Canning: a President unbound
Henry James Foy talks to Anne-Marie Canning about a year of dirty magazines and class crusades.
“If you’d asked me halfway through the year, I would have said it was the worst mistake I ever made,” says Anne-Marie Canning, about her year as YUSU President.
“But fuck yeah,” she reconsiders, “I’m really proud of what I have done!” she laughs. It is a typical response from the uncompromising 21-year-old from Doncaster.
“Some people think I’m a primadonna,” she states defensively. “I’m not, I’m just mouthy. The fact that people know who I am is quite nice, but it’s a bit embarrassing at times. The thing I pride myself on is that I don’t expect special treatment.”
“Brian [Cantor] said today that I was going to be a tough act to follow,” she says proudly, “Someone said I was the best AcWelf Officer that we never had. I quite enjoyed that.”
Canning has divided opinion with her outspoken and, at times, aggressive attitude to campus politics. In February, former 21 Plus Association President Ben Glover resigned after calling her “a waste of space”.
“It pisses me off when people slag [YUSU] off,” Canning shouts. “It’s not always our fault – people need to get behind us. RAG is with YUSU when it’s getting money, but when, like Woodstock is shit, it’s YUSU that’s shit,” she adds.
Canning also dismisses claims from some college chairs of a lack of funding: “James had negative £100 when I took over [as JCRC chair] and I left it with £5,000. You should pick your arguments and complaints carefully, because you don’t want to be the boy who cried wolf.”
“The college system needs to sort itself out or pack it in because some people are having a shit time,” she says. “There are 50 of us on JCRCs who fucking love it, and the rest don’t care.”
Canning’s workload doubled after she took over the Academic and Welfare role after the departure of Grace Fletcher-Hackwood in February. “Sometimes people don’t appreciate that I’m doing two jobs,” she says. “I think I should have more support, I think I should have an admin person.”
A close friend of Grace during their working tenure, Canning admits that she caused some problems in the office. “It was really stressful. I was the glue between Grace and the rest of the team. Everyone paired off and that pissed me off. The inseperable Jo-alition; Matt and Sam; and then me and Grace. That was,” she pauses, “sometimes difficult.”
Despite losing a colleague and a friend to a simple majority, Canning is a die-hard believer in democracy. Through strong marketing and bags of enthusiasm, YUSU not only increased UGM participation by a huge amount, but acheived the highest turnout in the country for a Student Union election.
Canning has a chart of the highs and lows of the year. ‘Gracegate’ sits just above ‘FHM’ – the “sexist” debacle that began her presidency in disastrous fashion. The fresher welcome bags, which contained a copy of the men’s magazine, were labelled “inappropriate and offensive” by the University’s Equal Opportunities Officer.
“I felt like I had let people down,” she admits. “Complaints were focused on me as a person, not a President.”
With Matt Burton and Sam Bayley “adamant” that the bags were staying, she took the decision to send the matter to the YUSU Exec – which would be her first meeting as chair.
“There was a moment of horror when I realised it had gone through. I was trying to be a neutral chair, but I realise now, fuck it, I should have just said what I wanted to say,” she says, angry at the memory.
Other YUSU Officers reacted angrily to her opposition to the bags. “[A former Ents Officer] went ballistic at me, screaming in my face. I stayed in Wentworth for the rest of Freshers’ week to get away from it all.”
Former President Rich Croker, who stayed in York for an MA this year, features on her list of low points as ‘Meddling’. “Rich had a lot of chat, didn’t he,” Canning jokes. “It’s been hard having him around this year. He thinks he knows your job better than you do.”
“It took me the entire summer to realise that I didn’t have to be him, and could just be my own President,” Canning says.
Canning has enjoyed a good relationship with Vice-Chancellor Brian Cantor. “I think that I have learned a lot from him. It’s an odd dynamic. He’d never had a female president; we’ve got a father-daughter thing going on,” she says. “I think he likes to use me as some sort of working-class poster girl,” Canning adds.
Canning’s class and background is, she admits, a large part of her identity. “When I came to Uni, I had a massive chip on my shoulder about my class,” she says. “Everything I do has that hanging over it.”
“I got some glasses for my birthday, and a girl on my corridor was like “that’s not a present, that’s something that they should just buy for you”. I was like ‘fuck you, they’re £125!” she states indignantly.
“One of my tutors in English told me that my accent made her cringe, she told me to change the way that I spoke. I hope she’s fucking ashamed now,” she says angrily.
Before she came to York, Canning applied to Magdalen College, Oxford. “I got thrown off the lawn because they were playing croquet. I didn’t fucking know what croquet was,” she exclaims. “I think I was good enough to get in, but I don’t think I ever got a chance to discuss literature with anyone,” Canning shrugs. “I came from a school where everyone just said ‘I don’t get it’.”
Having considered working for the University, Canning is unsure about the future. “I dont’ know. I’m lost – I’m going to test the water, see what I like; see what I don’t like.” She has applied for a job at Oxfam, working with British women living in poverty.
“People think this is a career politician position. If this is a career, then fuck me! Careers don’t get paid this shit, know what I mean?” she laughs. While rubbishing critics who claim her role is a step towards a job in politics, disillusionment with MPs in her hometown has given her ideas. “I’ve thought about standing in the next election. Doncaster North could have an MP who actually lives there,” she says. “I’d be like ‘I’m Labour but I’m not Labour, I’m local, and I understand you’. They’d be like ‘Yeah! Vote Anne-Marie!”
Anne-Marie Canning MP – what a scary prospect.
The above is an edited version of the original article published on this website. Several quotes that were requested to be removed under the YUSU Media Charter were left by mistake. Nouse apologises for its error.
16 responses below. Comments are open.
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Perhaps a little too frank, but an excellent article all the same. As someone who is a strict bystander when it comes to student politics, I think she should be proud of her achievements.
Anne-Marie has been amazing!
She’s managed to be both an excellent President and Academic & Welfare Officer at the same time. And that’s not two jobs – that’s three. She’s held YUSU together during difficult times and has taken YUSU forward with the governance review and the new constitution. She’s left us in a great place to take on the challenges posed by the new student venue and the opening of Heslington East.
She’s been a fantastic president, and it’s been a privilege to have had the opportunity to work with her over the last year.
“Before she came to York, Canning applied to Magdalen College, Oxford. “I got thrown off the lawn because they were playing croquet. I didn’t fucking know what croquet was,” she exclaims. “I think I was good enough to get in, but I don’t think I ever got a chance to discuss literature with anyone,” Canning shrugs. “I came from a school where everyone just said ‘I don’t get it’.”
”
Crock of shit. Does she think she’s the only person here who didn’t come from a high class wonderful school. Well get off your high horse Canning you’re not!
There is absolutely this is the same Anne-Maire I know. Absolute classic examples (as always) of quotation truncation.
And I think you mean:
Anne-Marie Canning MP – what a refreshing prospect!
How can anyone not know what Croquet is?! We ised to play it at school with silver spoons in our mouths.
DT (on behalf of the priveleged).
There is something weird about Oxford Uni, I must admit. I was walking through Lincoln College last week and they were actually playing croquet on the lawn (although I didn’t walk on it!). It was all a bit weird.
If AMC wants to play the local card, she should run for Mayor, she’d be a lot better than Martin Winter anyway
I agree with Matthew Pallas that Anne-Marie has been an amazing president. I’ve not been on YUSU myself but have been at York through 3 different presidents and Anne-Marie has been by far the best. Indeed, with the possible exceptions of Neil Barnes (lovable welfare guy from my first year) and Grace Fletcher-Hackwood (who whatever some people think of her clearly did so much for students), I’d say she’s been the best out of all YUSU sabs in the 3 years. Although a few major incidents have played a part as well, I think it is Anne-Marie who is largely to thank for the greater involvement of students in elections, UGMs and other parts of student politics.
Also, I’m pretty sure the “former Ents Officer” who screamed ballistically at AMC used to be named on this article. He should be ashamed of himself.
What a load of tripe David. I dont know AnneMarie but I did know Grace and Neil and they were both rubbish compared to their colleagues. If you say shes like them then my opinion of her has dropped dramatically.
Given the nature of this article I am appalled to have a president of this nature. This appears to be out of character with her other work and is so bitter and twisted – grow up.
Fancy that Anon, my opinion is different to yours. That certainly justifies you calling it “tripe”.
I also knew Neil and Grace and not only liked them personally but thought they were excellent at their jobs. I’m not going to change my opinion just because you think otherwise. Also, I didn’t say that Anne-Marie was like Neil or Grace (nor that they are like each other), merely that I thought they were all good officers. You obviously disagree, that’s fine, but please try and express your opinion in a more constructive way in future.
I have spent a lot of time in the YUSU Office and find it hypocritical that Canning can criticise anyone for shouting at her.She is always going crazy and shouting at people, especially Matt B who seems to put up with abuse.
Anne-Marie you have been a good presedint but don’t try and change the truth.
Hi Chris,
I would ask that you judge me on my work, not this article.
Cheers, Anne-Marie
Nice to see my name being thrown about here. The vast majority of my work was confidential so am interested to know how someone could have formulated such a negative opinion of me. I had plenty of people who came back to me time and time again, so must have done something right. If I helped even one person through a hard time at university, then I would be ten times more proud of that than writing new constitutions, selling out bar crawls around town, running ’save our bars’ campaigns and the like. So there.
Good work by all the Sabbs this year anyhow – no matter what the public perception of any officer may be, I know at first hand what an uphill struggle the whole year can be.
I just hope her head can fit through the door as she leaves.
What a foul-mouthed little girl…
middle management beckons methinks… class warrior methinks not