New bureaucracy threat to Union Exec

A newly established administrative body, the Warwick Trustees, is hoped to become functional in the upcoming February.

The board of non-democratically elected Trustees will work as an organisation to direct long run Students’ Union directions and safeguard Union expenses in the long term.

The Board will also be equipped with power to veto any Union policies based on long term financial grounds.

The Trustees will be composed of the existing seven Sabbatical Officers, who will composite no more than 50 percent of the Trustees (yet still being a significant portion of the body). The rest of the Trustee members will be four to six students plus three to five outsiders who will serve to provide “experience and expertise” to the Board.

_The Boar_ has spoken to the Students’ Union Governance & Finance Officer Andy Glyde and a Union insider who would like to remain anonymous due to conflicting interest between the person’s position and belief.

Our insider explained democratic elections do not necessary embody the “national will” of students, though direct appointment, in this case direct selection by the Union Council, might equally create an equal basket of incompetent “chumps” under democratic elections.

In relation to potential power rivalry, Glyde seems to be confident about the outcome of the Trustees who may have overlapping duties with his very own Finance Office.

He stressed that the Union and the Trustees are one entity that they are “one and the same”.

Glyde believes that the power of veto will only be used in the “most extreme circumstances.”

Our source also noted, “Basically anything that has to do with boycotting big companies like Coke is not going to happen, because it is going to be financially infeasible.”

The insider also believes that the Trustees will bring through “radical reforms” and will possibly “change the phase of the Union”.

For those worried that the Board may provide an additional channel for the University administration to block controversial legislatures, the insider explained that larger bodies like the government and the University have already got sufficient power to supersede Union policies. Therefore there are no worries that the Trustees will be used as a tool to “crush the will of the student population.”

In fact, the sudden establishment of this body is probably partly driven by a tax avoidance incentive. Following the 2006 Charity Act, all Students’ Unions in the UK are given a opportunity to become a registered charity and potentially pay less tax. One of the criteria to become such charity is having a functioning Board of Trustees.

The Boar’s source held no sceptical views upon the potential tax avoidance and noted that all money saved could be used to facilitate other needed aspects of the university, such as providing more frequent bus services.

Glyde concluded the interview by further praising the creation of the Trustees as being in time with the reconstruction of the Union Sout-allowing the Union to continue its “amazing work” for the years to come.