I’m Jaz Brook, current Environment Officer, and I’m standing to be your next Campaigns and Democracy Officer.

UEA students are being priced out.

Education is becoming more commercial, expensive, and less democratic - students are losing power over decisions that shape our lives.

From rent and food prices to ethical finance and democracy, too many choices are being made about us not with us.

The Students’ Union should exist to challenge this – we need a union that is anti-commercialisation, pro-student control, pro-justice, and pro-democracy.

A union that doesn’t just support students to fight for themselves but actively fights for them.

As Environment Officer and an NUS representative, I’ve focused on ethical, political, and structural change - not just one-off events.

I’ve helped mobilise students for Climate Week, UEA Disability Week, and UEA Sustainability Community and represented students on university committees.

I’ve seen first-hand how powerful students can collectively be- and how much more we could achieve if that power was supported.

1. Fighting the cost of being a student

Education isn’t just tuition fees- it’s overpriced food, unaffordable accommodation, fees on extracurriculars, paid “extras,” - the constant monetisation of student life.

While universities face funding pressures, students should not be treated as an endless source of income.

I will…

1. Campaign against the creeping commercialisation of campus services — food outlets, accommodation, sports, and more.
2. Push for transparency and student consultation before new commercial contracts are signed, and expand subsidised options for food, resources, and events.
3. Support rent justice campaigns, fair accommodation contracts, and protections against exploitative pricing.
4. National campaigns tackling student debt, interest rates, and the lack of grants. 

Students shouldn’t have to pay more just to exist on campus.

1. Ethical finance and student money

Student money - through fees, rent, and on-campus spending - supports unethical practices without our consent.

From banking and insurance to suppliers like Nestlé, our money can be linked to fossil fuels, arms companies, and human rights abuses.

I will…

1. Campaign for stronger ethical banking, investment, insurance, and procurement policies at UEA.
2. Push for student oversight of financial decisions that affect us
3. Support fossil fuel and arms divestment
4. Make university finances accessible and understandable.

Students deserve a voice on how their money is spent.

1. Democracy that works

Turnout in student elections is low, and democratic systems often feel distant or confusing. Democracy shouldn’t be something students engage with once a semester.

I will…

1. Review and improve the new UEA50 system
2. Establish clearer communication channels between students and the union
3. Move away from officer-led campaigns. My role is to support, facilitate, and organise student ideas — not dictate them.

1. Building student power

The union should be a political actor that the university has to listen to.

I will…

1. Strengthen student representation in decision-making bodies
2. Organise students around major justice issues, creating liberation groups
3. Train students to lead campaigns, negotiate, win.

This campaign is about one thing: giving power back to students.