A group of York students has won the opportunity to have their very own I-phone application developed after winning The App Challenge final, held at the Ron Cooke Hub on Wednesday, January 18.
YUSU Welfare officer Bob Hughes has warned students to be vigilant after a student loans phishing scam has been revealed.
Her Majesty the Queen will be visiting York on Maundy Thursday, 5th April, as part of the 800th anniversary of York’s Charter for the traditional “Royal Maundy” ceremony.
A flood caused by a heating system “failure” forced the university IT services to shut down many essential systems on Sunday night, causing problems for many students on the eve of their exams and assignment due-dates.
A Democracy Working Group was also put together after the GSA's past two elections had their results annulled or candidates disqualified. This group has decided on a new set of regulations to be imposed for the upcoming by-elections.
In a statement the GSA have said: "We believe the changes made to our Electoral Regulations will fundamentally improve the manner in which GSA elections are conducted, and look forward to engaging the GSA membership better than ever before over the coming weeks and months."
However, the two previously disqualified candidates, Luke Martin and Rui Huang, have shown some concerns with the new rules.
Martin said he was considering running again and added: "I feel that I was disqualified on insufficient evidence and was given no chance to defend myself against the accusations made against me."
Regarding the new rules he said: "I am strongly against them." When told current committee members who voted for the new rules would be running he added: "It is disheartening but not surprising that they would prevent popular candidates from the previous election running again."
However, acting GSA President Daniel Carr said: "Luke Martin was given the opportunity to make a statement to the GSA Executive Committee, in the presence of the Returning Officer, when the evidence of his violating the Rules and Regulations for Campaigning was presented."
He added: "Their disqualification from this by-election follows because it is a continuation of the previous election in which they were disqualified for clear breaches of the Rules and Regulations for Campaigning.
The [GSA] Trustees sought the advice of the Electoral Commission on whether disqualified candidates should be allowed to run in subsequent by-elections. This organisation is the most senior advisory body on elections in the UK."
It is worth noting that both Rui and Luke will be able to stand in the next electoral cycle (begins in May for sab positions). It is also worth noting that this decision was taken after serious debate and only after seeking advice from the Electoral Commission.
Both Luke and Rui have every right to feel disgruntled - had the rules and regs followed left any wiggle room I am sure neither would have been disqualified. Unfortunately the rather poorly written rules bound the Returning Officer's hands; I am delighted to say this is no longer the case.
It is also worth remembering that contrary to the implications of the rather poorly written Vision article, had disqualification not been the chosen route of the Returning Officer, Rui Huang, not Luke Martin, would have won the elections.
The first paragraph of this story is incorrect and misleading.
The new electoral regulations have no impact on the decision of whether Luke or Rui can stand in this by-election. This decision is based purely on the fact that by-elections are continuations of previous elections (as was confirmed by the electoral commission), and therefore someone disqualified in the latter remains disqualified for the former.
As Anon (12.02) points out, this does *not* bar them for standing in the new elections for the sabbatical positions that take office in October next academic year (but for which elections take place next term).
Please correct this ASAP.
Tom Flynn
GSA Treasurer and Deputy Returning Officer
'When told current committee members who voted for the new rules would be running he added: "It is disheartening but not surprising that they would prevent popular candidates from the previous election running again."'
I fear this comment is directed against me, in light of recent speculation that I intend to run for the position of President. Because of this, there are a few things to stress.
1. I did not vote either for or against the proposal that Luke Martin and Rui Huang be barred from the upcoming election. Nor did I express an opinion on this. As Chair of the meeting at which this was discussed I was unable to speak or vote, either for or against any proposal. This needs to be made absolutely clear.
2. The new Rules and Regulations for Campaigning, and the new Electoral Regulations, were drafted by the Democracy Working Group. However they did not recommend the disqualifications of Luke and Rui for the upcoming election. That was an entirely separate issue, and the decision was taken by the GSA Trustees. This decision was crucially informed by the Electoral Commission’s advice that a by-election is a continuation of the previous election, and therefore that candidates disqualified in an election where RON becomes the winner should not be allowed to run in the subsequent by-election.
3. The GSA Executive Committee did not make the decision to disqualify either Luke Martin or Rui Huang from the previous election, though their conduct was discussed during a meeting of the Executive Committee. The decision to disqualify both candidates was made by Returning Officer Matt Beacham, and given written support by then University Registrar Sally Neocosmos.
4. The course of action taken by the GSA Trustees, barring Luke Martin and Rui Huang from the coming by-election, but not from any future GSA elections, was also discussed extensively with the new University Registrar, Dr. David Duncan. It has his full support, and the GSA’s actions on this matter are fully compliant with all recommendations he has made to us.
5. The Democracy Working Group was not founded after the disqualification of Luke Martin. It was actually founded at an Executive Committee meeting chaired by Luke Martin, at which the goals of the group, and its membership, were decided.
I fear many of the relevant issues here are being fundamentally misunderstood or deliberately misrepresented (though not by The Yorker), and feel it is important to be absolutely clear on these points.
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