Shakira Martin re-elected as NUS president after beating Momentum activist

'It is time to get real about education,' president tells hundreds of students in Glasgow

Shakira Martin has been re-elected as the National Union of Students (NUS) president for 2018.

Ms Martin was elected with 50.9 per cent of the vote, beating Momentum campaigner Sahaya James and King’s College London (KCL) students’ union president Momin Saqib.

The incumbent president received 352 votes – 184 more than Mr Saqib. And the Jeremy Corbyn supporter Ms James came away with just 104 votes - only 15 per cent of the vote.

Mr Saqib, a Pakistani national who is the first non-European international student to be elected as president of KCL SU, won 24.3 per cent of the vote.

Hundreds of students, elected officers and campaigners from higher and further education are spending this week in Glasgow for the NUS conference.

Ms James, a member of the Momentum national coordinating group, had hoped to unseat Ms Martin who has been forced to deny allegations of bullying at the NUS headquarters.

Ms Martin, a further education (FE) advocate, was first elected as NUS president last year following Malia Bouattia’s controversial leadership.

Ms Bouattia, who was the NUS’ first Muslim female president, faced damning criticism and a parliament-led investigation during her one year in office after she was accused of antisemitism.

Ms Martin, who used to be the union's vice president for FE, admitted today that when she took over NUS last April "it was a mess".

And in a speech to conference, she admitted: "I know I am not your typical president. And I can't promise I am perfect.

"But I will give all for my kids, my membership and the next generation. And I will never stop trying to make education a real option for everyone."

In Ms James' speech, she asked where the NUS had been during the university strikes this month and last month.

"We need a fighting NUS for the many, not for the few," she said.

And Mr Saqib added that he was "disappointed" with the lack of involvement from the NUS.

After winning the election, Ms Martin said: “I am honoured and humbled to have been elected as NUS’ National President for a second term.

"I was elected to listen, learn and lead, now it’s time to get real about what that means both for all forms of education, and what it means for NUS.”

Following the election result, students occupied the stage in protest after time constraints meant motions on student sex work and abortion rights in Northern Ireland were not heard.

The NUS annual conference had to be suspended this afternoon following the student occupation which has already lasted several hours.