Posted on Fri 17 Feb 2012 at 16:17 by
Lawrence Wakefield
From Lawrence Wakefield, Elections Communications Administrator
Attention campaigners! Your election manifesto is your chance to tell student voters what you’re all about. But how do you make your manifesto stand out from the rest?
During my own campaign last year, it became immediately obvious what had worked in my manifesto, and what I had got horribly, horribly wrong. I recommend you learn from my mistakes and follow my five-step guide to writing a good manifesto!
1. Grab their attention
Students will invariably choose not read every word of every manifesto that candidates submit. Make sure your opening lines catch their eye and get them interested in what you have to say. Avoid listing details like your age, favourite colour or the name of your hamster - You can tell them more about yourself later. Instead, why not open with a question, a relevant quote, or a thought-provoking idea?
2. Summarise your pledges
Work out exactly what you would do if elected. This will make up the bones of your manifesto, so spend some time on working out what is important to you, and what will appeal to voters. Try to make these ideas and plans as concise and clear as possible, one sentence should be enough. For example, ‘I will campaign for cheaper drinks in the Student Union ‘ is better than ‘I will campaign for Fosters , lemonade and WKD prices at the Students’ Union to come down by ten pence so we can all save money when we meet there to play poker’.
3. What’s your USP?
Work out what separates you from the other candidates running, and make sure you tell students about it. Perhaps you have experience in a field relevant to the position you are running for? What is it that you bring to the table that no-one else can? Don’t go overboard though – starting every sentence you write with ‘During my Gap Year...’ may put some students off.
4. Don’t be afraid to use humour
Students, like most humans, respond well to humour. If you feel comfortable doing so, don’t be afraid to use it in your manifesto. Pledges in my own manifesto such as ‘Increased defences against zombie attack’ were the best remembered by students and often proved vote winners!
A word of warning though - take it too far and you risk not being taken seriously. Also remember that everyone has a different sense of humour. A joke that you find hilarious may not be appreciated by all of the diverse student community we have here.
5. Czech Ur Engerlish
If you know your English isn’t the greatest, or even if it is, take the time to proof your manifesto for mistakes. Read it out loud, have a friend check it, or even ask a tutor to help. Poor writing will give a bad first impression, so be sure to spend a few minutes getting it right.