Last April, the NUS Conference in Blackpool resolved to halve their annual financial support to the NAC from £1000 to £500. In an attempt to compensate for this, the CUSU Women's Campaign put forward a motion to affiliate the whole of CUSU to the NAC at CUSU Council 1 of the Easter Term. The motion was passed with little discussion:
The original motion
The CUSU Council notes:
(1) The only large pro-choice group in this country is the National Abortion Campaign*
(2) There are many rich and influential anti-abortion groups that operate in the UK which have the support of large businesses (such as Stagecoach) and the Catholic Church.**
(3) The NUS Women's Campaign cut its affilation by half at the last conference.
(4) This has had a severe effect on the NAC'sfinances and ability to operate campaigns.
(5) The CUSU Women's Campaign is already affiliated to the NAC.
CUSU Council believes:
(1) NAC's work - campaigning for more abortion rights and provision - is vital to the student movement as well as the population at large.
(2) It is something that CUSU as a whole, not just the Women's Campaign, should be voicing its support for.
(3) By affiliating to the NAC, CUSU as a whole would not only be supporting its valuable work but also re-affirming its support for the Women's Campaign.
[*This was deemed to be poorly-worded - there are several other groups who campaign for pro-arbortion legislation (see CUSU Women's Handbook).]
[**This clause was removed as objections were raised to it unfairly singling out the Catholic Church. The clause also contained innacuracies - Stagecoach is the only large business to contribute any money to such groups, and whereas the two largest pro-choice groups (MSI and BPAS) receive between them over £500,000 p.a. of government funding, the pro-life group Life UK has yet to receive the £15,000 promised to it by Labour before the 1997 election.]
[continued...]
CUSU Council resolves:
(1) To affilate to the National Abortion Campaign (at a cost of £60 p.a.).
(2) To use money (£20) that the Women's Campaign already pays as part of this affiliation, therefore only costing CUSU £40.
Proposed: Katie McClymont (the then Women's Officer)
Seconded: Laura Timms (the then WO elect, now WO)
Results: 45 for, 1 against, 4 abstentions
The response was far greated than CUSU had anticipated. A huge number of emails were exchanged between CUSU college reps, and most colleges organised open meetings on the subject; Peterhouse even had a college-wide referendum. All except one resulted in a change of vote against affiliation to the NAC. It was argued that it was unfair to force CUSU members to support an organisation financially against their conscience. 30 representatives wrote to CUSU threatening to give up their membership if the affiliation remained.
At CUSU Council 2 three weeks later, as the minutes were read out, many members who were mandated to change their votes by their college did so - resulting in a record of 24 for, 26 against and 5 abstentions. Despite the fact that the same motion would have to be voted in on two consecutive CUSU Councils for affiliation to occur, the President of CUSU suggested that the motion be reproposed (though slightly modified). The motion fell with an even greater majority. Next, a motion which was originally put forward to disaffiliate from the NAC, was put forward in the hope of preventing CUSU from making future policies on matters of belief and religion. The CUSU Exec proposed to amend a previously withdrawn amendment. This amended amendment was voted in and the motion was passed (deletions in brackets):
'To hold a referendum in the Michaelmas term with the question: "Should CUSU (dis)affiliate (from) the NAC?"'
The date of the referendum was later set for 1st November.
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