Leading black figures condemn NUS reforms ahead of vote

The recent decision by the National Union of Students (NUS) to ratify the new constitution has been taken amid a backdrop of controversy over the union's handling of racial equality.

Concerns have been raised by a small group of black students who feel that the new amendments will greatly disadvantage them, as well as other minority groups within the NUS. They claim the new constitution will significantly lessen the influence held by their elected representatives as plans include removing officers of the minority groups from the most important body of the NUS.

The major restructuring of the NUS is hoped to provide students with a greater opportunity to have their say, although some groups have argued that it will, in fact, severely limit the amount of input they have on important issues.

Backed by a number of well-known figures such as Doreen Lawrence, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, poet Benjamin Zephaniah and MP Diane Abbott, black students launched a campaign in an attempt to persuade the NUS that before the reform took place an equality-impact check needed to be carried out.

In the days preceding the vote, Doreen Lawrence said in a joint statement with the other two famous figures: “I am disappointed to hear that, as the 10th anniversary of the Lawrence inquiry approaches, the NUS is planning to roll back black students' representation. I was proud to support the creation of a black students officer in the NUS. The position is vital in ensuring the NUS properly represents black students, and challenges institutional racism.”

However, in response to this campaign, NUS president Wes Streeting rejected the protests as "cynical political ploy" to block reform.

The requested assessment sought to consider the effect the new structure will have on minority groups, such as black, disabled, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual students, as well as women. However, the elected officers for women and disabled students have already pledged full support for the implementation of the new constitution.

Those campaigning claim the NUS had promised to carry out such a report last November, but that the vote now has taken place without any such assessment being commissioned.

Wes Streeting stated that the new changes will not be implemented until the summer, giving “plenty of time for an equality assessment to be completed and acted upon,” though he did not detail whether plans for this to occur have, as yet, been drawn up.

He added: “The reform proposals actually double the number of dedicated black students' representatives on the NUS national executive, and improve support for our liberation campaigns.”