Written by Liam White, Union President
As your Students’ Union, we are here to represent you at both the University and national level. That is why I invited Guildford’s Member of Parliament (MP) to visit the Union, to discuss how we can work together to make sure that we are politically advocating for our students.
On Monday 9 December, Zöe Franklin, met with myself and the other Sabbatical Officers as we highlighted the greatest challenges facing Surrey’s students. We spoke in-depth about the financial realities many of us are living through. Specifically, she supported my ambition for the University of Surrey to be included on the London Weighting Maintenance Loan – the current loan fails to meet Guildford’s cost of living, and too many students are sacrificing their University experience and performance because of financial hardship.
Zöe then met with Hannah Jones (Voice Zone Manager) and Tom Hood (Hoods Residential) for a targeted discussion on private renting. This included challenges in the local housing market, the Union’s response to the Renters Rights Bill consultation, and broader legislation that affects students’ ability to access housing.
We then met with Zöe once again, as an officer team, to discuss a wider range of issues: student visas, local public transport, safety in the local community, the current clubbing scene, and more! Zöe was understanding of our challenges and helped to connect us with local council bodies and other points of contact, for us to continue our campaigns. For our more ambitious plans – such as the London Weighting Maintenance Loan and Renters Rights Bill, Zöe will stay in contact with me to raise this through her party and the appropriate government ministers.
It is important, now more than ever, that our generation has a say in the key governmental decisions that affect us. As your Union, we want to amplify your voice; and I’m proud to say that this week’s visit has paved the way for us to continue representing you, to bring you the experience that you deserve.
