Update: Leander Jones did deny corruption in an interview with Redbrick newspaper. In the four minute interview he admits that the Facebook thread "looked very dodgy", but states that Hattie's comments were "misconstrued". He added "also I don't think it's a major issue considering there's been loads of people doing the same thing" (with regards to collecting proxies that vote a specific way). Last night's meeting was adjourned due to concerns raised. You can listen to the full interview here.
Update 2: Leander Jones is to make a formal statement and answer questions at this evening's Guild Council (Thursday 31st December; 6pm). This will be live streamed. I'll update with any new information.
2a: Leander did not in fact make that statement; the end of the guild council meeting was devoted instead to reprimanding Vice President (Housing and Community) James Robertson.
Update 3: I've since spoken to Antonia and can confirm that she did indeed hand in a proxy vote for another student that voted 'no' on a resolution.
This is a screen capture that's been circulated amongst students at the University of Birmingham for the best part of six hours now, it's been shared with over 800 people and gathered almost 200 comments on the University's unofficial Facebook 'Spotted' page. Both of those numbers are rising precipitously. It will probably not be a surprise to learn that the vast majority of those comments are rather critical.Student politics often manages to seem so trivial to those not directly involved so it would be remiss of me to assume that anyone reading this blog post has the slightest clue what's going on in this picture. The people in this conversation hold positions of power in the University of Birmingham's Guild of Students (the student union of the university). Leander Jones holds, ironically enough, the station of 'Vice President (Democracy and Resources); Hattie Craig, a 'Women's Guild Councillor'; Rupert Holland, one of two candidates for the role of 'Language and Culture, Art History and Music Councillor' (perhaps the longest job descriptor in student politics). And together this convivial meeting of minds shows them planning to rig a vote held on the evening of Monday 28th January, at the Guild's 2013 General Meeting by use of the Proxy Vote system.
Leander Jones hints "they will check the name and the student number - not the signature", in case Rupert Holland has missed the instruction he reminds him two posts later "they will check id numbers btw - so if they're wrong the forms wont work".
Leander Jones, Vice President of Democracy, is instructing a co-conspirator to falsify votes by forging the signatures of existing students at the university.
If I were still a student at Birmingham I would be very very angry.
Elsewhere those who aren't stealing votes are suggesting withholding votes that they disagree with. Antonia has been given two proxy ballots in which the students signing them have voted no on 'Special Resolution 2', she seeks clarification on whether she should hand these votes in to be counted or supress them. Hattie Craig, Women's Guild Councillor, helps her out, "Don't hand in the forms where they voted against."
Antonia still appears to have moral qualms and a bit after midnight took to Facebook to defend herself:
"I did hand in 'against' votes and I did question in the photo and say that it is wrong not to if you are appointed to. People who appointed me as their proxy actually turned up to check and can vouch for me on that."
I haven't yet been able to confirm the truth of that statement.
The issues voted on are:
Special Resolution 1 - 'Inclusion of a requirement to hold a general meeting once a year'
Special Resolution 2 - 'A Change to the percentage of students required to hold a general meeting'
Special Resolution 3 - ' Changes to the composition of the board of Trustees'
Special Resolution 4 - 'Removal of the position of University Trustee'
Special Resolution 5 - ' Change to the procedure for electing Student Trustees'
Special Resolution 6 - 'Administrative Amendments to Governing Documents
'
This proposed set of resolutions forms part of a package for electoral reform known as Reclaim the Guild. The propsals are significant and would constitute a legally binding change to the Guild's constitution something that Daniel Lindley helpfully points out. All of those involved in the conversation are members of the 'Reclaim the Guild' group and together they are tirelessly campaigning to make the Guild of Students more democratic; evidently the irony is not lost on them.
For anyone from UoB who wonders where they've heard the name Daniel Lindley before he was one of the two students arrested along with the then 'Vice President (Education)', Edd Bauer, for reckless endangerment and violation of 23a of the Road Traffic Act in 2012 following their protest outside the Lib Dem conference in which an anti-cuts banner they had hung from a bridge fell into the road - endangering the lives of motorists in a busy section of central Birmingham. (Birmingham Mail)
The charges were eventually dropped but Edd Bauer spent ten days in prison and was suspended from his post in the Guild and position at the university. Later last year Bauer was arrested for a different incident and found guilty of a public order offense. Daniel Lindley was released on bail after three days and remains at the university fighting against cuts, tuition fee rises and for further transparency and democracy in the Guild of Students.
Edited to add: Hattie Craig is not only Women's Guild Councillor but is also an NUS delegate who will be representing the university at this year's NUS conference.
