Comments on: Interview: NUS president explains why pragmatism is the best politics

By: apYrs

apYrs — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 11:01:50 +0000

@Rob
you talk about running a union of 7 million members. Single handed? Doing all the donkey work? Or just doing policy work, and maybe giving order for it to be implemented?

I'll make it clear that it's a long time since I was a student, but what is equally clear is that we've generated a class of apparatchiks who go into student or union politics, then onto political careers, having NEVER got their hands even inky by working for target-driven managers, and think they know all the answers.

I can't comment on how he's workeedd to change the constitution of the NUS, but it sounds as though he's given "power" back to the membership, i.e. the ones who vote but don't actually do anything, while the activists have been marginalised. It's a useful technique to concentrate power in the executive…

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By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:18:07 +0000

"no experience of the real world"

"we think it's time he got a real job and faced the real world"

Running a national union representing 7 million members isn't a real job?

Too often people are willing to get personal because they know Wes will take them apart on matters of policy. The man's passionate about his work and is committed to doing right by his members – that comes across in this interview as in all others.

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By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:16:36 +0000

"no experience of the real world"
"we think it's time he got a real job and faced the real world"

Running a national union representing 7 million members isn't a real job?

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By: Sal

Sal — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:44:09 +0000

Good interview I thought. People write him off as a careerist too often, but from what I've seen he's anything but. At least he's got the guts to shake up NUS. So many have tried and failed. As someone who was at the conference earlier this week, there's no doubting really that he's got a lot of support and shows real leadership skills.

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By: Jo

Jo — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:32:33 +0000

I think for many of us who know Wes (through Labour Students), we think it's time he got a real job and faced the real world. At 26, he has been out of university and not a student for over three years!

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By: apYrs

apYrs — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:37:03 +0000

another student politician who will go straight into national politics or a related job, and will have no experience of the real world.

NUS a springboard for a career – who serves whom!

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