NUS Extraordinary conference overwhelmingly voted to adopt a new constitution yesterday. A constitution that will abandon any lingering control of the Union by elected student delegates in favour of a top down managerial structure. These proposals have now been put to the vote four times but only tested in front of an elected Annual Conference once where they were defeated last year in spite of support from the whole NUS apparatus. The fact that the national executive was happy to ram the changes through a second largely unelected conference during most students’ exams is an indication of the contempt they have for real democracy.

NUS have not been suffering a crisis of structure but of politics and leadership. In the build up to the conference five Universities had gone into occupation against the Israeli massacre in Gaza; Thousands of students have joined the protests, meetings and actions to show their opposition to injustice and solidarity with the oppressed. During this upsurge of student activism NUS not only failed to take part but condemned protest against Israeli aggression as anti-Semitic. NUS have not only failed to defend Palestinians against Israeli occupation but have taken a position wildly to the right of public opinion.

We and others occupied the stage at the conference yesterday to show that NUS has crossed a line over Palestine. No issue is to “complicated” to take a principled position over. NUS should be supporting and spreading student solidarity for Palestine not denouncing those that do so. We oppose all anti-Semitism and by doing so while standing up against the Israeli occupation we do so more effectively. The NUS’ bloody disgrace over Palestine is but one in a series of political capitulations over everything from education to racism and international solidarity.

The occupation allowed conference to continue despite our opposition after we were allowed to make a statement to the conference explaining our actions. We reject the legitimacy of the process and abstained from the final vote in protest of the NUS’ unresolved position on Gaza and undemocratic methods. SWSS will continue to try and build a left inside NUS alongside our allies while addressing the more urgent task of building a principled student movement on every campus.

Rob Owen
NUS National Executive
Socialist Worker Student Society

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