by Joe Rukin
It might be easy for me coming back from NUS conference after being elected to the National Executive to think that this years NUS Conference was a good one, but being honest, it was far better than most recent years.
Although there was the usual fun and games; the deals, the backstabbing, the timewasting and posturing and of course, the complete stitch-ups, it seemed that at least in the main body of conference there was the sort of consensus that has been missing for a long time. At conference 2002 I will always remember CfE Block of twelve candidate Sasha Ismail saying "It's amazing, we just passed, NUS just passed policy to oppose graduate tax.". Then it was amazing, I had witnessed the NUS which actively had supported the abolition of the grant, and for the union to get to that point from so low, it was truly astounding. If that was amazing and astounding then I have run out of adverbs for this year. Not only was the third motion entered into, but the speed at which some of the parts of the welfare and student funding motions went through defied logic. From an old-timers point of view, when the amendment in the welfare motion which called to oppose PFI and call a sleep out outside parliament went through, I might have been surprised. For it to go through without even one speech against (despite two opportunities) left me in shock.
It wasn't just that- universal grants for all got through, opposed to means-tested grants. The Guardian asked afterwards whether it will be harder for a Labour NUS president to work with government on the issue of funding now there is a more pronounced departure from the party line? Unfortunately they forgot that the policy set by the union doesn't necessarily have anything to do with what the union says or does. Who could forget Mandy Telford telling the Times Higher last year that she supported graduate tax the same day as both her election and conference voting to oppose it? This track record had meant the incumbent had crawled home by just three votes, though Chris Weavers took the brunt of the backlash over the grad tax discrepancy this year when conference split into sectors. Just after winning his re-lection, he was held to account at the HE sector conference. Not only did the VP Education take the predictable battering for not managing to get HENC to meet in his entire first year of office, but when asked why the briefing paper sent to MPs said that NUS would support graduate tax he had no answers save that it was a 'mistake'. NUS Scotland president Rami Okasha later actually claimed that this was not the fault of Telford or Weavers, but former president Owain James. Evidentally when the OI's term of office ended last summer, he left a sealed box of briefing papers to be opened, unchecked, when the white paper was finally delivered.
Of course there still wasn't time to get through everything as the usual time-wasting problems happened. No session started anything like on time as usual- which loses over a hour of conference time each day- but the most contentious move was the fringe meeting organized by the Union of Jewish Students. They had managed to secure no less than former Israeli Prime Minister, Shimon Peres. Whilst anti-war MP George Galloway had been unable to attend as a guest speaker because of what were reported as 'security concerns', Lancashire Police went into overkill for Peres, with their helicopter circling the Winter Gardens, the bomb squad giving their spaniel a day out, airport style metal detectors and limited entry into the Winter Gardens.
This itself caused massive problems. The atrium which led to all the venues in the Winter Gardens became more of a bear pit than usual, though there was no sign of the flag-burning which Israeli press reported, the Church Street entrance was closed, meaning a flight of stairs for anyone in a wheelchair wishing to get in, and worst of all the meeting had been timed to take place during conference time. The result was an entire evening was wiped out of conference time, as SWD students couldn't get in, or worst still, get out, many complained about the total intimidation from both sides of the Israeli/Palestinian argument outside the Peres venue, whilst other turned around as soon as they saw it. Who would pick up the bill for the police was a matter of great discussion too, a matter which surely has not gone away.
Following on from this, on the last day there was a motion to censure Helen Salmon (SWSS) and Louise Hutchins (SBL) for their conduct, with a three page document, not distributed to conference delegates, outlining 'racism and intimidation' revolving around the Block of 12 officers' conduct whilst protesting about the visit of Peres. Despite efforts to force through a secret ballot which would have taken all the rest of conference time without a vote, a normal vote was taken after LGB Officer, Daniel Murphy did a speech detailing Salmons work on the NEC in combating racism and saying that anyone who believed Salmon was racist should 'be proud' to be seen to vote to censure her. Whilst Hutchins got off, Salmon was censured, thanks to a massive amount of abstentions.
Up to this point there was a remarkable amount of deja-vu, but what happened next was totally surprising. On previous final days, the same thing had happened. Speakers had got up and just laid into SWSS, almost always for their stance on Israel-Palestine, as they are singled out as the one left group which supports a one-state solution to the issue, i.e. no Israel, just Palestine. In history, a stage occupation has been the response from SWSS, but this time the left walked out of conference floor en masse, triggered by the NEC members from SWSS, SBL & CfE.
If you want a laugh, read some of the other reports from NUS Conference. According to the Guardian, there were just 5 candidates for president and Ross Renton, not Steve Bloomfield was the Labour Student in the Treasurer election. AWLs' Jim reckons CfE won 4 of the five posts they went for, and Socialist Students didn't even know which full-time position the left won.
Other Sites
Guardian, Paul Lynch: Conference diary: day one
Paul Lynch, Conference diary: day two
AWL, Jim reports
Solidarity, Just three votes short of winning NUS President by Martin Thomas
Socialist Students
Guradian, Jack Doyle on the pantomime of NUS election hustings
Guardian, NUS to fight for universal grants
Guardian, Telford re-elected as NUS president
Guardian, Make rich parents pay, says NUS
Guardian, Students vote to oppose Iraq war
Guardian, A work in progress
Guardian, Let the games begin by Steve Bloomfield
FOSIS
Union of Jewish Students
Melissa Bean, NUS Conference 2003: a layman's guide
NUS Conference 2003
A First Timers View
On the Fringe
Cynicism, and why I don't trust it
Presidential Election
Other Full-Time Elections
Block of Twelve and Committee Elections
NUS Conference Overview
Conference Live
