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13th June 2017 Issue 339
The official student newspaper of the University of East Anglia | concrete-online.co.uk
UEA reacts as country uncertain Emily Hawkins and Matt Nixon Editor-in-Chief and News Editor The early hours of Friday morning saw UEA’s bars filled to the brim with slightly inebriated, slightly anxious students who were awaiting the results of this year’s general election. At 10:00pm on Thursday night, the exit polls were accurately predicting that there would be a hung parliament in Westminster. There was a palpable tension across campus, with some students fearing a Conservative led coalition, or the possibility of a minority government. The majority of UEA students were hopeful that the progressive
parties would outperform the predictions of the exit poll, whilst a few others were in support of the Conservatives. Speaking to Concrete just after midnight, English Literature first year Ella DormanGajic said: “My standard thing to say would be that obviously a hung parliament is a good thing. “The result of the exit poll does excite me. Whatever happens I think this [election] will have a positive impact on the left-wing agenda.” In a not-entirely-reliable poll from the UEA Red Bar, UEA Politics Society President Nick Stokes found that approximately 49 percent of UEA students voted Labour, another 33 percent Conservative, and 13 percent voted for smaller parties, including the Pirate Party who cam-
paigned in Norwich North against the incumbent Conservative Chloe Smith. First year History student Robert Symonds voted Conservative. He told Concrete: “The hung parliament is a massive disappointment. The coalition with the DUP has led me to be officially opposed to the current UK government now. “[The hung parliament] resulted from complacency from May and an exceptional campaign from Corbyn. I voted Tory as from a family who runs a small business it would be an economic impossibility to raise the minimum wage to 10 pounds an hour and may run the risk of reducing staff.” Outgoing president of the National Union of Students (NUS) Ma-
lia Bouattia has suggested that as many as 72 percent of 18-24 year olds voted in this general election. Market research company Ipsos MORI have stated that it takes a week or so to produce accurate figures on voter turnout, but overall voter turnout is as high as 68.7 percent. This is the highest voter turnout for an election since 1997. The NUS have since officially commented on the election result. Noting the rise in turnout for 18-25 year olds since 2015, President Malia Bouattia said: “NUS and students’ unions have worked tirelessly to get the vote out amongst students and young people. “Students want to see progressive and fair policies that will have a very real and positive impact on all
our futures.” Bouattia also suggested that “under the last 7 years of Conservative rule, further and higher education funding has radically reduced and student debt now follows us into mid-life.” It is thought that the 18-25 youth vote played a significant role in securing Clive Lewis's Norwich South seat for Labour. Following the annoucement Mr Lewis thanked Green and Liberal Democrat voters in his speech. SU Campaigns and Democracy Officer Amy Rust described the election as “extraordinary from the moment it was called in April to Continued on page 4