NUS move to fund 'Yes To NUS' on-campus campaigns criticised | NEWS

Via varsity.co.uk

The National Union of Students has been criticised following a motion which passed at the latest NEC meeting, which allows them to "keep aside a budget for NEC and other committee members to be able to campaign to keep unions affiliated."  

The NUSceptics group, which campaigns for student unions to disaffiliate from the NUS, released a statement condemning the move. 

Ieuan Joy, NUSceptics Regional Coordinator for Wales, said: 

“The NUS seeks to undermine campus democracy by seeking to outspend anyone who stands against them. It is clear the NUS does not seek to reform, but is instead steamrollering any opposition taken by students.”

While the treasurer of the group also condemned the move as non-democratic:

"It's clear that the NUS are trying their hardest to weigh affiliation referendums in their favour from the outset, against the very democratic principles that both the NUS and the wider student movement claim to uphold.” 

This follows a controversial first meeting of the new NUS NEC which saw allegations of antisemitism and sexism directed at the national union.  The meeting led to the organisation being accused of not being a 'safe space' for Jewish students by one NUS NEC member, while the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) said Jews were being "pushed out of university life".