Handbags and Windbags

As the UCLU and ULU election races hot up a series of extraordinary allegations have been made by those supporting President Michael Chessum and Vice President Dan Cooper, and opposing ULU Vice-Presidential Candidate Will Hall.

A “ULU Liberation Statement”, published yesterday and co-signed by a number of UCL students including Women’s Officer Beth Sutton, accuses Hall of “disgusting behaviour”.

The statement alleges that Hall has “a problem with the idea of having women’s officers” and slams him for not condemning UCLU Tory Soc’s behaviour.

The statement alleges that Hall was a member of Tory Soc at the time that a fellow member wrote an article in which he agreed with Enoch Powell’s “rivers of blood speech” on immigration.

It further condemns what it alleges is “sexist bile” and racism which has come out of the society in the past, quoting two Cheese Grater articles which alleged that a prominent Tory member “blacked up” for an election photo and complained about not being able to make “racist jokes” on a trip abroad.

Hall hit back at the Liberation Statement with a statement of his own, calling it “an attack piece” and accusing those who wrote the piece of “bullying” him and other students.

He stated that the allegations of racism directed at him and Tory Soc were the result of “badly researched” articles by Cheese Greater and that the “bare faced lies” being directed at him were emanating “straight from Michael and Dan themselves”

In a heated response Hall alleged that a first year student had been sent “a series of private messages bullying her out of even considering voting” for him and called on Chessum and VP candidate Dan Cooper, of “Poppygate” infamy, to condemn these actions.

Hall stated that “this is a thuggish way to try and win an election” and blamed such controversies for the low turnout which has plagued past votes.

The Chessum-Hall controversy isn’t the only war of words that has sprung up surrounding elections. The “Kirk Sneade for Women’s Officer Campaign” has led to a series of allegations of sexism and misogyny, with External Affairs and Campaigns Officer candidate Hannah Webb stating last night that she called someone at ULU hustings “a sexist prick” ten times.

Sneade has apparently been removed from the ballot after his manifesto disappeared from the official list of candidates. He told The Tab, “I’m currently awaiting confirmation of whether I shall be allowed to run or not” with a decision due on Friday.”

Whether or not he makes it onto the ballot there will be further controversy in an election fortnight which is already proving one of the most controversial in recent memory.