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Referenda Case

All Student Vote (Spring 2025)

Warwick SU to re-affiliate to the National Union of Students (NUS) to restore our national voice

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This motion is for the Students' Union to re-affiliate with the National Union of Students (NUS) and for the VP Democracy and Development and President to hold elections for delegates in time to participate in NUS' upcoming National Conference and Liberation Conference. 

This Union Notes:

  1. That in the Spring 2023 ASV, a motion was passed to disaffiliate from the National Union of Students, which comes into effect this December.

  2. This motion received only 42.1% of votes in favour, with a large proportion (more than 20%) of students abstaining (1).

  3. The NUS is the formal national body for representing students - the government engages with it regularly on issues such as the cost-of-living crisis and the new Renters Reform Bill, which will massively reshape the landscape of student housing. (2)

  4. The NUS has done key research and lobbying on the cost of living crisis (2) - its lobbying secured £243 million for university hardship funds during the cost of living crisis (3). With an upcoming general election, students need to be represented to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

  5. The disaffiliation campaign was heavily criticised by exec members, including the President, of Warwick Jewish Society (JSoc), calling its treatment of JSoc and Jewish students “reductive and exploitative” (4).

  6. The Union of Jewish Students did not call for Students Unions to disaffiliate over the findings of the recent antisemitism report (6).

This Union Believes:

  1. With the upcoming elections of delegates to NUS, who will choose who leads the organisation, it is hugely important for Warwick students to have a say in who represents them on a national scale.

  2. The motion to disaffiliate stripped Warwick students of their voice on a national scale, excluding us from crucial decisions about our future.

  3. Due to the low turnout and high abstention rate, the decision of this magnitude being taken based off such a vote has a weak mandate.

  4. The campaign ran primarily by the University of Warwick Conservative Association (5) “cheapened” antisemitism by “weaponising” it as a “political tool” (Statement from the then President and Shabbat Officer of Warwick JSoc) (4)

  5. The retweeting and endorsement of the University of Warwick Conservative Association’s celebration of the decision by far-right figures, including Guido Fawkes is deeply concerning.

  6. Warwick SU is best able to combat antisemitism and all forms of oppression by being affiliated to NUS, not outside it.

This Union Resolves:

  1. For the VP Democracy and Development and the President, as quickly as possible, to begin the process to re-affiliate to the NUS, and hold elections for delegates in time to participate in NUS’ upcoming 2024 National Conference and Liberation Conference.

  2. Warwick SU should always use its voice in NUS and more generally to fight antisemitism and all forms of oppression.

Sources: