The Leadership Race 2026: In Conversation with Presidential Candidates

Image Credit: Students’ Union UCL

Pi reached out for comments from Seif Abdelmotaleb, Ted Mikhailov, Owen Luo, Sree Cavuturi, and Alissada Chanaisawan, but received no response. All information on these candidates are drawn from their public manifesto.

In a record year for nominations, eleven students have put themselves forward for the role of Students’ Union President. Pi Media spoke with several candidates about their priorities, which range from affordability and welfare to institutional reform and transparency. 

The SU President is responsible for representing students to the university’s leadership, overseeing the Union’s work, and attempting to deliver on manifesto commitments during a one-year term in office. While each candidate frames their campaign around improving student life, they differ markedly in how they believe this should be achieved.

For Alasdair Wilson, the defining issue of this year’s campaign is affordability. His platform focuses on introducing rent support for students, which he believes could be financed from UCL’s existing surplus.

“That’s absolutely the thing I’m running on,” he says. “Rent support.”

Alasdair argues that the university should allocate a portion of its surplus to help offset accommodation costs, which have become a growing burden for many students. Alongside this flagship proposal, Alasdair’s manifesto calls for cheaper campus food, additional study spaces, the severance of ties with unethical partners, and the installation of nap rooms in the new Students’ Union building. “How successful my year as president is would be judged on how well I can implement those five things,” he assures us.

Alasdair also emphasises the importance of the Union’s internal structure in achieving these aims, particularly the relationship between elected officers and permanent staff. Effective collaboration, he suggests, is essential for translating campaign promises into policy.

Christian Chambers has centred his campaign on student welfare, with particular emphasis on improving institutional response to sexual violence.

“UCL needs to be doing more on the issue – more to protect survivors, more to prevent there being any more survivors in the first place,” he says. 

Christian describes this issue as a deeply personal motivation for his candidacy, arguing that strengthening preventative policies and survivor support systems should be a central responsibility of the Union. 

His second major proposal is the creation of a Student Food Bank. Citing data indicating that “two out of three students admit to skipping meals because they can’t afford them,” he argues that the Union should take a more direct role in addressing financial insecurity surrounding food. Christian has pledged to contribute £2,500 from his presidential salary to help establish this initiative. 

For Christian, the presidency is ultimately a representative role requiring both advocacy and responsiveness to the student body: “you’re working for all the students – they would be paying my salary!” he says. “It’s important to remember that, in everything you do, you're being paid to advocate for the students at UCL.”

Oskar Barltrop’s campaign focuses less on individual policy interventions and more on reforming the way the Students’ Union itself operates. Currently serving as Sustainability Officer, he argues that his experience within the SU gives him a practical understanding of how to turn ideas into action.

“It takes a long time to learn how the SU works,” he tells us. “I don’t think I would need that time to learn how the role works – I’ve already been learning that for two years.”

Oskar believes that the Union should be more visibly engaged with students, proposing that Sabbatical Officers attend more events and maintain a stronger presence within the wider student community.

He also advocates making the Union more substantially “student-led”. Among his proposals are a freeze on food prices in Union outlets and an expansion of student employment within the SU. Increasing the number of student staff, he argues, would help ensure decisions reflect student priorities

For Oskar, the measure of a successful presidency is whether it leaves behind durable institutional change. “You should be able to look back and say that’s tangibly what they’ve done – you can see a legacy going forward, so that it's not just something temporary during their time in office.”

Mia Ramage’s campaign also addresses affordability, but places particular emphasis on transparency and communication between the Union and its members. She argues that many students remain largely unaware of the policies being discussed or implemented within the SU.

“One of the critical problems right now is that students don’t know what’s happening in the Union,” she says. To address this, Mia proposes a more active communications strategy, including short social media explainers outlining policies currently under consideration.

Her manifesto also prioritises reducing accommodation costs, improving the quality of student halls, and expanding sustainable food options across campus. 

Mia is the only candidate proposing the creation of a dedicated Study Abroad Officer, which she believes would improve representation for students participating in exchange programmes.

“The study abroad programme has been hugely neglected,” she says.

To demonstrate one of her ideas in practice, Mia plans to trial a “Too Good to Go” initiative during Vote Week, distributing surplus food from campus outlets and local businesses to students.

“It will be essentially free food that I’ve been able to collect in the space of a week to give back to the student base,” she tells us. 

For Mingda Xie, the Union needs to be more visible and accountable, whilst giving more attention to students’ day-to-day concerns.

“When students are dealing with late feedback, funding delays, or poor communication, that is not "small stuff"” he says. “That is where leadership has to start.”

Mingda is pushing for a live Policy Tracker that will allow students to follow the Union’s policies, priorities, and commitments as they happen. He believes this will put an end to students “ hearing about change only when election season comes around again.”

Having served as Faculty Representative, Education Zone member, and Academic Board member, Mingda intends to bring his leadership experience into the role. To him, a good president is “someone who leaves behind systems, not just slogans.”

“It is not about being the loudest person in the room,” Mingda tells us. “It is about whether students can point to real improvements in their daily lives by the end of the year.”

Harshita Pandey intends to focus on reducing high meal prices and accommodation fees.

“They reflect everyday concerns but also shine the light on matters that call for sustained institutional attention,” she tells us.
To improve the quality of the student experience at UCL, Harshita plans to increase scholarship opportunities, expand global partnerships, and foster greater collaboration between societies and universities. 

Harshita says, “if the work I carry out as President improves student experience in tangible ways, then that’s the only metric I would really need, even if I’m not personally remembered for it.” 

She believes her experience in leadership roles such as Faculty Representative – alongside her “determined, tenacious, and collaborative work ethic” – will set her apart from the other candidates.

Seif Abdelmotaleb’s manifesto focuses on engaging every student with the Union through “accessible, cross-faculty events.” Citing his experience as a First Year Representative for Civil Engineering Society, he believes his previous leadership position will help make the Union more accessible to all.

Ted Mikhailov uses the punning slogan '“Best SuiTed for President” to draw attention to his manifesto policies, which prioritise cheaper food prices in SU cafés and “increas[ing] the prestige of the Student Union.”

For Owen Luo, who puns on Trump’s famous slogan with his own tagline (MUGA), the priority is better communication, as he promises to “avoid delays, set appeal deadlines, and ensure […] voices are heard.”

Sree Cavuturi pitches a new approach to UCL’s affordability problem, as she calls for foodbank vouchers and “last-hour 50% discounts on food”. Sree believes UCL should cut ties with Barclays in favour of a more ethical financial option.

Alissada Chanaisawan is all about making “UCL make sense”. She proposes doing so by offering more career-focused initiatives, such as internships and industry connections, which she believes will “help unlock those opportunities” for UCL’s “incredibly talented” student base.

Despite differences in emphasis, several themes recur across this year’s race. Most notably, the cost of living – particularly housing and food – has emerged as a central concern across multiple campaigns. Questions about transparency, representation, and the Students’ Union’s internal functioning have also featured prominently. Where candidates diverge is in their proposed remedies: from targeted financial support and welfare initiatives to structural reforms intended to reshape how the Union itself operates. 

Students will ultimately decide which vision they find most compelling, as voting has officially opened today, with the results due to be announced this Friday.