How to write a Manifesto

 

Your manifesto is there to tell students (and potential voters) a bit more about yourself and what you would like to achieve within the role you are going for!  

It’s one of the first things voters are going to look at, so it’s important that it reflects you!  

 

Let's get started

 

Writing a manifesto can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never written one before – but don’t worry, we’ve made a list of tips and tricks of how you can put together a perfect manifesto that reflects you! 

Before you start writing your manifesto, consider the following...

 

  • Why you’re running for the role  

  • How this role affects students  

  • Do some research on what previous officers have achieved/not achieved  

  • Research the University 

  • Make it personal (how do you relate to the manifesto points) 

  • Make sure the points you make are achievable and realistic. Don’t make claims you know you will not be able to achieve  

  • Think about why you’re the best person for the role  

 

How to structure your manifesto?

 

Now that you’ve got a rough idea of what your manifesto will include, you can start structuring your manifesto. We’ve made a rough structuring guide for you to use to create your manifesto! 

Top tip: we’d suggest you keep your manifesto below 200 words so that it’s more readable! 

  • Introduce yourself  

  • The role you’re running for  

  • Why you’re running for the role  

  • A brief description of why you’ve chosen your manifesto points and your experiences  

  • List your manifesto points, why you’ve chosen them and how you plan to achieve them. 

  • Closing statement

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to write your manifesto and go over it with someone you trust to give you feedback!

You can also have a look at the manifestos of last year's Presidents and Vice-Presidents here