The Sheffield Communists made a splash last month by intervening in the University of Sheffield Students’ Union (SU) elections.
For years, these elections have been an apolitical farce, rightly met with disdain and disgust by most. We set out to tap into this mood – along with the broader political anger – by running on a bold communist programme.
Books not bombs
The higher education sector is making over £238 million in cuts due to the crisis of capitalism. In Sheffield alone, more than 800 admin staff are threatened with redundancy.
Simultaneously, students are being ripped off at every turn: generally treated as little more than cash cows.
Yet there remains a staggering gap between this reality and the response of SUs. SU officer roles are little more than stepping stones for those looking to pad their CVs and worm their way into Westminster.
In Sheffield, after months of pressure the SU quietly convened an “emergency general assembly”. Their answer to the cuts: sign a petition and email your MP!
40 out of 30,000 students attended this ‘general’ assembly. Of those, none wanted to come back. And even with free donuts as a bribe, only 19 percent of students voted in this year’s elections.
Down with the careerists!
Our comrades gave speeches in lectures calling out the farce of the elections, the real problems facing students, and the need for a fighting SU. Whatever obstacles were put up in our way, we smashed through them, to the approval of our audience.
One comrade was physically blocked mid-speech and shouted at to “get out” by an engineering professor after calling for arms companies to be kicked off campus. So much for free speech on campus!
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We attempted to debate the other candidates, questioning their policies and challenging them to oppose the cuts – unfortunately, they all scurried away.
The incumbent candidate – pressed about the university’s deals with arms companies complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza – responded: “I don’t want to have this conversation.” No surprise there. It’s been a year, and all she’s done is hold backroom meetings with the bosses over tea and biscuits!
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Midway through the election, Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza. While other candidates stood quietly on the sidelines, our comrade gave a bold speech in the middle of campus denouncing the university’s complicity.
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Everyone who spoke with us shared our disgust and supported our platform. But few believed student politics could offer a way forward.
Meanwhile, the careerist candidates clung to identity-based jabs at our comrades on social media. Beyond their cliques of supporters, they banked on apathy.
We went from a standing start to around ten percent of the vote – 360 first round votes came in for our comrade! Moreover, a dozen people are now interested in joining the RCP.
Our small size limits how much of the growing anger we can tap into. Still, the glowing response our campaign received from otherwise disengaged students should serve as a warning to those careerists who’ve made themselves comfortable: if you won’t fight, then students will find leaders who will!
