End of Year Message 09:30

They Think it's All Over...It is Now! 

Phew! What a year! Once again Aberystwyth University Labour Students has proved itself to be one of the most active and engaged Labour Students  groups in Wales (if not the country)! Battling geographical isolation every step of the way; AULS this year has shown you don't have to be at a big Uni to REALLY make a difference. 

Whether it was in the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections or at the Cardiff South and Penarth By-Election AULS members were to be found right on the front line of Welsh politics. Of course there's more to come we're really looking forward to carrying on the fight next year at the European elections. 

AULS members also carried our voice to conferences great and small as well as to the Labour Students Political Weekend. Of course Aberystwyth didn't just go out to the world, the world came to Aberystwyth with big names like Rebecca Evans AM, Vaughan Gething AM and the Shadow Wales Minister Owen Smith MP visiting AULS this year. 

In between all the serious business AULS managed to have a great variety of socials this year, hats off to the boat racing team who defeated all the other parties at the Cross Party Social! We also put on socials to cater for all tastes including a Coffee Social and a Cinema Social just in the first semester! Not forgetting our posh dinners at Christmas and the End of Year. (Great chance to dress up!) 

On a more downhearted note we'll be saying goodbye to long term members Adam White and Siobhan Cannon who have graduated as well as saying auf wiedersehen to our New Member's Officer Lewis Hudson who is moving Uni's to Manchester Uni to do German. Our Liberations Officer Betty Ritson is also taking her year abroad and I wish her all the best. 

It's been a real honour serving with Hywel, Tom, Adam, Andrew, Bridie, Betty, Josh and Lewis on the committee this year and I look forward to the new year with our new Chair Zoe Clark! 

Hope to see you all next year for more thrills, spills and socials! 

Till then comrades! 

Matthew Bold 

Campaigns and Membership Officer

Still Waiting 14:59

STILL WAITING

Why AULS voted to Censure Labour Students

On the night of the 13th of February AULS voted to censure Labour Students. For the reasons behind this we must think back to the start of the academic year 2011/2012. When AULS managed to win a nationwide competition run by Labour Students for the best Fresher Fayre. There was significant pride that such a small club was able to win such a competition and we were excited that soon we might get a Shadow Cabinet Minister visiting right here in Aber! We did not presume that Ed Milliband would come rushing to sample the pleasures of Pier and the Union! However we did expect someone to come, at some point. A promise is a promise right?

The old committee worked, sent emails and protested to Labour Students for a year, while the club grew and got involved in campaigns run by both Labour Students and local CLP's, both inside and outside election time. As an ordinary member I simply assumed that one day the pledge would be honoured and that Labour Students would come good in the end. However when the new committee was elected we were still short a Shadow Cabinet Minister. This year has seen continued lobbying behind the scenes that has not appeared to make much difference. This is a source of frustration for all of us, hence the Censure Motion. It was not passed with joy nor with malicious intent, but with a profound sense of regret that this outstanding issue has not been resolved. 

A part of this sadness for me is that as this committee moves towards its final few months I realise that the last member to have worked upon that stall will soon be leaving us without the Labour Students pledge being fulfilled. Abi Kas, Tom Regan, Gilly Reynolds, Stuart MacNaughtan,  these aren't just names, but friends who've left university without receiving the recognition and reward they deserved for their hard work and this is deeply saddening for a member of an organisation which has campaigned on the issues of fair remuneration and the honouring of pledges.  

This sense of a missed opportunity has been compounded by the fact that others have independently decided to visit Aberystwyth in the mean time, for instance Vaughan Gething AM gave a quick talk and a Q&A session in November and Owen Smith, Shadow Secretary of State also came down to visit us within the last week, an event for which we had a great turn out and was thoroughly enjoyed by all!

This is why Aberystwyth University Labour Students voted to censure Labour Students for their failure to arrange a Shadow Cabinet Minister visit to Aberystwyth and their failure to apologise to those members who have graduated in the mean time. When all is said and done, we're all on the same side, no one is individually to blame here, these things will happen within a large organisation, it is inevitable. But I hope that this motion will prompt Labour Students Committee to move to keep this pledge as quickly as possible and to do the right thing. The bottom line is: no one loses when a promise is kept.

Matthew Bold

Vice Chair

This post was edited at 09:44 16/06/2013 

Mr Smith Goes to Aber! 14:53

 Mr Smith Goes to Aber!

Last week AULS was really honoured in having our first Shadow Cabinet Minister visit in the form of Owen Smith MP for Pontiprydd Shadow Secretary of State, who came to have give a talk to the members and take some questions. It was a brilliant evening for all involved, a great success with an even greater turn out. (Even if the evening didn't come off entirely without a hitch!) The AULS Committee would like to thank Owen Smith for coming down to visit the society, giving us a great speech and answering our almost inexhaustible supply of questions!  We hope you can visit again in the future.

Thanks again!

AULS Committee



Upcoming Events 09:21

COMING SOON TO AULS 

RIGHT, there are a couple of outstanding events coming up in the next week and a bit, so here's a round up of some the most important! 

Committee Meeting- 20th February 

 All members welcome to attend the fortnightly committee meeting which will be taking place in the top floor of the Arts Centre at 6.30 pm Wednesday!

Weekly Social- 21st February

Kicking off at Scholars at 8pm a slightly sedate number this week! No theme or dress code just bring yourself and some sparkling conversation and we'll enjoy the best of what Aberystwyth has to offer on a Thursday evening! 

Owen Smith MP Visit!- 22 February 

Forget Lianne Woods! THIS is the most important political visit to Aberystwyth this year! As the one and only Owen Smith MP is coming to town! Tipped by the Independent as a potential future leadership hopeful, the MP for Pontypridd has agreed to attend a meal at Brynamlwg club and then give a speech on the topic of "One Nation Labour" to AULS. New and prospective members welcome! If your thinking of coming and want to know more please join the Facebook event here ! This is an absolutely fabulous chance to meet one of the biggest figures in Welsh politics! Starts at 5.30 pm.

Cross Party Social!-Wednesday 27th February 

It's time to fraternize with the enemy! A week next Wednesday it'll be time to make peace with the opposition (at least for the evening) and come together with people of all the political tribes (and none) to celebrate being a student in Aberystwyth! The theme is "Traffic Light", that is you should wear attire that indicates your relationship status. Red for in a relationship. Yellow for its complicated. Green for single. Should be a great night of drinks, fun and getting to know people from all the different political camps! We'll be starting at Harry's at 8pm. Click here for the Facebook event! 

Hope to see you all at as many as possible! 

p.s The hoodie's should be done by the Cross Party Social so hopefully they will be distributed ASAP.