Josh Muirhead has boldly stated that he wants to be a National Union of Students (NUS) delegate for Stirling, because “I’ve done it before. I’ve been the NUS delegate for the last two years.”
He spoke about wanting to help people navigate the “toxic” nature of NUS and help them develop the conference further.
When asked what makes him a good candidate for NUS delegate, Josh replies, “I work with the NUS on an almost daily basis with the union.
“I’m also quite strong on the motion I want to put forward to the NUS in terms of buses,” he adds.
However, despite his two years of experience, Josh admits his first year was a “write off.”
When discussing a previous motion put forward by the Stirling Union, he said: “Everyone wants free travel, but we’d rather something that is the very early stages of getting a fair deal for students. But that’s the thing, you’ve got to work your way to it.”
Josh feels that his experience is key in such a “volatile” environment because, “the problem with NUS is, it’s almost who you know.”
“It’s about reflecting your union’s views, and keeping to the thought’s of what your union believes.”
Josh feels that his campaign opponents are more than capable of filling the role, but argues he is a stronger first choice.
Though already VP Communities, Josh feels that he will be able handle all the responsibility, stating that if successful in his campaign for NUS delegate, that only a few days each year are necessary. His duties as VP Communities would be “starting to tie up” around the time of the NUS conferences, Josh argues.
Following the concerns from a number of students, I asked: “What would you say to people who have said that you wanted to stop the NUS elections happening in the first place?”
After a pause, he admitted: “We basically misunderstood the Union’s constitution.
“It was a numbers factor,” he continued, citing that the Union did not want to detract from the importance of the election for Union President. He blames the works around university in part, for the confusion.
“At the end of the day,” Josh concludes, “we admitted we were wrong.”
Featured Image Credit: Josh Muirhead
Brig Secretary 2019-2020. Studying Politics BA(Hons).
