Tuesday 18-10-2016 - 14:06

Update from the President 

Over the weekend a cross (political) party committee of the UK Parliament, the Home Affairs Select Committee published a report on Antisemitism in the UK, featuring accounts of antisemitism within the student political movement and specifically the National Union of Students.

As I’m sure many of you are aware, since the National Conference in April, our National Union of Students has been in the media spotlight repeatedly, with the primary focus of the coverage surrounding accusations of antisemitism in the organisation. The majority of this attention has been aimed at Malia Bouattia, the NUS President, and the HASC report has been no different.

In response to the report I signed a letter, initiated by other SUs, calling for ‘Malia Bouattia, the President of NUS UK to issue a full and formal apology to Jewish students, and indeed to her entire membership’, or failing this, her resignation. I feel that consistently the NUS UK President has offered no real apology to students, both Jewish and non-Jewish, and failed to listen to the concerns of her Jewish representatives and students alike.  I take our collective responsibility to combat antisemitism seriously.

During our referendum on NUS membership in June, these concerns were raised in Durham. At the heart of this issue are our Jewish students and I respect Durham Jewish Society’s perspective on this matter too. Following our strong mandate to remain affiliated to NUS, I, as a student leader who campaigned ‘remain’, firmly believe that I must engage with national student politics to reform NUS and make it work for us.

I do believe that we need the support and work of NUS and doing what is right for Durham students will always remain at the heart of my decisions. This is an unprecedented time in the world of student politics and NUS. I hope that as an engaged Students’ Union we can shape the changes needed in the National Union right now.

Do you have an opinion on the boycott or other NUS policies? Run to be a delegate at NUS National Conference in Brighton! More information…