‘I’m sorry we f**ked up’: SU officer makes public apology pledging support for strikers

Noah Katz apologised for a now-deleted Instagram slide this morning


Lancaster University Students’ Union (LUSU) VP Education, Noah Katz, has apologised for an Instagram post regarding attitudes towards striking lecturers which the union president described as “absolutely not the fucking case” and “undermining everything she has done”.

The now-deleted Instagram slide claimed that students upset by strike disruption should “submit a formal complaint to the University” and gained widespread criticism both on and offline.

LUSU president, India Ellis, claimed that she was not consulted before this post was made in a speech at the picket lines yesterday (November 24th). She also apologised that for LUSU being “shit” and claimed she was working to improve it.

Lancaster SU, India Ellis and Noah Katz have been approached for comment.

This morning, Noah Katz attended the Lancaster UCU picket lines to speak in support of the strikes and to apologise for the post that was uploaded onto their account, as well as the official LUSU page.

They said: “I first off want to say that I’m sorry. We fucked up with our comms. I appreciate that. I cannot express how sorry I am. I am also sorry that I wasn’t here yesterday, I had a stinking cold and didn’t want to spread it.

“I want to clear up that miscommunication from my part and say that I unequivocally stand here with you, with the UCU.

“I’m a proud trade unionist, Jewish Labour movement member and I steadfastly believe in the power of collectivism and know the importance of vocally doing so. I don’t need to tell you that higher education in this country is broken.

“We all know that, that’s why we are here – and it angers me to my very bones. I’m going to tell you why. I’m Jewish and very proudly so. My great-grandmother’s life was saved by education. She was a Montessori teacher in Austria in the 1930s for a non-Jewish family and was able to come to this country on a working visa that saved her life. Two of her siblings died in the Holocaust. One was hid because she had blonde hair and blue eyes and the other managed to get to America in the 1920s.

“I am here in this country due to the power of education. I am alive because of the power of education and the way for the last 15+ years, our universities have been broken by the Tory government. It’s not good enough and it needs to change. We at the Students’ Union are here for every single one of our members. Postgraduate research students are given a disgustingly wrought deal. It’s not good enough. We are here for you and we are here with the UCU and we are calling on the university to meet the demands. Thank you.”

In a video of the speech uploaded to their Instagram, Noah promised that “a full statement from your officer team will be out later this afternoon.”

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