James Scott, Cardiff Socialist Students

In December, I helped to get a motion passed into Cardiff University Students Union policy, mandating it to lobby the university to ‘open the books’ to its finances, stop academic cuts by using its hundreds of millions of pounds of reserves, and campaign against cuts.

Cardiff University announced 400 job cuts in 2025 to fill a supposed £30 million deficit in its budget. Job cuts have since been reduced to 286, thanks to campaigning from trade unions, academics, and students.

Socialist Students’ president candidate Aris Prevost voiced these demands in the student union (SU) election last spring. He gained 340 votes, however, did not win.

Not to be put off, Socialist Students successfully backed me in the autumn SU elections this academic year, and I was elected to the Student Senate, the SU’s policymaking body.

Our anti-cuts motion was passed by Senate, with 88% of the vote – mandating the elected full-time sabbatical team of the student union. Another three motions are due to be voted on by Senate in February.