Thursday 22-03-2018 - 12:01

NUS Conference 2018 will take place on 27-29 March, and Durham SU is sending five delegates to help influence national policy on your behalf. We spoke to our delegates to find out more about their priorities. Here we have George Walker.

Why did you run to be an NUS Delegate?

I ran to be an NUS Delegate because I wanted to make sure that our National Union is standing up for Durham students on the issues that most affect them, and is leading the fight for a vibrant and inclusive Higher Education system nationally. I also wanted to be able to hold our National Officers to account, to ensure that they are delivering in the best interests of students in Durham and across the country, and fulfilling the promises they have made to students. Finally, I wanted the chance to be able to push NUS to reform, making our Union more democratic and rooting out the discrimination that has driven students away from NUS in recent years.

What issues would you like to see NUS tackle?

One of the main issues I would like to see NUS address is the housing crisis that is being faced by students across the country. In Durham and in other University towns and cities, rip-off landlords are taking advantage of students by charging sky-high rents for poor quality housing and a substandard service. I would like our national union to provide resources to Students’ Unions to help us campaign at a local level for better quality housing and work with local authorities to take on rogue landlords. That is why I’m taking policy to conference calling on the NUS to support SUs in creating Tenants’ Unions, as we have already done in Durham, allowing students to fight collectively for quality, affordable housing.

What are you most looking forward to at the NUS Conference 2018?

I’m looking forward to chance to be able to meet other delegates from across the country in order to network and socialise with them, as well as working together for a strong national union that helps to drive positive change on our campuses.