Campaigning Skills for GE15 Influencing electoral candidates Maggie Hayes, Community Organiser Maggie.Hayes@nus.org.uk

What we’ll talk about… How to find out about your candidates and constituencies Adapting your campaign to your constituency context What makes an effective hustings? Days of Action Charity law and the lobbying act

Influencing candidates Mobilising voters Making a compelling case on the issues Putting them on the spot where their reputation or success is at challenged Make commitments on your issues BEFORE the election (as a way to secure your vote) Follow up on those promises AFTER the election

Find out about your candidates Split into small groups and discuss how you can find out about; How they have voted on policies in the past What their values or beliefs are What are their ‘headline’ issues Them as a person Small groups for 5 minutes, then feed back

What do you want to know? Name, party and constituency Contact info Biographical info such as age, place and date of birth, education, work history etc… Their political history Any relevant statements they have made on issues you are campaigning on, including where and when they made it.

Find out about your candidates Local party websites Social networking profiles Local news websites and newspapers Wikipedia www.theyworkforyou.com information on MPs speaking and voting record in Parliament. The Parliament website has a database of all sitting MPs which has some useful information, including select committee membership. Tweetminister has a list of MPs and their Twitter accounts.

www.theyworkforyou.com

NUS’ General Election Hubs www.newdeal2015.uk One stop shop for students Find out about your candidates and constituencies Register to vote Connect with your union www.newdealnextgen.com One stop shop for Sus Choose your issues Get campaigning materials Info on your constituencies Talk through the two websites, but focus on the choosing candidates bit of the Student hub.

Swing power If students voted in force they can change the election outcome. 197 seats requiring a swing of only 5 per cent to change hands. In 191 of those, there are more full time students than the number of people required to change the outcome. Students hold the key to more than a quarter of seats Now talk about the actual constituencies

Swing power In the Scottish Referendum 97 per cent of the population registered to vote and 84 per cent voted.

The power of your vote Swing seat (10% or less) Safe seat (not a swing seat, a strong majority) High student populations

What would you do if…? Split into four groups representing the scenarios below. How would you adapt your approach to the election and influencing candidates? Very safe seat with a high student population Very marginal (swing) seat with medium student population Moderately safe seat with a low student population Moderate swing seat with a high student population Split into groups and discuss for 5 mins. Allow 5 mins for feedback

Hustings…

Why hustings? Put pressure on PPCs to declare support for your chosen General Election issues Provide a focal point to do other activities, such as voter registration or campaign actions Provide an opportunity for students to speak directly with candidates on the issues that matter to them Ask what would make a good hustings?

How can you make your hustings most effective? A local candidate needs to choose between your hustings and a meet and greet at a small business owners alliance. Influence and demonstrating powers Powerful coalitions of students Actions targeted at PPCs; Voter Reg Who is at the Hustings? What are their questions?

Hustings checklist Choose and book a suitable room Invite candidates Choose an appropriate date and time Confirm someone to chair the debate Publicise the hustings event Contact local press Decide questions you want to ask Decide how you will capture the details of people who attend

Organising your hustings Split into three groups and discuss what defines a successful hustings. How would you structure the event? What should you do before or after the event? - 4 weeks before, 3 weeks before, 1 week before… 3. How do you decide what questions are asked, and who asks them? 4. How can you force candidates to make commitments? How would you use local press and media? Could you partner with other SUs or local community? How can you maximise participation? Give them four mins or so on one topic, and then swap over. This is very fast so you could keep them one group for longer if you want.

What would you ask? How should higher education be paid for? How much should apprentices be paid? Should constituents have the right to recall their MP for broken promises? Does higher education primarily benefit the individual, or society? Should 16/17 year olds have the vote? Will you vote to scrap the lobbying act? If you could raise tuition fees to fund the NHS, would you?

Days of Action

Purpose… To get the attention of candidates To keep the pressure on them – not 1 issue Engaging students - 5 February - National Voter Registration Day 12 February - Work exploitation 26 February - Community and local services 12 March - Student cost of living 19 March - Liberation and tackling Xenophobia 26 March - Quality public education 9 April - Political reform

The Law…

Campaigning within the law In law students’ unions are considered charities. The political activities of students’ unions are regulated by law. Some of these laws give powers to regulate the activities of students’ unions to particular bodies, eg: Electoral Commission, Charity Commission Students’ unions are charitable membership organisations that exist to advance the education of students, including by representing the interests of students and helping to ensure that they benefit from a broad and rich educational experience outside of the lecture hall. This kind of activity can be inherently political.

Rule one: Students as students Golden rule one – Students’ unions shouldn’t use their resources to campaign on an issue that does not affect “students as students”. It will not be lawful for a students’ union to commit resources to campaigning on an issue that affects students but only because they are people in the community like everyone else. To do so would mean the students’ union was acting outside its charitable objects, which is sometimes called acting ‘ultra vires’ (ultra vires just means ‘outside the powers’ in Latin).

Rule one: Students as students This principle only relates to campaign action. It does not mean that a students’ union cannot facilitate debates on wider issues. You can have debates and adopt a resolution. Permitted Against tuition fees for college or university education in any part of the UK (provided it affects students in the area covered by the students’ union) Restricted campaign issues Against structural reform of the school system, e.g. against academies and free schools

Rule two: Party neutral Golden rule two – students’ unions should maintain neutrality when it comes to political parties Students’ unions don’t have to be neutral on issues (subject to the rules set out above, they can take positions on any issue, and campaign on some issues), but they do have to be neutral when it comes to party politics. This means that a students’ union cannot support or oppose any political party or candidate. You should invite all parties to hustings.

Rule three: Can’t pay others to do it Golden rule three – A students’ union can’t donate or allow its funds to be used to support campaigning on an issue that would be outside of its charitable objects. You can’t give money to someone else, or another organisation, to do what you can’t do yourself.

The Lobbying Act An organisation has to register with the Electoral Commission under PPERA if all of the following criteria are met: The organisation intends to campaign on an issue (or issues) in the twelve month period preceding a scheduled General Election. The campaign could reasonably be expected to be experienced by members of the public The campaign could reasonably be regarded as intended to promote or procure electoral success (or failure) for particular candidates or political parties The organisation plans to spend (or has spent) more than £20,000 in England (or £10,000 in any of the other UK nations)

Clubs and Societies, Media Political societies cannot receive funds from the SU directly used to campaign Paid officers cannot campaign for political parties using SU resources Student media should not breach charity or defamation law Must represent balanced view politically Lewis.Cooper@nus.org.uk