lucy needs all the support we can give her in Withington and it could well make the difference between there being a Labour MP and a Lib Dem MP for that part of Manchester.

The facebook event for the session is here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153698128098

Your best bet is to meet us outside University of Manchester Student Union's Steve Biko building on Oxford Road at 1 and we'll go from there.

Please be there, thanks.

New Publicity Officer and MMU Treasurer

I'd like to be the first to welcome two new members of the Manchester Labour Students Executive Committee.

Ben Furber, who is probably known to most of you as @benfurber, is our new Publicity Officer. As he has already helped out the club with producing some printed materials for Freshers' Week so I know he'll do a great job in this Committee Role.

Luke Pollard is our new MMU Treasurer, Luke was previously MMU Chair so it is great to have him back on the Committee.

Welcome to you both!