Jim'll Fix It – Massive Joke Or Just What The Students Need?

The other day, we reported that Presidential Candidate, James Dykes, is a joke candidate, but recent revelations have made me question this. When he’s taking, his points seem sincere and serious. He has […]


The other day, we reported that Presidential Candidate, James Dykes, is a joke candidate, but recent revelations have made me question this. When he’s taking, his points seem sincere and serious. He has pin pointed the problems that concern most students and he’s explained why he didn’t opt for a 5,000+ word manifesto.

The straight talking, well dressed lad isn’t your average candidate. People have assumed he is a joke candidate based on his short manifesto and lack of experience, but since the Presidential Debate, many have questioned this judgement. James has never actually stated he’s a joke candidate, as he pointed out in this Tweet to the Tab:

His tag line might be a little tasteless, and he’s not a SUSU insider but the latter could be a good thing! He clearly doesn’t care about the student politics that comes with the SUSU territory. He reckons that a lot of student politics is used as a spring board into national politics and that “people need to get off their high horses”. In a way, it can be argued that this is just what the students need, someone who is at the students level, arguing for what they really care about.

SUSU is a political minefield with Friday’s presidential candidates being asked how’d they would tackle this. He reckons most students don’t care about SUSU politics apart from in the two weeks of the Sabb campaigns, but would tackle it by going out and talking to the students in the “nice smelling Stags”.

Many students are giving into their increased apathy for SUSU, and it can be argued that James is just speaking out for these silent students. He seems to have SUSU well defined, stating that the Union should be a place where if you want to get involved, those opportunities are there for you, but if you don’t want to get involved, that’s fine too.

His manifesto points may be short and sweet, but he argues that students don’t want to read dissertation type essays that some of the other potential presidents have produced.  James reckons that the president should be concise, and argue their point effectively and he has left plenty of room to go out and ask students what they actually want to change. He’s stated that if it is realistic and achievable in a 12 month period, he’ll go ahead and do it for them. Plus, what student actually wants to read or has time to read 5,000+ words per candidate? This has followed through in his answers to the questions on the SUSU website, where other candidates have written essays, he can put forward his point in a sentence or two.

He says it exactly how it is and genuinely seems to be talking from the view point of the average student. What student doesn’t want improved air conditioning in the library and be able to access every book/microfilm via University VPN or within the Library?

Furthermore, as he himself has stated;

I don’t think any of my manifesto comes under other VPs remit, I did this as it is their responsbility in those areas. (sic)

And this is true. The president is there to represent the wide views of students, the majority. The VP’s cover the voice of all the smaller groups, such as Welfare making sure we’re all ethical. It could be a seen as a good thing to have a president who just wants to focus on their role and helping out the silent, unengaged majority. He wants to go out and talk to students, isn’t this the best way to actually represent our views?

There are of course, things missing from his manifesto the main one I feel is his position and how he’ll help international students. They do make up a large proportion of the student population here at Southampton and so should be represented by our el presidente.

He seems to be dividing the attention of our readers too. He’s currently second in our original opinion poll, yet last in our more recent poll. Joke or not, he is certainly adding a different dynamic to this election season and bringing forward some interesting questions about SUSU.

If you want to find out more about James, follow him on Twitter or like his campaign page on Facebook.