By Friday 14 June, Edge Hill Students' Union sent this letter over to all our 5 local candidates for the upcoming General Election. We received three responses which can be read here:

Simon Evans, Reform UK

Charlotte Houltram, Green Party

Graham Smith, Lib Dem

 

We received no response from Ashley Dalton (Labour) and Mike Prendergast (Conservative).

 

Our Letter

"Dear Candidate,

We at Edge Hill Students’ Union have collaborated with various Student Unions across the country and together we are the representative voice for over half a million voters in this General Election. We stand as a bold collective voice for students, and those who care about students’ rights. We know many of our members have been pushed into hardship, poverty, and hunger. Many are deeply unhappy with the way Higher Education is funded and organised, and the way in-which students have been continually mistreated. We ask for the following from our prospective and future Parliamentary representatives: 

• 1. Student accommodation renters reform & fair rent controls. To give students moretenancy rights and better standards for accommodation.
• 2. Reformed Higher Education and student funding models. Increased maintenance loansin line with real living standards, meeting the HEPI Student minimum standard set forthriving in education. We aspire to transition to a model of maintenance grants, but for nowwe ask for increased maintenance loans.
• 3. Uplifted funding for a truly public-owned NHS as well as funding and support foruniversities to deal with gaps in the NHS’s current provision. This should include free legalaid (specifically free prescriptions for student) subsidised on-campus food, and wellbeingand mental health support.
• 4. A national transport card for all students. So, all students can get to university, regardlessof age or location.

 

We are calling on prospective Parliamentary candidates across the country to show their support for these demands. Students are the future of Great Britain; we expect you to stand up for our needs and our futures. 

We would be interested in hearing back from yourselves in response to our above demands. We will publish all responses for our students on Monday 24th June. 

Kind Regards, 

The Edge Hill Student Union Presidents’ Team, 

 

Seyi Joseph 

Part-Time Faculty of Health Social Care and Medicine President 

 

Maggie Man Wai Lam 

Faculty of Education President 

 

Paige Rivers 

Part-Time Faculty of Health Social Care and Medicine President 

 

Antonnette Mapesa 

Faculty of Arts and Sciences President "