A petition has gone live on the University of Nottingham’s Students’ Union website, posing the question of whether or not it should hold a referendum on its membership of the National Union of Students (NUS).
The petition will be open until 9am on the 23rd May 2016 and requires 669 signatories to trigger a referendum on NUS membership.
This comes after several calls from other Students’ Unions for disaffiliation from the organisation.
“We believe that holding a referendum on the issue is a democratic way in which we can decide on the future of UoN SU’s relationship with the NUS”
“We believe that holding a referendum on the issue is a democratic way in which we can decide on the future of UoN SU’s relationship with the NUS”, read the statement issued on the SU’s website.
The election of the new NUS President, Malia Bouattia, along with decisions made at the NUS’s National Conference in Brighton, has caused widespread calls for disaffiliation by other SUs.
“The new President, who is the first black Muslim woman to lead the Union, has been involved in allegations of anti-Semitism”
The new President, who is the first black Muslim woman to lead the Union, has been involved in allegations of anti-Semitism.
Furthermore, it has been suggested that universities cutting ties with the NUS would mean significant funding challenges for the organisation.
A link to the petition can be found here.
Hannah Eves
Image: Jason Saul via Flickr
