This article has been corrected since the Chair of the Students’ Union has reached out to clarify the nature of the strike.
Charles Hastings, candidate for Editor of The University Times, has received a Class C strike for his campaign manager’s failure to attend the Electoral Commission’s (EC) briefing. The meeting was held to brief candidates for the 2025 Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) sabbatical election on campaigning rules and requirements.
The strike has resulted in a suspension from campaigning for the candidate for two hours, which will come into effect on Monday morning when campaigning for candidates begins.
The reason for the strike is listed in the Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Schedule 3 of electoral rules: “In the case of an absence, the candidate and campaign manager are required to schedule a supplementary Election Briefing with the EC within two working days of the original Election Briefing.”
Speaking to The University Times about the strike, Hastings said “I unfortunately missed the election briefing, as a friend of mine passed away that same day. My supplementary briefing with the election commission went extremely well, however, and I am ready to tackle this campaign.”
Hastings is the sole candidate to receive a strike thus far. Last year, the current TCDSU Welfare and Equality Officer Hamza Bana received a similar strike for failing to attend the election briefing.
This is the second time that Hastings is running for the position of The University Times Editor in Chief. His competitor for the role is Sajal Singh, the current Features Editor for the newspaper.
The candidates for the TCDSU elections will attend the first hustings of the campaign period on Monday, February 17th at 5 pm on the Dining Hall steps to launch their campaigns.
