"Tell me Ruth, who should I vote for then?"

Ruth doesn't know who'll win, do you?

“Who should I vote for?”

The honest answer? I don’t know.

This is the third election, and fourth President I’ll see. And I never thought I’d say this, but Mad Capt Tom summed it up perfectly, no matter which candidate gets it, this Union, and this University will carry on, maybe in a different way, but it won’t suddenly collapse.

It’s an even odder position when it’s your friends running for a position, when I told one of them I would choose who to vote for after seeing policies, they scoffed and said: “no-one really looks at policies.” The comments on The Yorker have shown that actually, people do.

It’s an interesting set of candidates this year, as for once it is the not the YUSU old guard running for positions. There’s only one ex-College Chair, a handful of Officers, and no Internal Affiliate Chairs running for positions, something of an unprecented move, as it’s these people who have been involved in it for their Uni-lives (and sweeping statement coming up) know the last year of YUSU the best (with the exception of Sabbs). These are after all the group who have spent at least every alternate Wednesday in a stuffy room, debating everything from Black cards to Ethical Merchandise, and heard things said in the context that they intended before being twisted by certain members of the campus media.

I do, genuinely think that each Candidate would offer something different to the role. There were certain candidates at Hustings who took themselves out of the running, either due to a lack of knowledge about what their role entails, or an inability to speak in front of a room of people – which, whilst being nerve-wracking, you have to be able to speak in front of Uni officials, committees and your electorate.

Lots has been made of Nadz’ involvement in The Yorker, I would like to state once more, for the record, that this is not, and has never been, one of an editorial nature. Whether you love it or loathe it, that lies with the Journalists, not the Directors.

I also think that it is not the only basis of his Media policy. He has been on YUSU for long enough to be, and see, himself and his fellow Officers (and friends) mis-quoted, quoted when they were off-the-record (or pissed) or seen hard work negatively commented on during a slow-news week. As the Presidential candidate I know the best, he’s a lovely guy and someone who I think would do a good job as a trustee of our Union, but it’s hard to be objective about a friend.

At the same time, and someone who I also believe cares about students, Laura Payne is a fantastically passionate speaker, and would work well within the YUSU office. However, as someone who has spent the same amount of time on YUSU, granted, in much lesser role, I would not feel capable of running a Union, but hey, that’s just me.

Laura has been involved in several high-profile and successful campaigns, but I don’t know if this is necessarily the be all and end all of Union politics. She definitely shows the passion and the drive, but questions remain about experience.

Both Payne and Kunwar have said they wish to get rid of the “YUSU Clique.” This is something that I feel is somewhat inevitable to occur. Granted, you will invariably see the Sabbs and non-Sabbs on a night out together, but you will also see members of a society on a night out together, for that is what they are.

Imagine staying at York for a fourth year once all your housemates and friends have left, who would you socialise with? Would it be the people you work with? Would it be the people you are in a society with? Yes, it would, and that’s YUSU for you. Although I do agree, it does make them look like an unapproachable bunch, and that’s from someone who would has been there with them in Toffs or Gallery. But who did you last go to a club with, your workmates/friends? Point made. Can this really be overturned?

How is any comment on candidates complete without our pirate friend. I read Tom’s policies before they were publicised – and I had to laugh, there was not a serious one in there (any election material mentioning cutlasses or cannons has to be taken with a pince of salt) but if our local friendly pirate has done anything in running, it has been to show that you do not have to have a anal knowledge of YUSU politics to know what irritates, and grinds on York students.

When in Journalist mode, you tend to miss getting swept up in the moment as you’re busy scribbling or typing, but on Thursday I threw down my Bic, and joined in the applause after Tom showed his passion and anger as a member of a society who felt badly done to. The biggest applause of the night was to his emotional speech and was reacted to by anyone who had been involved in any society.

So, ask me who I think will win, and I will answer in the same way, and contrary to public opinion about journalists, I will not be lying or trying to get an answer out of you.

I genuinely do not know.

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