| |
Army recruitment: students at war
Union faces second ballot after backlash over vote to ban armed forces from freshers’ fair
A STUDENT revolt at University College London is threatening to overturn a union motion banning the British Army from recruiting on campus.
Students at the college, based in Gower Street, Bloomsbury, voted last Wednesday to turn the Army away from the UCL Student Union’s annual freshers’ fair in September.
The motion, put forward by student Sham Rajyaguru, in a move designed to demonstrate disapproval for the war in Iraq, read: “This union believes that because the British military under the Labour government is currently engaged in an aggressive war overseas, for the union to use its resources to encourage students to join the military or participate in military recruitment activities at this time would give political and material support to the war.”
But despite being passed by 80 to 50 at a packed annual meeting, students who lost the vote say not enough members voted in the controversial meeting to make it valid.
They are mobilising through internet groups and a petition has been launched.
A spokesman for the union said a second hearing of the motion was now likely to take place later this month.
Stuart Barfield, of the UCL Conservative Society, said: “Aside from showing respect for the armed forces, how about showing enough respect for your fellow students that you allow them the choice of joining the OTC [Officers Training Corps] if they wish?”
He added: “They do not brainwash students into joining before packing them off to the frontlines – they set up a stall with details for the new intake on joining. The presence of this stall does not imply support to the war, but support of freedom of choice.”
Union spokesman Sean Clothier said: “We have had substantial complaints and there are question marks over the democratic process. I know that a petition has been launched and if there are more than 350 signatures in favour of a second hearing, which seems extremely likely given the interest on Facebook, we will have another meeting.”
He said that under college rules a minimum of 210 students must vote for a motion to be passed.
A spokesman for UCL said: “UCL Union is independent of the university. The motion has absolutely no implications for the running of the university and our level of engagement with the armed forces, which will continue as normal. Both the Army and RAF work closely with the careers service here at UCL, and are booked to attend our annual Engineering Fair as usual in October.
“We have been in contact with both to reconfirm that they remain welcome at UCL now and in the future.” |
 |
| |
|
|
