Labour Students elections: Rival pro-Starmer and left slates battle for roles

Candidates on rival pro-leadership and more left-wing slates are battling it out for early nominations in elections for Labour Students posts.

“Organise” candidates, backed by moderates’ campaign group Labour to Win, briefly took an early lead ahead of the left-wing “Socialist Future” slate in early nominations for the committee of the party’s student wing.  Organise were also first to unveil their slate of names last year.

But more left-wing candidates have since gained ground, with only six nominations separating the two slates’ contenders for chair.

Organise candidate Ruby Herbert, Leeds Labour Students co-chair, leads Socialist Future candidate Anya Wilkinson 55 to 49 in the race to replace Ben McGowan as Labour Students chair. Wilkinson is presently co-chair of Lancaster University Labour Club.

Socialist Future-backed candidates make up the majority of the current committee, despite the left’s wider retreat under Keir Starmer. If Organise were to win, it could mark a significant shift in the  group’s direction and another win for the party leadership’s transformation of the party.

But a spokesperson for Socialist Future said: “This nominations period will be going on for weeks – as we continue reaching out to more young members with an appetite for a radical Labour Students, we’re confident that number will go up.”

Only “verified student members” can submit nominations. Nominations will be open until noon on February 23rd.

In the race for vice-chair, Socialist Future-backed Zac Fisher leads Organise-backed Lewis Warner leads by 46 nominations to 38, but in the competition to replace Jonathan Heywood as secretary, Organise’s Isabella Waite leads Socialist Futures’s Imara Wright 58 to 38.

Herbert said: “I’m honoured to see so many people have put their trust in me and Organise Labour Students.

“We’ve had a lot of enthusiasm across the country from students who understand the work needed to deliver a Labour government and energise our movement.”

Herbert, Warner and Waite released a joint series of pledges, including subsidising transport costs and more training for campaigning, establishing functioning Labour clubs in all universities, supporting “a better deal” for students and being a “strong voice” for trans rights.

I’m thrilled to be running to be your next Chair of Labour Students.

With a general election approaching, we need an energised and inclusive organisation that can beat the Tories and fight for students’ priorities.

Here’s why I’m running👇 pic.twitter.com/DhYfDwQiOp

— Ruby Herbert (@r_herbert4) January 3, 2024

I’m kicking off the new year by submitting my Labour Students nominations 🌹

You can nominate myself and the rest of the amazing @socialist_yl candidates here: https://t.co/cI16IJsDmS

I’m standing to be chair of National Labour Students, and my membership number is L3086765 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/xN9DMRUK8R

— Anya 🌹 (@anyawilkinson04) January 2, 2024

One thorny issue for those elected to leadership positions may be the student wing’s position on tuition fees if Labour gives further details if its plans, which has been the subject of controversy under the current committee after Labour abandoned plans to scrap fees.

Also currently ongoing are elections for leadership roles within the party’s youth wing, Young Labour. As in the student wing, Organise and Socialist Future have fielded competing slates.