There had been a lot of speculation about this issue, and things finally came ot a head at the end of October, with educationet.org receiving these two statements.
This Statement has been made by the Campaign for Free Education
Many student officers and activists will already be aware that CFE Co-Chair and
NUS NEC member Carli Harper-Penman has applied to join the National Organisation
of Labour Students. We believe that, by doing so, she has effectively declared
her resignation as Co-Chair of the CFE.
Since the CFE's foundation, many of its leading activists have been members of
the Labour Party or a university Labour Club. For a CFE supporter on the NUS
executive to "cross the floor" by joining Labour Students, however, is a
different matter entirely.
Since Carli has failed to resign formally or offer an explanation for her decision, any analysis will be speculation. At the same time, it is fair to say that her defection to Labour Students marks the culmination of a long political journey to the right, one which began long before anyone suspected she might leave the CFE.
For some time now, Carli has been uncomfortable with our organisation's militant
advocacy of free education and criticism of the Labour Students/"independent"
NUS leadership. Like many before her, she has come to believe that the goal of
a democratic, campaigning national union, which puts students' needs and its
principles before the realpolitik of ingratiating itself with the Government, is
simply unrealistic. No doubt there is an element of careerism involved too.
Carli may calculate that, even if the Labour Students hierarchy is unwilling to
stand her for an NUS sabbatical position, her change of allegiance will improve
her future career prospects in the Labour Party.
Carli will remain formally CFE Co-Chair until our steering committee meets to
discuss the matter fully. In the meantime, we will continue the fight for free
education - and for a democratic, campaigning NUS - which she has abandoned.
Signed by
Alan Clarke
Laura Tuesday Brickwood
Sarah Thomson
John Dickenson-Lilley
Kat Fletcher
The CFE supporters on the NUS NEC, on behalf of the CFE
This subsequent statement was then made by Carli Harper-Penman
Following a recent statement by the Campaign for Free Education members of the NUS National Executive Committee I wish to confirm that I have decided to resign as Chair of the Campaign for Free Education and leave the organisation. I had intended wait until the next Steering Committee before tendering my resignation, but the events of the last few days have made my position untenable.
Over the past few months I have become increasingly unhappy with the direction of the CFE. Apart from the increasingly unilateral decisions taken by certain members of the CFE leadership in relation to our campaign materials, in particular, I have been saddened by the lack of commitment demonstrated by NEC members of the CFE towards NUS’s Funding the Future Priority Campaign.
Because I have supported and worked hard to ensure that the Funding the Future Campaign is a success I have been criticised by CFE members of the National Executive. I have been subjected to a campaign of harassment and vilification that has sought to undermine me both personally and politically. The CFE contribution to the funding campaign has been almost non-existent. Instead of making positive and proactive contributions to the campaign to change it for the better, CFE members of the NEC have done little but snipe and moan. Opposition for opposition’s sake is not why I joined the CFE and I am genuinely disappointed that the organisation that I have done so much to develop has resorted to this sort of point scoring.
All of this culminated when I discovered that the CFE had produced demonstration placards bearing the name of the NUS LGB Campaign without the consent of LGB Committee – something that I view to be a breach of our autonomy. In a year when we needed to be united, I am ashamed that the organisation of which I have been a part for so long chose to put its own interests before the good of the student movement.
I have been labelled a ‘right-winger’ and a ‘sell out’ in recent days. My membership of the Labour Party has been used to allege that I am somehow dishonest about my politics and that I have abandoned the causes that got me involved. The irony of all this is that my principles remain the same – I remain committed to free education, the autonomy of the liberation campaigns and a democratic, campaigning and political National Union. I cannot say with any conviction that the same is true of the CFE any longer.
As a result I can no longer share collective responsibility with people that I feel have lost sight of their principles. I realise that there are people within the CFE who are genuinely committed to democracy, and to fighting to deliver free education – and I wish them well.
In Pride
Carli Harper-Penman
