My blog. Well at long last it is here for your sad amusement, as though NUS were some unfolding Soap Opera. Where the exposure of the NEC’s day to day affairs creates an interest level beyond the veneer of accountability it was designed?

So evidently I am to participate in this fad that challenges us to all bring some meaningful reality to these words as they unfold before you. With much ado about nothing, I will attempt to take you on a journey into the exciting depth of activities and perspectives of the NUS National Secretary 2004/05.

Journeys never make sense without a context. The context, which transects this journey, is reform. Reform should give one a perspective for my raison d’etre in NUS and also, I sure that it will give you a context for my eventual reason for leaving NUS.

I got involved in NUS as a cynical friend and reformist; I hope that remains my role to this day, and I hope that I can eventually leave with a clear satisfaction of having played a part but not having been consumed by the beast.

This year’s beginning (and where I consider an appropriate start to my Blog) is at national conference up in Blackpool. This year’s conference was unique amongst others before it; this conference was more of a mission, than the usual part of NUS annual policy beurocracy and political showdown. We were presented with 24 hours to save Students from burden of top up fees. Before that we informed the movement that the budgetary black hole, we call our finances, potentially going to put NUS into extinction. Finally, the elections of the new leadership of the National Union, that unwittingly for some were going to have to clean up the mess. Plus did I forget to mention a little bit of a debate, but not on reform or really anything new than we had not discussed before. Then we all jumped into coaches and off in a convoy to parliament to save students from the latest tyranny of this Labour Government.

Interesting conference on the whole… The leadership could no longer hide years of incompetence in the running of NUS due to a little stunt some of us pulled at national council and some sever number crunching by a fringe group of us on the NEC. NUS lack of control of its money had gone public and the sad thing was nobody seemed surprised and there was no sign of anyone changing their habits fast. But reform was now inevitable.

We also had a new leadership myself included. A bit of an eclectic mixture of independents a Labour student with a definite lack of Cohesion from the start would that change?????

So what a Start….. Sitting in the Westminster arms after the excitement of the last 36-hour feeling a little battle fatigued and down after bringing this government to near defeat but like the vote on the war a near defeat means nothing but failure to stop this government that is out of control. I thought to myself things could only get easier. But this was the classic start to a crazy year.

Over the next few months before taking the post of office, there was an incredible feeling of Unity in the NEC. Reform was now the buzzword and we were the group to do it. The whole NEC seemed to rally around with a collective responsibility to a consensus on the reforms that would save the national union. We proposed many reforms to the extra ordinary conference to be held in Leeds. They were a start but did not go far enough and in many respects were still medalling. What NUS needed was a total re-think.

Well the extra ordinary conference came and went the reforms went through. NUS beurocracy was now the talk of the town; the constitution was having a make over! People were suddenly interested in reform and it was happening.

One problem everyone was leaving, would the next generation care so much? How long would it take, people have to understand an organisation to reform it. Well what was still clear to me is that NUS must reform or it will die!

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