Last year, I was elected to transform our national union of students into a strong, fighting union that wins for students, and in this last year, we have faced some of our biggest challenges yet.
When I took office, NUS was isolated across the education sector. Its links with trade unions and organisations were deteriorating due to the lack of support they had received from the organisation in the past. I have spent the past year rebuilding strong, broad alliances with trade unions and progressive organisations across the country to make sure NUS can support students from every walk of life, in every aspect of their education. Now more than ever we need an NUS that doesn’t sit on the fringes, but helps to establish broad coalitions with all those across society who can help us build a strong and effective opposition to the politics of hate.
In the face of an increasingly isolated student movement in the wake of Brexit, I have worked to elevate the profile of NUS on an international level and build alliances with our sister organisations in France, Canada and across the world. Now, more than ever we need to act as a global collective and stand together.
During my term as president, NUS has begun the crucial shift towards a movement that is not complacent when it comes to defending the rights of its membership, and does not compromise on our values. NUS was not operating effectively from the top-down, so I have pushed for more direction to come from the grassroots, from students and from officers on the ground. NUS has always expected students to come to them but I brought it to you with regional networks to empower student activists to connect, to enable us to unite and lobby, and to use our collective voice to create change.
There has long been a question about whether NUS should simply be a lobbying body with a seat at the table, or a mobilising force for our movement, and for far too long students have had to define their politics as one or the other. I say that we must and can be all of this and more, and that we must use a diversity of tactics to ensure our voices are heard and our demands are met.
I am proud of the work we have achieved together this year, and I am re-running to continue the work that we have started. I truly believe NUS can and must be a fighting union which defends and advances the rights of students. Re-elect me to ensure NUS remains a strong and transformative union.
