Durham votes to REMAIN in NUS

Durham has voted to stay affiliated with the embattled NUS in a referendum by just 469 votes.

2159 students voted in total and so surpassed the required 5% quota, with 1299 voters opting to remain part of the NUS, while 830 made a bid for independence. Within the colleges a sharp divide emerged. Castle, Butler, John Snow, Stephenson, Grey and Mary’s were the colleges who all voted to leave but were outvoted by the Bailey and the rest of the Hill.

Durham now joins the likes of Cambridge, Exeter and Warwick who all voted to remain affiliated while Newcastle, Hull and Lincoln voted to disaffiliate.

Controversy began after the election of a new NUS President who has made allegedly anti-Semitic comments. The union has since been the topic of national speculation after student anger led to numerous universities holding referendums.

The Durham campaign has been rife with controversy, with both Yes and No campaigns condemned by the returning office. The NUS were found to have misused the NUS Extra mailing list to unfairly target Durham students with pro-Remain information.

It was also today revealed that the ‘No’ camp had lodged a complaint against the ‘Yes’ campaign after a satirical video was found not to be too funny by the returning officer. It mirrored other universities, which had seen condemnation of both their own student union’s, and the NUS’, tactics in order to clinch control of ‘key’ unis.