NUS embraces reform at extraordinary conference

After a mere two years of negotiations, NUS is officially on the road to reform. Delegates from all around the UK voted last week by an overwhelming majority of 90 per cent for the long-awaited constitutional changes to be put into action.

Following the tense events of the last extraordinary conference back in November, a clear two-thirds majority was needed for the new constitution to be ratified. The votes at last weeks extraordinary conference, held again in Wolverhampton, were so convincing that no official count was necessary.

NUS President Wes Streeting remarked on the significance of the result: "This is a turning point in the history of NUS. The student population has changed dramatically in the past decade, but NUS has stood still. Today, that inertia comes to an end.

"It's the most radical turn NUS has taken for a generation, and one that will put students' interests and students' needs at the forefront of a dynamic, relevant and effective organisation."

The main changes involve structural leadership shifts. The creation of 5 "zone" committees who will specialise in certain areas, is hoped to give members better access to the head council and limit the amount of trivial suggestions wasting time at future conferences. All relevant information will be passed to the newly-elected National Executive Council (NEC), allowing specialist minority groups to get their views across more effectively.

The NEC will remain the union's political arm, while a new Trustee Board consisting of both elected student officers and professional finance and legal experts, will be created to focus on the smooth-running of the Union. Pro-reformers see this as an attempt to rectify the mistakes made in the past.

Concerns that the true democracy of NUS would be ruined, since the reforms would technically cede overall power to the board, were dismissed. Voters appeared happy with the new system, under which the NEC retains the right to refer suggestions straight back to the board for review and, in theory, can remove any individual from the Board.

Referring to this shift in power, Streeting said: "That's there for reassurance, but the board was never intended to be in massive conflict with the council. The system isn't designed to encourage conflict. The NUS will remain a student-led, student-run organisation and the political leadership will remain in charge."

Students' Unions around the UK will also have the power to call a ballot between conferences, which prevents the NEC from taking policy decisions or launching campaigns without consulting the membership.

The small minority of "no" votes were mainly based in the south of England. On the morning of the conference, a facebook group was created by a student from Sussex students' union, calling a meeting on 7 March in order to discuss what to do next if the main motion for the reform passed. They claim that the new constitution will mean the "gutting of our national union’s democracy." So far the protest group has only managed to attract 34 members.

In a dramatic—some say farcical—turn of events, the end of the voting was disrupted as the stage was invaded by pro-Palestinian protesters. Those attending report that the conference was left in disarray as a crowd reputed to be from one of the socialist groups mounted the stage, armed with a megaphone.

"It was pretty chaotic," said attenting delegate Kath McMahon. "The people on the stage were chanting 'free Palestine'; the delegates on the floor were shouting 'free the stage.'

"Certainly, a lot of us had different attitudes towards the [constitutional] review, but it was quite frustrating as the protesters didn't represent the views of most of the people on the left."

When, following a break, it became clear that the group was unlikely to move, the vote was held despite the fact that certain amendments regarding the timetable of the reforms had not been debated fully as per the conference schedule. While some have expressed disappointment at this, the curtailment of debate time seems unlikely to have thrown the vote for new constitution.

As The Journal reported back in November, the history surrounding NUS attempts to reform has been riddled with controversy and embarrassment.

The saga began in 2007, when new plans were drawn up on how to run the struggling institution. These were accepted by the first conference, yet on April fool’s day last year, at the annual meeting in Blackpool, the proposed constitution was thrown out by the narrowest of margins.

It has since taken nine months and two extraordinary conferences for the union to agree on reform. This has angered some student groups who claim that, since 2009 is the year the government are planning to review the cap on tuition fees, a strong union is essential for ensuring students get a fair deal in the upcoming talks.

Streeting acknowledged that most students "care less about constitution and structures and more about outcomes”, and promised: “This constitutional reform is about being able to deliver those outcomes."