OUSU Result
Will Straw is to be the new OUSU President, after a resounding victory in the election last week.
Straw, who takes up his post in June next year, was JCR president of New College last year. He took 53% of the vote, securing 226 votes more than his rivals put together. More surprising however was the order of the runners up.
George Callaghan, the outspoken Independent whose main policy was to 'Save the Oxford MA' surprised even himself in beating the Balliol Liberal Democrat, Adam Killeya. Callaghan has claimed to feel guilty about "gloating" but could not resist expressing some satisfaction at having defeated the "whole OU Lib Dems".
Will Straw, thanked Killeya and Callaghan for their mature campaigns, and acknowledged that he may adopt several of Adam's ideas next year.
The other big winner at the election was apathy - only 20% of students bothered to vote, a fact that has raised some concerns about the image of the student union. George Callaghan, the self-appointed 'anti-apathy' candidate, claimed that if it were not for him, "turnout would have been appreciably worse." Will Straw acknowledges that Callaghan did serve a purpose in the election. "Those dissatisfied with OUSU placed their faith in George," he said.
22nd Nov 2001