Written by Jack Baker
LSE students have voted 62% in favour of disaffiliating from the National Union of Students. The referendum was triggered after a petition calling for it received over 100 signatures, and the result will now be implemented by the LSESU team.
At the same time as voting on NUS membership, students voted overwhelmingly in favour (75%) of conducting a formal review into LSESU’s internal processes in order to improve “efficiency, transparency, communication, and student engagement”. This vote was triggered following a vote by the Democracy Committee to put the issue to all students.
Divestment was also on the ballot when two motions in favour of increased boycotts and lobbying were passed. The first renewed the previous years’ policy to continue lobbying LSE senior management to press for full divestment from fossil fuels and weapons manufacturers.
The second motion binds LSESU to support a boycott of the National Student Survey (the NSS), in order to apply further pressure on the university to divest. Launched in 2005, the NSS is a national survey offered to all final-year undergraduates in order to gauge students’ views about their higher-education provider. It is unclear as of yet what this boycott will mean in practice.
The referendum also included a vote on whether LSESU should lobby all departments to host formal dinners (passed by 75%).
Campaigners on all sides of the debate were seen on campus encouraging voters to side with them. In particular, the vote on NUS membership saw the President of the National Union of Students, Amira Campbell, produce videos on campus encouraging LSE students to oppose the motion. In echoes of former campaigns, she listed what she believed to be NUS’ major achievements, including improving renters’ rights and saving the graduate route visa.
Opponents, such as the campaign group Not My NUS and LSESU Welfare and Liberation Officer Isabel Howe, highlighted the Union’s perceived lack of action in response to the Gaza genocide and a low-value for money, as per The Beaver’s previous issue.
Now that LSE students have voted to disaffiliate, they join a growing pool of universities that have turned their backs on the organisation, including Cambridge, York, Imperial, and St Andrews.
LSESU staff have yet to announce how they plan to implement the results of the referendums, with NUS membership not expected to be renewed for another year.
Isabel Howe, LSESU Welfare and Liberation Officer, spoke to The Beaver: “It’s really important that students maintain high standards, especially during dark political times. I’m really proud that LSE students refuse to be aligned with a campaign body that stays silent on divestment. The next step is to further develop LSESU’s relationship with RGSU, SOS UK, the London Student Partnership, and of course, our MP (and alumna) Rachel Blake.”
