Categories: uncategorized
Date: 15 March 2010 16:02:13
According to the e-mail I got from the DSU today:
"The results of the referendum on affiliation to the National Union of Students that took place between the 8th and 12th of March is as follows:
Stay affiliated to the National Union of Students: 1217 votes
Disaffiliate from the National Union of Students: 1295 votes
Therefore Durham Students ‘ Union will now co-ordinating to leave the National Union of Students by the end of this academic year"
According to the Uni website the uni has over 15,000 students (of whom 3,500 are postgraduates and over 3,000 international students from over 120 countries). Therefore a total vote of just over 2,500 people is a relatively small percentage of the total student body and the margin of votes it was won by is literally a handful. Therefore, the real winner in this referrendum and what decided the result was yet again apathy. I think it is a pity we are disaffiliating but I also appreciate those who bothered to register their vote against affiliation and use the democratic systems we have in place.
Let us hope that in the forthcoming general election more students exercise their democratic right to vote. About My Vote is the site to go to in order to make sure you're registered and don't find yourself in the position I was for last years local elections.