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BREAKING: Shakira Martin is next NUS President

Martin won overwhelmingly in the first round of voting

Shakira Martin has just been elected the next President of the national Union of Students, winning with first preference votes alone.

In the first round, Martin won 402 votes – 56% of the vote share. Malia Bouattia, who was running for re-election, won 235 votes and Tom Harwood, an NUS delegate from Durham University, received 35 votes.

She identifies herself as a black single mother from a working class family, and positioned herself as a centrist candidate. She is currently an NUS Vice President.

Following her election victory, she said: “I am honoured and humbled to have been elected as NUS’ National President. I take this as a vote of trust that our members believe I can lead our national movement to be the fighting and campaigning organisation we need it to be, representing the breadth of our diverse membership.

“Further Education made me who I am today and look forward to sharing stories of just how powerful all forms of education can be when we’re all given access to it. During my term in office I want to spend my time listening, learning and leading.”

Tom Harwood, whose candidacy has been the source of much controversy in recent weeks, told Cherwell: “”I am so proud of the role I have played in this election. Our campaign shifted the debate and helped set the course for what can be a more moderate union.”

Others reacted to the result on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/frankiehsimons/status/857189760506490880

An analysis of the campaign from Cherwell can be found here.

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