Thursday 29-03-2018 - 09:19

Our media observer Jamie Murphy takes us through the rather dramatic events of NUS Conference Day #2.

Emotions have run high as motions run dry on Day 2 of the NUS Conference 2018!

Conference kicked off today with a motion on the defence of free speech, a subject that was to prove pivotal in this afternoon’s controversial stage occupation by delegates. Impassioned pleas to pass the motion, which resolved to campaign against any future laws or policies that stifle or criminalise direct and disruptive action by student activists were met with a near unanimity of approval that was sorely missed in later proceedings.

The defence of free speech was a fitting introduction to the day’s session for another reason, as the floor was soon taken by representatives of the Liberation Groups. Reps for the Black Students’ Campaign, Disabled Students’ Campaign, LGBT+ Campaign, Trans Campaign and the Women’s Campaign were given the microphone to talk about some of the incredible progress each of these vital groups have made over the last year.

Between them, their achievements have included tackling the attainment gap for minority students and the pay gap for Muslim women, contesting transmisogyny in the wider press, and coordinating groups campaigning for reproductive justice. The Liberation Groups have shown impressive progress individually, but together their efforts have amounted to significant change for the better.

Despite the great strides made by these groups in creating safer, fairer, and more nurturing campuses, one issue was returned to throughout the morning’s debates, and the problem featured some of the most rousing speeches due to its worrying spread in society. The issue was anti-semitism. Representatives drew on their own experiences of abuses, from death threats to anti-semitic graffiti in emotional pleas for solidarity and change to tackle the re-emergence of this crime.

Another prominent issue of the morning was mental health. Durham SU’s own president Megan Croll gave a moving and impactful speech calling for government to ensure NHS mental health provisions adequately reflect the demographics of demand in university regions. She was supported in her call for greater national attention to mental health problems in higher education by fellow Durham SU delegate Helen Paton. The motion they spoke on was passed with a massive majority in favour.

Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections, what were expected to be the central event of the day, saw passionate appeals by candidates promising sector-wide sweeping reforms, including fair wages for student workers, amending university rates of cost, and the wider dispersal of NUS resources across student groups.

Following exchanges between candidates where would-be usurpers charged the incumbent office-holders with negligence, ineffectiveness and lack of action, each of the 2017-18 cohort of NUS executive representatives up for re-election successfully defended their titles. These are: Shakira Martin (President), Amatey Doku (VP HE), Ali Milani (VP Union Development), and Emily Chapman (VP FE). We wish them luck in the next year of politics and reform!

But the feature that dominated Day 2’s proceedings was not the presidential race, or the various policy motions. Instead, it was the amount of students mounting the platform and staging a protest against the conference administration’s decision to move past the Welfare Zone. Though the Zone (which sees discussion of racism, mental illness, women’s rights and the rights of sex workers) had run its allotted time, delegates were dissatisfied that many important issues – such as abortion law in Northern Ireland – had not been debated.

In a move that polarised participants, students began an occupation of the conference floor. Chants were raised, and one by one, delegates shouted their argument to the remaining audience, making up for the silenced microphones. There were tears, tantrums, and tension, as delegates gave details of the suffering of women wanting abortion rights in Northern Ireland and the plight of sex workers in the UK, all while the safety officer requested delegates cease their protest for fear of the health and safety risk it posed on the stage.

Press officers and delegates not participating in the boycott were soon ushered from the conference.

But conference was taken outside as arguments for both sides were discussed in the foyer. Some delegates spoke with approval of the protest, citing the important issues that did not manage to be discussed in the Welfare Zone’s allotted time. Others voiced their frustration that the protest would only serve to shorten the time left to debate all other motions.

Both factions had plenty of time to consider their opinions, as conference failed to resume until the early evening. Once resumed, the remains of the debate saw outgoing VP for Society and Citizenship Robbie Young report on the achievements of his last year in office, and motions to help refugees into education once in the UK, and to improve the sustainability of campus practices. The demand to become zero-waste and avoid single-use plastics came under scrutiny from representatives of disabled students who rely on pre-prepared meals which can be plastic intensive. As one shrewd delegate noted, due to impairments ‘we don’t all have the ability to go back and make that millennial avocado salad’. Both motions were passed.

Judging by the passions raised in today’s conference, Day 3 is set to be a fierce one!