At the November council, the motion “Should our Students’ Union Disaffiliate from NUS UK?” passed with 86% in favour. While the Students’ Union is only required to hold a referendum on its affiliation with the National Union of Students (NUS) every three years, passing the motion has triggered an early vote, scheduled to take place during the annual Student Elections in March 2026.
The motion’s proposer argued that: “the continued affiliation does not represent good value for money, nor does it effectively advance the interests or wellbeing of our students.”
The continued affiliation does not represent good value for money...
They claimed that NUS UK has failed to represent marginalised student communities, particularly pro-Palestinian activists, and this perceived lack of representation undermines student trust and the SU’s legitimacy.
“My problem with it comes down to fair representation. I do not want to pay them money for them to not represent.”
Affiliation with NUS UK currently costs the Students’ Union £30,000 per year. NUSU President for 2025/26, Ilsa Hartley, said: “the expenditure could absolutely be justified if students felt like they were being provided with a service that we alone could not provide. From the motion that went through Council, it’s clear that students are not happy with what they’re getting from NUS.”
NUSU Student Representation Intern and Engagement Rep, Oliver Tierney, echoed this view, saying, “I think it’s not worth £30,000 a year. The amount we could do with that money is remarkable.”
Ilsa added: “They claim to represent all students, but students say they fail to represent any of them. If their entire job is to represent students and students argue that they can’t do that, what is the point?”
The SU must ensure its external affiliations remain consistent with its charitable objectives of advancing education, supporting student welfare, and representing student interests, and many students have contended that affiliating with NUS UK no longer aligns with these aims.
Although the next affiliation referendum would not usually take place until 2028, students argued that the 2025 vote lacked sufficient context and knowledge of NUS UK, and what they provide students and Students’ Unions.
Ilsa agreed with this, stating the need for clearer information ahead of the referendum: “People heard the word ‘Union’ and associated that with organisation, community, and strength in numbers. But their recent actions have made people more aware of them now. I don’t think the decision made last year was an informed one, and this one needs to be.”
The motion’s proposer echoed this, saying: “Last year there was no real dialogue between for or against the campaign, students weren’t really aware of NUS UK.”
One student ran a campaign for Say Yes to NUS, but none came forward to go against remaining affiliated with the NUS.
Joe Morris, the student that led the Say Yes to NUS campaign during March 2024 elections, said that: “The decision to remain in the NUS was one in which 71% of students voted for. Despite the hypocrisy of the NUS, I still believe we are better off in the NUS. I believed it in March, and I believe it now.”
Despite the hypocrisy of the NUS, I still believe we are better off in the NUS.
Now, students have become more aware of NUS UK due to their controversial approach to Pro-Palestinian activism in Students’ Unions.
Joe Morris believes many students are against NUS affiliation now, because they do not represent all student voices.
Speaking to The Courier, the motion’s proposer said: “NUS UK are not genuine. They have demonstrated no real-term action for student activists who are being punished for their demonstrations for Palestine. It took them two years to acknowledge the genocide, and conveniently only did it once the UN had.”
Pressure on NUS UK regarding its stance on Palestine has grown over the past two years. In July 2025, the campaign group Not My NUS, a coalition of student activists and organisations, wrote to NUS raising concerns about its silence on the situation in Palestine. The letter was supported by more than seventy sabbatical officers, one hundred and twenty student groups, and ten institutional bodies.
The Not My NUS group claims that NUS UK did not respond, instead issuing a letter to union CEOs urging them to pressure sabbatical officers to withdraw their signatures or risk being barred from NUS events.
The motion’s proposer said: “They could do more for student activists… and they have refused to do more every single time, unless they are publicly called out it seems.”
Oliver, Student Representation Intern at NUSU, also criticised NUS UK’s record on wider student issues: “NUS have not only never campaigned against tuition fees, they have often actively supported them and actively punished those who spoke out against them. It’s not just that NUS is an inactive organisation; it is an organisation that actively punishes, bans, and sacks people for going against the agenda.”
Ilsa concluded that: “the student community can, has, and will continue to be capable of doing these things for themselves. When the student community is so strong, I think our resources can be used better than through affiliation to this organisation.”
The student community can, has, and will continue to be capable of doing these things for themselves.
It is clear students are passionate about advocating for their rights and needs, but whether NUS UK is the best representative for this will be revealed in the next few months of campaigning on campus.
Joe Morris said that: “I believe we are better off together. I believe Newcastle students are better off in a national union that represents their interests and advocates for students on a national and international level.”
Students will be able to vote on whether to remain affiliated with or leave NUS UK between 3 and 5 March 2026. The result will only be binding if turnout reaches at least 5% of the total student body.
Students will have the opportunity to campaign on both sides of the question. Further information on campaigning will be released on 20 January 2026. Enquiries can be directed to studentvoice.union@newcastle.ac.uk.