Originally published on February 3rd, 2009

Rectorial candidate Iain Macwhirter launched his manifesto outside the main library on Saturday, promising to fight for a 24-hour library and a minimum income guarantee for students, as well as promising to act as a “moral voice” for the University.

Macwhirter, a journalist for The Herald newspaper, told The Student that he was ‘very confident’ of victory and was backed by a ‘unique coalition drawn from all sectors of the student body.’

He also raised doubts about the other candidates in the election, Labour peer and MSP George Foulkes, and MP George Galloway: “George Galloway is a colourful figure, a powerful orator, a passionate campaigner, but you have to ask yourself: ‘Is he going to be around Edinburgh University?’”

“He works on many international campaigns, he has a flourishing media career, which has taken him through Big Brother and other extravaganzas.”

On the controversy surrounding the recent revelations about Foulkes acting as a paid consultant for in relation to his role in the House of Lords, Macwhirter was careful to emphasise that while there was no evidence that Foulkes had acted improperly, questions should be asked about the relationship between private interests and Parliament.

“If you’re taking money from outside commercial interests to do what you should be doing as part of your job, then inevitably people will start to question whether the kinds of decisions you’re taking...whether you’re doing that out of your own your own beliefs and conscience,” he said.

When asked to comment on current rector Mark Ballard’s recently-expressed concern about the focus on research at Scottish universities leading to teaching being neglected, Macwhirter said: “I think there’s a false dichotomy between research and teaching.

“The two go together if you have research like Edinburgh does, and Edinburgh’s a world-class research university that attracts world-class academics, who make world-class teachers. We need to improve teaching, and improve feedback and contact, by building into the careers structure of academics an element of teaching being properly rewarded.”

Macwhirter said he was keen to act as the University’s ‘moral voice’, saying: “I spoke to the demonstration last week and I was hugely impressed by the idealism and the concern that students are expressing for what’s been happening to Palestinians in Gaza.

“I think the rector has to be in a position to first of all, detect what the mood of students is and then accurately project it to the wider world.”

On the subject of his proposed £7,000 minimum income guarantee for students, he said: “First of all, students can’t live on £4,500 a year, it’s manifestly impossible. Students are ending up with huge debts, £15,000 on graduation. The first thing to do is to ensure that they have enough money coming in to keep going.

“The banks were very happy to throw money at students, desperate to get them to take on their credit cards and bank accounts. Now things are going to be difficult. A lot of students are not going to get jobs when they graduate, at least not immediately. They’re going to have big private debts, and it’s going to be very difficult for them to service these.”