Over the past two years, The Gryphon newspaper has been subject to a sidelining of its leadership campaign by Leeds University Union.

The Gryphon candidates were excluded from all promotional material, leadership race briefings and placed on a separate ballot. This is incredibly difficult to find on luu.org.uk, and is part of a far smaller thumbnail than the Exec race, which has received full social media support.

The Gryphon manifestos were also uploaded a week after that of the Exec after LUU received a series of complaints.

This is not a fair election. 

Take a look at how many students voted altogether for their Editor In Chief:
2012: 7,000 votes (prior to separation)
2013: 8,800 votes (prior to separation)
2014: Below 1,600 (separated from main ballot)

We believe that these figures speak for themselves, and our hope is to give students the equality of opportunity for fair access, so that everyone can vote.

If students are made aware of the election, the paper is more accessible for students. Greater content can be made, which will be an excellent bastion for LUU itself. 

Why the separation?

It is written into the Leeds University Union constitution that the Editor-In-Chief of The Gryphon is to be elected in a cross-campus ballot. However, two years ago, without the newspaper’s consultation, LUU decided to separate the election from the student executive out of fear that students were confused about the roles.

Why does this matter for YOU?

As a student, you have the opportunity to elect fellow peers who are there to represent YOU. They represent your interests and strive to positively change the university sphere. We believe that the position of Editor In Chief is equally as important because no other body can scrutinise the university and the decisions imposed on students. This newspaper is your voice, and we believe it should be heard.

Our fears

We are petitioning for the right for The Gryphon candidates to be given the fair and representative coverage that they deserve. We are concerned that students are confused as to where they can vote for their next Editor In Chief, and the implications for your rightfully representative student publication.

Our hope

The Editor candidates shouldn’t be excluded from marketing material without consent, nor should they be put on a separate ballot without a referendum.

We believe that Leeds University Union should address the discrepancy between these votes, and work with us to help improve the democratic opportunity offered to students.

Voting should be made easy, and most importantly, be fair.

Make sure that your student voice is represented properly, and sign to ensure that your newspaper is heard.

The Gryphon team & associates:
Jasmine Andersson
Joshua Taylor
Benjamin Cook
Ste Topping
Jamie Taylor