Written by Jack Baker
LSE Students’ Union have now confirmed that a referendum will soon be held to decide the future of the SU’s relationship with the National Union of Students (NUS). After initial concern over whether a petition to trigger the referendum would receive the required number of signatures, it was recently announced that over 100 students had signed.
The move comes following extensive criticism of LSE’s continued relationship with the organisation, after it was revealed that the NUS had attempted to pressure sabbatical officers to remove their signatures from an open letter criticising a perceived lack of action over events related to the Gaza genocide. It parallels the formation of ‘Not My NUS’, a campaign group supporting disaffiliation across Britain.
If the student body votes to disaffiliate, it would join a growing pool of universities that have turned their backs on the NUS in recent months. In October, students at the University of Cambridge backed disaffiliation in a referendum, joining the likes of York, Imperial, and St Andrews. In echoes of issues that have plagued the organisation for years, disaffiliates cited issues of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and low value for money.
Such accusations have plagued the NUS for a long time, with the previous Conservative government breaking off engagement following antisemitism reports. The then education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, was “seriously concerned” about such reports, and so had decided to “disengage with the NUS until the issues had been addressed.”
Further accusations of ineffectiveness were also widespread, but complaints about the Union’s actions on Palestine have multiplied following the October 7th attacks. Amira Campbell, the current president of the NUS, was criticised extensively following an event she hosted with the Palestinian Ambassador, Hassam Zomlot, despite little other work for the cause.
When approached for comment, LSESU Welfare and Liberation Officer Isabel Howe told The Beaver that “unionising with other SU officers is important to me, but not at the expense of my priorities for LSESU.” She went on to say that “NUS UK’s relative silence on Palestine and divestment was my top reason for producing this petition. Ultimately, it is wrong for LSESU to be represented by a campaigning body that is silent on the issue our students consistently care about most.”
In response, Amera Campbell, President of NUS UK, told The Beaver that “LSE Students are £248,400 better off per year because of NUS’ work,” claiming they had “saved the graduate route visa” and “made rent up-front illegal through an amendment to the Renters Rights Act”.
She believed that “the student movement is at its strongest when we stand together … and are always open to conversations with you and your sabbatical officers about the issues affecting LSE students, what we can work on together, and what we can win together.”
