Guido’s student politics days are long behind him, but sometimes there is BS too good not to call out. A Labour hack to the core, NUS President Aaron Porter has announced he will not be seeking re-election less than 24 hours after his complete re-election plans were leaked, and subsequently shredded. He claims he was confident he would have won the April ballot, yet decided he won’t be running citing hard left bullying. Where have we heard the one about flunking “an election because he thought he was going to win it” before?

Instead of going with grace and dignity after a student was sent to prison for  nearly killing a policeman on a march that was poorly planned by Porter he shirked responsibility. Subsequently humiliated to the point of being taken into police protection from a crowd of students he later smeared as anti-Semites. The makings of a true Labour politician. So while Porter waltzes off into management consultancy or the like, hopefully we will see the NUS rightfully taken back by the loony-left and used as a mouthpiece for their bonkers plans.

Aaron “Marius“ Porter hinted on the Politics Show that the NUS, a.k.a. him, may put up a candidate at the Oldham by-election, triggered ironically by the disgrace of a former NUS President. The NUS press office is in a mess this morning, but apparently Porter is denying he would stand independently, which makes sense given he would take votes from Labour and jeopardise his chance for a safe seat in 2015. The same reason rules out former President Wes Streeting who left his lucrative job at PWC to remain a Labour councillor. He’s not going to blow his chances.

Labour are desperate to find a candidate quickly and rumours are flying of who they have approached. The very close association of Phil’s loyal old bag carrier, Shona Woodfine has damaged her chances of getting the nomination and the race is very much open…

Given that tuition fees rises have been the most emotive part of the cutting agenda, so far, it would make sense for Labour to shore up their base and steal LibDem votes by running their by-election campaign around this issue, distracting from the shame of their former Member. Porter would have to quit as NUS President to run, and although Wes told Guido he wouldn’t run, in no uncertain terms, it’s not like an aspiring candidate has never denied an interest in the past. But on the ground things are hotting up…

Sources say the NUS/Labour hacks to keep an eye on are Josh MacAlister, a former Labour Students hack who now bills himself as “a teacher from Oldham” (he’s on TeachFirst which means he does this for a year or two and then goes away to work in the city). Only problem being he supported David Miliband.

The other is Kev Peel, a gay rights campaigner, championed by Gordon Brown and a ruthlessly ambitious careerist. Both boys set up the “Keep Oldham Labour” Facebook site. A friend close to Mr MacAlister says he isn’t surprised Josh is in the running and says he is “highly rated” in the local association. You heard it here first…

UPDATE: “Local teacher” MacAlister’s close friendship with his old student union ally Kenny Young might come in very handy. Depite an omnishambles of a career so far, Clamity Kenny has somehow managed to rise to the dizzy heights of Ed Miliband’s “Press Manager”.

Someone to lobby for him on the inside…

Guido was sure the NUS said it had nothing to do with the French-style trashing of Millbank. Funny then that three elected officials of the Executive Committee have defended the violence and suggested it was representative of the whole movement. Guido thought the official line was that nobody from the NUS was involved in the violence?

Writing in a “Coalition of the Resistance” letter Mark Bergfeld, (NUS NEC), Vicki Baars (NUS LGBT Officer) and Sean Rillo Raczka (NUS NEC Mature Students’ Rep) said:

‘During the demonstration over 5,000 students showed their determination to defend the future of education by occupying the Tory party HQ and its courtyards for several hours. The mood was good-spirited, with chants, singing and flares. We reject any attempt to characterise the Millbank protest as small, “extremist” or unrepresentative of our movement… We stand with the protesters, and anyone who is victimised as a result of the protest.’We reject any attempt to characterise the Millbank protest as small, “extremist” or unrepresentative of our movement… We stand with the protesters, and anyone who is victimised as a result of the protest.’

No mention of any fire extinguishers. Having mislead the public and the media by suggesting the NUS was in no way involved in what happened at Millbank, will the President publically distance himself from his team? Quite hard given he drew the map of the route to go past CCHQ…