‘Vote for Students’ takes over Twitter

The National Union of Students (NUS) “Vote for Students” campaign became the second highest trending topic in the UK on Twitter on 18 February. The tweeting was a collaborative effort to raise awareness of the campaign across the UK.

Tweets about the campaign addressed the government, such as “Dear MPs and PPCs, if this many people are tweeting about #voteforstudents imagine the impact at the ballot box.” Tweets also ranged to the more humourous, “The moment I wake up, before I put on my make up, I #voteforstudents”.

Parliamentary candidates haven also partaken in the campaign via Twitter, with Liverpool Wavertree PPC Luciana Berger tweeting, “As a former member of @nusuk I will be fighting university fees & listening to students #voteforstudents

www.voteforstudents.co.uk”.

The rise in profile of the campaign on Twitter resulted in several hundred students signing the pledge. NUS Vice President, Susan Nash, said, “Vote for Students becoming a trending topic worldwide shows the difference that students can make when they get together and make something happen. When it comes to election day, MPs and parliamentary candidates should be clear that this movement will not vote for them if they do not sign the pledge and come clean on fees.”

The “Vote for Students” campaign is the first stage of the NUS’ General Election Campaign. With students representing almost 15 per cent of the UK’s voting population, NUS asks students to vote for candidates who are against increasing university fees in the next parliament. NUS hopes that this will pressure the government into finding an alternative and fairer option.

A second year English student said, “This is such a good idea. I think it is important that we students use our vote against increases in fees.”

In some constituencies across the UK, including Warwick and Leamington Spa, students will determine who wins the vote. NUS’ “Vote for Students” website allows the public to see candidates who have signed up to the pledge, which asks MPs not to vote for increases in university fees. Those who sign up to the site will be given up to date information during the election campaign and encourage students to ask their local MPs to sign the pledge.

Andrew Bradley, President of Warwick SU, said: “I totally support ‘Vote for Students’ and am leading the campaign on campus”.

Neither prospective MP for Warwick and Leamington Spa, James Plaskitt nor Chris White, has signed the pledge. Since it is a marginal seat, Bradley believes that the student vote could swing it for either candidate.

He said, “Clearly students have a huge power – one they don’t always realise in shaping the outcome of the election.”

He added “This issue is crucial to the future of our country and the form and make-up of universities”.