Thursday 18-04-2019 - 10:16

Last week, I was delighted to join Durham’s five elected delegates in attending the annual National Union of Students (NUS) Conference in Glasgow. NUS’ annual conference is its highest democratic body, responsible for setting policy and electing the Officers who lead our National Union.

The 2019 Conference was of particular importance as it decided the future of NUS. Delegates were being asked to vote on a reform motion, which proposed changes to make NUS sustainable, and secure its future as a national voice for students in Durham and across the UK. It was fantastic that delegates voted overwhelmingly to pass the necessary reforms, as well as vital amendments to the original proposals. These amendments protect NUS’ liberation work and restore funding for the NUS Trans Campaign, ensuring that our National Union is supporting the most marginalised students on our campuses. The reforms will allow NUS to re-focus on its core purposes of supporting the development of Students’ Unions and delivering representation at a national level. They also reduce the cost for a Union to be affiliated with the NUS.

I was particularly proud of the contributions made by Durham SU and our delegation. We proposed amendments to the reform motion, in order to protect women’s representation in delegations to NUS Conferences; maintain liberation committees; and hold caucuses for sections (International, Postgraduate, Mature, Part-time, Parents & Carers). All of these amendments were passed by Conference and were crucial in shaping the reform proposals to make sure that NUS can be the student-led, fighting Union that students need on their side. As well as reform amendments, delegates from Durham successfully proposed policy motions on student workers, campaigning for the real living wage and supporting students taking part in rent strikes. These motions mandate NUS Officers to work on issues important to students at Durham.

It has also just been announced that our Opportunities Officer, Charlie Walker, has been successfully elected as an NUS Student Director – congratulations Charlie! Congratulations also to Zamzam Ibrahim, our new NUS President, and all those elected to Vice President roles. You can read full details in the coverage from Durham’s media observer, Anna Tatham.

I’ve always firmly believed that students need a National Union to harness and strengthen our collective voice, so that we can put forward an alternative vision for our education and shape national policy. Last week’s Conference showed that this view is shared by students across the country, and with reforms passed, I’m confident that NUS can continue to play a key role in leading the student movement. With spiralling rents, strained support services and threats to universities’ funding, we need a strong National Union more than ever. I look forward to seeing Durham SU continuing to make vital contributions to NUS’ future as it approaches its 100^th birthday.