THE HARD left were overwhelming beaten in an election of high drama and disqualifications, with many contests coming down to just a handful of votes.
The biggest battle of the year, for General Secretary, was won by Rob Pinfold, beating incumbent Tom Skinner by just 33 votes.
Pinfold, the Labour pin-up boy, beat Skinner in a fierce battle between the hard left and the 'Incredible' slate.
He said: "I feel absolutely ecstatic. After a hard fight I think both of us deserved to win, and I'll like to thank Tom for such a hard fought campaign."
The biggest win for independent candidates went to Robbie Gillett, winning Communications Officer by 66 votes.
Famous for being ferociously independent and a dedicated campaigner for green issues, Gillett said: "I'm really, really proud that I won as an independent and that I didn't compromise anything."
The position of Student Direct Editor went to Susannah Birkwood in one of the most convincing wins of the night. Beating Patrick Smith by 138 votes, Birkwood put her victory down to her superior experience.
Halfway through the count scuffles broken out between various hard left supporters, forcing Union staff to step in and diffuse the situation.
Alex Castro, current Communications Officer, was disqualified at close of polls for a number of election offences related to negative campaigning and an abuse of position.
He told Student Direct that he planned to appeal the decision.
Castro commented: "I have not accepted the disqualification so far and I am waiting for a written report by the returning officer and the advisory committee. I believe all allegations against me and my people are entirely untrue."
Emily Randall was the only candidate who achieved re-election, beating Lib Dem Alex Reynolds-Cocroft to the post of Student Activities Officers by a convincing 404 votes.
Dan Lee, the other successful independent, won Campaigns Officer, with Sundara Jerome trailing 200 votes behind and Vicky Thompson coming in third.
Slightly more people voted than in last year's elections, but as a proportion of the student population election turnout fell.
Just 7.8 percent of Manchester students turned up to the polls, according to early figures.
Ellie Reyland won Welfare Officer by the most convincing margin of the night, with double the votes of the next candidate.
Chris Jenkinson took Academic Affairs Officer, providing the final blow of the night for the hard left, beating Ketan Alder by almost 400 votes.
Just sixteen votes separated Jennie Killip from her rival Amy Pettitt. Jennie said: "I'm feeling euphoric and happy. There are no words!"
The results of the Council and non-sabbatical Executive officers were expected to be announced late on Friday.
Big up Castro, Skinner, Cunni and all other real student activists! We shall overcome!
I'm gutted by the result of these elections! We had a campaigning union in the tradition of the UMSU that stood up against apartheid when Mandela was labelled a terrorist by the wesminster crooks. Now we got a zionist lobby that also works as a springboard for a carreer in the big, established parties for some ugly people. Damn! Anyway, I'm sure the "hard left" won be crushed until you send them to a concentration camp - and even then - those guys are mad, they'll be back! HAHAHA
I'm sorry, but who cares?
I'm by no means politically illiterate but after having spent 3 years at the University of Manchester I can tell you that no elected student union member has ever done anything that has influenced my student life beyond the trivial.
Perhaps students need to look at what a union is supposed to do, and stop campaigning for issues so far beyond their jurisdiction.
Such behaviour reduces what should be a forum for students to represent their opinions on student issues, to an embarrassing "Hyde Park Corner" where the few pragmatic relevant voices are out-shouted by irrelevant campaigns to "ban the bomb", "free Palestine" or "legalise weed". If the TUC or UNISON tried to call for a "free Tibet" they would be laughed out into the political wilderness. That's exactly where students' unions are right now. There are plenty of relevant students' issues to be debated, so why not stick to them?
So if I felt this way why didn't I vote against such candidates? Or even try to run myself? Because the reality of these elections, cynical as it may sound, is that they are decided by the ability of a candidate to get their mates to vote. I would be intrigued to know how many of those voting knew the candidate personally.
As a silver lining at least the next year of students won't have to put up with every message from the communications officer referring to the "Manchester massive"...painful...
Big up yourself and One love x
This is completely true.
Why should we be subsidizing anti-war campaigns with our fees? Surely officers should concentrate on the issues that affect our academic life. Surely this is why only just over 7% of the student population turn up? The only satisfaction gained from these elections is from my university inbox which will no longer be full of junk from that Castro dick.