It is never easy for a public figure when he passes on the baton. So no wonder Andrew Pakes was feeling sensitive when, having watched Owain James elected as his successor to the presidency of the NUS, he felt himself being watched by an almost life-sized portrait of his own predecessor, Douglas Trainer. The Trades Union Congress had chosen the photo to illustrate a stall promoting closer relations between students and unions.
Pakes felt it could have the opposite effect. "It is probably just there to frighten everyone," he said.