Overview
On Wednesday 24th September 2025, the Students' Union Board of Trustees resolved to call a referendum on The SU's affiliation to NUS UK. The question wording is: Should Cambridge SU disaffiliate from the National Union of Students UK (NUS UK)?
The Board also resolved to call a referendum on policy to enhance the SU's campaigning efforts on demilitarisation within the University. The question wording is: Should Cambridge SU campaign to end university investments and collaborations with institutions involved in occupation and weapons manufacture as detailed in this policy motion?
All current student members will have the opportunity to vote on their preference via online secret ballot. Voting will be open at 9am on Monday 27th October and close at 5pm on Thursday 30th October. The options for both referendums will be YES, NO, and ABSTAIN.
All students are encouraged to look into both sides of each referendum before making their decision and voting. This includes talking to campaign teams and doing your own research.
Question 1:
Should Cambridge SU disaffiliate from the National Union of Students UK (NUS UK)?
What this means:
This question asks whether Cambridge SU should disaffiliate from NUS UK. NUS UK is the campaigning arm of the National Union of Students, a membership organisation that works to represent the views of students and Students’ Unions across the country, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Voting 'YES' means:
You think Cambridge SU should end its membership with NUS UK and no longer be affiliated after 31st December 2026.
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Cambridge students would not have access to influence the political decision making or campaigning direction of NUS
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Cambridge students would no longer have direct representation through the NUS at a national level
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Cambridge students would not be able to attend NUS decision making events and training
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Cambridge SU would not pay affiliation fees to NUS UK
Voting 'NO' means:
You think Cambridge SU should continue its membership and stay affiliated with NUS UK.
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Cambridge students continue having access to influence the political decision making or campaigning direction of NUS
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Cambridge students would remain represented through NUS at a national level
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Cambridge students would be able to attend NUS decision making events and training
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Cambridge SU would continue paying affiliation fees to NUS UK
Campaign Leads:
If you would like to be a part of a Campaign Team you can get in contact with the Campaign Leads:
Yes Campaign Lead: Olivia Ledger (olivia.ledger@cambridgesu.co.uk)
No Campaign Lead: George Humphrey Thomas (gb726@cam.ac.uk)
Question 2:
Should Cambridge SU campaign to end university investments and collaborations with institutions involved in occupation and weapons manufacture as detailed in this policy motion?
What this means:
This question asks whether Cambridge SU should adopt policy on campaigning for the University to end financial and research ties with organisations and institutions involved in the arms trade and occupation.
Voting 'YES' means:
You think Cambridge SU should adopt the proposed policy with the following resolutions:
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To campaign to end the University’s, Colleges’, and their subsidiaries’ investments, research collaborations, and partnerships with organisation and institutions involved in genocide, occupation, surveillance and weapons manufacture.
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To publicly support the work of groups towards the demilitarisation of the University.
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To work with the university to develop a framework for supporting students affected by military violence, in consultation with affected students.
Voting 'NO' means:
You think Cambridge SU should not adopt the policy.
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The SU would not campaign to end the University’s, Colleges’, and their subsidiaries’ investments, research collaborations, and partnerships with organisation and institutions involved in genocide, occupation, surveillance and weapons manufacture.
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The SU would not publicly support the work of groups towards the demilitarisation of the University.
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The SU would not work with the university to develop a framework for supporting students affected by military violence, in consultation with affected students.
Campaign Leads:
If you would like to be a part of a Campaign Team you can get in contact with the Campaign Leads:
Yes Campaign Lead: Augustin Denis (augustin.denis@cambridgesu.co.uk)
NUS
What is the National Union of Students (NUS)?
NUS stands for the National Union of Students, and it is a membership organisation that works to represent the views of students and Students’ Unions. Many Students’ Unions (around 400) are affiliated with NUS, and some are not. Those affiliated range from those based at small specialist colleges through to general further education colleges, large universities and higher education colleges.
NUS is led by an elected team of Officers, and describes itself in the following way: NUS and NUS Charity work side by side with a common purpose: to make our education, and our world, better through the collective power of students.
Read more about NUS on their website
What are the types of NUS membership?
The term ‘affiliation to NUS’ can be ambiguous since there are different levels of membership related to the two separate companies of which the NUS is comprised. These are the ‘National Union of Students (UK)’ and ‘NUS Students’ Unions Charitable Services Ltd’.
The differences between the components of the NUS and its tiered membership system are outlined below:
- National Union of Students (UK) membership - This is a membership to the student voice organisation ‘NUS (UK)’ which delivers campaigns and national representation, currently costing SUs 2% of their block grant. To end membership at NUS UK, students must vote on affiliation by secret ballot (a referendum).
- NUS Students’ Unions Charitable Services Ltd membership - Also known as ‘NUS Charity’, this is a membership to the students’ union development and support aspect of NUS, currently costing SUs 0.5% of their block grant. The SU's referendum is not in relation to its affiliation to NUS Charity. The referendum is in reference to the campaigning element of NUS only.
More information on the terms of membership with NUS can be found here
Please note: For this referendum, students will vote on The SU’s affiliation to ‘NUS UK’ only as the political campaigning and representative arm of NUS. The NUS Charity membership is an operational service and is not included in the proposed referendum.
What is our current membership?
Cambridge SU currently has a 'dual membership', which means we are affiliated to the NUS (UK) and NUS Charity. There are separate fees for being affiliated to either of these elements of NUS. Cambridge SU currently pays fees to be affiliated to both.
The cost of membership to NUS (UK) for the year 2024-25 was £14,600. This is largely based on amount of money the SU recieves from the university.
Divestment Campaign
History of Divestment Campaigning
Since Cambridge SU’s formation in 2020, there has been a history of divestment policy and campaigning. At Cambridge SU’s very first Student Council in October 2020, policies were passed regarding divestment from arms, as well as divestment from fossil fuels.
Cambridge SU Sabbatical Officers were part of the persistent lobbying efforts that resulted in the University agreeing, in 2020, to end all direct and indirect investments in fossil fuels and, in 2024, to stop accepting research or philanthropic funding from fossil fuel companies. Meanwhile, Cambridge SU’s former Ethical Affairs Campaign were at the forefront of student activism against the military-academic complex, consistently advocating for arms divestment.
In January 2024, Student Council renewed the policy motion to support the demilitarisation of the University, mandating Cambridge SU to lobby the University to identify and end all involvement with military and arms companies complicit in human rights violations.
In May 2024, Student Council passed a policy motion to campaign against academic complicity and for public condemnation regarding Uyghur genocide. This policy mandated Cambridge SU to campaign for the University to cut ties with individuals, public bodies, and private bodies involved in unethical conduct in Xinjiang and human rights abuses across China.
In June 2024, Student Council passed a policy motion to support the Cambridge Liberated Zone, now known as Cambridge for Palestine. This policy mandated Cambridge SU to officially recognise the campaign’s demands, one of which is the University’s termination of all financial and professional ties to institutions and companies complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
Campaign Leads
Ahead of voting opening, we give students the opportunity to become one of the Campaign Leads.
Campaign Leads head up the teams of campaigners from both sides of the argument of the referendum. The two sides are Yes or No for each question.
Their main responsibility is to be the key organiser and contact for anyone wishing to campaign for a specific side, and the point of contact for the SU Deputy Returning Officer and Returning Officer. They will also have oversight of the £100 campaign budget and ensure that campaigners stick to the rules.
We are requesting that any member with an interest in our affiliation to NUS UK, or Campaign efforts on divestment gets in touch with us at: elections@cambridgesu.co.uk, addressing your email to the Deputy Returning Officer.
The deadline to register your interest to be a Campaign Lead is 12pm on Tuesday 21st October.