Letter: Poor political plays

We sabbatical officers wholeheartedly condemn the president and treasurer of the National Union of Students for sending a letter to all student union presidents urging them not to vote for Labour candidates in the upcoming national executive elections (For the Record, THES , March 8).

The letter - not on NUS notepaper - names individuals to vote against. The two authors might claim they are not using the advantages of their positions to send the letter, but as people in authority they have a lot of influence.

This is undemocratic. At a time when officers are striving to ensure that their sabbatical elections are run smoothly and fairly this is hypocrisy and the kind of behaviour that brings student politics into disrepute.

Tristan O'Dwyer, Adam Jakeway, James Buller, Lisa Widdows and John Geeson
Surrey SU
Celia Parkyn and Ursula Brown
University College London Union
Kate Holmes, Pete Wood and Nick Le Prevost
Southampton University SU
Jessica Hill
University of Sussex SU
Suzanne Wilson
Bristol SU