BREAKING: Louis Gosling re-elected as Warwick SU VP Sports over two months after first election

Louis Gosling has been re-elected as the Students’ Union (SU) Vice President for Sports for a second time, bringing an end to one of the most unpredictable and unexpected Warwick SU election years.

The result was announced on the SU’s Instagram page, after the polls – for what turned out to be a hotly-contested six-way election – closed at midday today (30 May).

Gosling won the election with 513 votes in what was a landslide victory, despite a low turnout. Second-place candidate Nazrana Meghji trailed the incumbent VP Sports by 322 votes, with 191 votes cast.

The announcement sees the position of VP Sports finally filled, after students voted to re-open nominations for the position during the Spring Elections. This marked the first time that a Full-Time Officer election resulted in a re-opening of nominations.

Gosling, the now-successful VP Sports candidate, originally ran for the position of SU President in the Spring Elections, however he eventually lost out on the position to Alijah Taha.

Following the 70-day delay in announcing the results, owing to a complaint made against one of the candidates, The Boar reported two weeks ago that Gosling lost out on the Presidential position by a margin of less than 100 votes to Taha.

It’s still sinking in, but it means a hell of a lot. I love sport at this university so so much, it’s done so much for me both as a student and, last year, as VP Sports

Louis Gosling, Warwick SU VP Sports

However, following Ollie Seal’s unsuccessful campaign for the position in the Spring Elections, the vote for VP Sports was reopened this week as part of the SU Summer Elections, with Gosling re-contesting the position that he has held since August.

Speaking to The Boar following his victory, Gosling said: “It’s still sinking in, but it means a hell of a lot. I love sport at this university so so much, it’s done so much for me both as a student and, last year, as VP Sports. I can’t wait to get into another year.”

He continued: “Thank you to everyone who supported me but also to all the execs, all the students that I worked with last year. My life has been made so much easier by having such talented, hard-working students in our sports environment. We couldn’t do it without them.”

Concluding on a typically sporting note, Gosling added: “Up Team Warwick, forever and always.”

With the VP Sports position now filled, the SU Full-Time Officer for the next academic year is now complete. The newly-elected position holders […] will take up their new positions in August

Earlier in the campaign week, Gosling emphasised in an interview with The Boar his desire to continue on the foundations he has laid as VP Sports over the past year, as well as expanding opportunities for student sport on campus. He added then that “if anyone seriously questions my commitment or love for sport, and in particular student sport at Warwick, they would be the first to do so.”

Gosling’s election was not the only result confirmed today. Election results to SU Forum positions and Faculty Representatives were also confirmed, with the results shared on the SU website.

With the VP Sports position now filled, the SU Full-Time Officer for the next academic year is now complete. The newly-elected position holders – those who were elected in March, along with Taha as President and Gosling as VP Sports – will take up their new positions in August.