Tuesday 11-11-2025 - 09:48

 

Statement from LUSU Trustee Board Concerning the AGM Motion on the Reform UK Society. 

 

 

 

“This was an incredibly significant vote among the Lancaster student body, evident in both the AGM turnout, and the clear voting majority in favour of the motion. Students in the room were made aware that the decision we have had to make as a Trustee Board would be a likely outcome if the motion was voted in favour, and yet still chose to vote with conviction, delivering a strong message for equality, anti-discrimination, and anti-harassment, which has not been lost on us in LUSU.

While we have not been able to uphold the entire motion, we have made sure to see these values pulled through to our resolution by adopting resolves 3 and 4, ensuring that, while free speech is preserved, the rights of any person to be protected from discrimination, harassment, and inequality are also upheld by the systems and practices of the Union.”

Rory O O'Ceallaigh, LUSU President 2025/26

 

Background and Context

At a quorate Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 17th June, a motion was overwhelmingly passed — with almost 90% support and over 350 members present — to refuse to affiliate the Reform UK Society in its current state. The basis of the motion was concerns that the self-declared leaders of that society had engaged in conduct on campus which, in the view of the AGM, made the group unsuitable for affiliation to the Union.

Under the Union’s democratic processes, any motion of this nature must be referred to the Trustee Board for further consideration. Although the resolution is currently hypothetical — as no new affiliations are being considered until the Union’s budgetary position becomes clearer — the Board recognises that this issue is of significant concern to students and wishes to clarify its position now.

 

The Trustee Board’s Legal Obligations

The Board fully recognises the strength of feeling expressed through the AGM resolution. However, as a Students’ Union and registered charity, we have clear legal responsibilities.
We are required to:

•    Follow Charity Commission guidance, which states that a charity must remain politically neutral and must not support or oppose any political party.
•    Uphold freedom of speech and expression under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, unless someone’s actions break the law, threaten safety, or infringe on others’ rights.
•    Apply our Code of Conduct fairly and consistently to all members and groups, ensuring that any action taken against a group is based on independent evidence and due process.

Both affiliation and disaffiliation are governed by the Union’s Code of Conduct, which outlines expectations for all groups once affiliated, as well as the process by which misconduct can be investigated and appropriate sanctions applied.
 

What Will Be Adopted

The Trustee Board has carefully considered the content of the AGM motion. It has agreed to adopt resolves 3 and 4, which are consistent with our existing commitments and legal responsibilities:

•    An annual declaration by political societies to uphold equality, anti-discrimination, and anti-harassment laws.
•    A clear position that groups whose actions (not just views) promote discrimination or hostility towards members of our community will not be supported by the Union.

The Board will also continue to strengthen procedures and promote our core values of inclusiveness, respect, and open debate, ensuring that all groups are held to the same standards.

 

Why the Entire Motion Cannot Be Adopted

The Board cannot support a blanket ban on affiliating a specific political society without an independent investigation and fair assessment of any alleged misconduct. To do so could risk breaching charity law requirements on political neutrality and undermine our own Code of Conduct, which protects due process and fairness.

LUSU allocates a budget to support clubs and societies and that can cause a constraint on opportunities for affiliation. However, the terms for affiliation do not include any preconditions concerning suitability; and instead focus on evidencing student led demand for a group and avoiding duplication of activity with existing student groups; however once affiliation has taken place there are clear detailed expectations about the conduct of societies, and a proper process by which judgements about the sanctions that can be applied in response to misconduct.

 

Our Commitment Going Forward

We reaffirm our commitment to maintaining a campus that is safe, respectful, and open to free debate for all our members. We recognise that political debates may become more polarised, and we are determined to ensure that all voices can be heard in a respectful manner, free from discrimination or harassment.

The Code of Conduct will continue to apply equally to all societies. Should any group — including the Reform UK Society, or any other — engage in misconduct, disciplinary action (up to and including suspension or disaffiliation) may be taken, based on evidence and proper process.

 

Questions or Concerns?

If you would like more information about your rights, freedom of speech, or how the Union’s Code of Conduct operates, please get in touch at su.governance@lancaster.ac.uk.