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Student rector Aamer Anwar: It's a myth that West End is affluent all over - it is not

Lawyers says he will lobby ministers to activate recently acquired powers to cap rents.

Newly-elected student rector Aamer Anwar has said he wants to help tackle exorbitant rents and unscrupulous landlords in the West End of Glasgow.

The human rights lawyer was elected to the prestigious post following a ballot of thousands of students earlier this week.

He said many students and local people were being squeezed out of the market by spiralling rents in the district.

He would use his new role, he told Glasgow West End Today, to lobby ministers to use new powers to cap rents in hotspot areas.

 Support: The lawyer says he wants to hold regular surgeries with students. Photo credit: Martin Shields.
Support: The lawyer says he wants to hold regular surgeries with students. Photo credit: Martin Shields.

He said: "The Private Housing Tenancies Scotland Act 2016 was actually passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2016 with a lot of cross-party support.

"It has not been given effect yet by the Scottish government, so one of the first steps will be to lobby the Scottish government to bring that Act into effect.

"And the next stage will be to gather evidence from the students, and from people from the local community, about the activities of unscrupulous landlords.

"And then we will approach Glasgow City Council and ask them to designate the West End as a 'rent pressure zone' (a provision under the new Act to cap rent rises).

"And in doing so in one stroke it will protect students and local people from the rent rises that are unacceptable but also protect them from evictions."

Aamer Anwar, rector of Glasgow University:

"There seems to this myth that the West End is an affluent area.

"There are pockets of affluence in the West End, of course there are.

"But there are also pockets that are not doing so well - areas where people are suffering from austerity cuts.

"If this can be done for students it will also impact on local residents and local people who do not have the money to pay the rises in rents."

He said the new legalisation could make a difference to students and local residents.

He said: "There would be tribunals that would be set up where people could turn to for support.

"It would reduce the insecurity of accommodation, and people would be able to get on with their lives without having to choose between food and choosing between rent."

He said it was important to recognise the hardship existing in pockets of the West End.

"There seems to this myth that the West End is an affluent area.

"There are pockets of affluence in the West End, of course there are.

"But there are also pockets that are not doing so well - areas where people are suffering from austerity cuts.

"If this can be done for students it will also impact on local residents and local people who do not have the money to pay the rises in rents."

A total of 8210 students took part in the election, which was held under the single transferrable vote system on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 March.

Mr Anwar will take up office on 31 March 2017, replacing the current Rector, Edward Snowden.

Speaking after his declaration, Mr Anwar said: “I have been inspired by the thousands of students that I have met in the last three weeks whilst touring lectures theatres, student unions, interrupting lunches and holding street meetings.

Watch: Aamer Anwar says he wants to tackle high rents in the West End.

"I also want to thank all those student groups and societies that spoke out in support of my campaign."

Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: "I would like to congratulate Aamer Anwar on his election as rector and I look forward to working closely with him over the next three years."

Ameer Ibrahim, SRC President, said: "The SRC is happy to see the result of our newly elected Rector at the University, as democratically voted for by our student community.

"We wish Aamer Anwar the very best of luck, and we are looking forward to working with him over the next three years in service to the students at the University of Glasgow."

Total number of votes cast was 8210, with Aamer Anwar elected on the first ballot under STV.

The result was as follows: Aamer Anwar 4458; Lady Hazel Cosgrove 1409; Sir Vince Cable 535; Milo Yiannopolous 533; Professor Jordan Peterson 442; Jonathan JJ Tease 271; Brace Belden 236; John Lindberg 199; Duncan Logie 45; Thomas Hind 38. There were 44 spoilt ballots.

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