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Union of Brunel Students Union Meeting Date: Tuesday 15th of October 2018 Location: Venue

Student Officers in Attendance

Union President Ranjeet Rathore

Vice President Student Activities George Wardle

Vice-President College (CHLS) Maria Valada

Vice President College (CBASS) Anvitha Paruchuri

Vice President College (CEDPS) Peri Sherif

Vice President Postgraduate Students Radya Hussien

Chair of Student Assembly (Chair) Naimatullah Hamid

Disabled Students Officer Sean Cullen

International Students Officer Om Sai Jaman Jyothi

Students in Attendance

Benjamin Tinegate-Smith 1512907

Ethan Sweet 1607192

Scott Gregory 1612972

Dimitrios Koronakis 1808854

James Farme 1733356

Sherine Atif 1710220

Nathan Folkes 1701269

Sam Galbraith 1400239

Cheska Cooper 1705068

Amy Leverton 1509722

Samuel East 1703476

Amber Thomas 1811260

Bikrumjeet Dhillon 1403745

Dafne Moran Toha 1738126

Sean Cullen 1307293

Kanishq Batra 1828628

Alex Milshom 1605987

Jasmine Pink 1807335

Una Brown 1531418

Seumas Goddard 1506302

Robert Woods 1604855

Ronit Jayesh Himatlal 1835972

Elizabeth Hyatt 1518148

Nicola Lynch 1702557

James Cuthbertson 1715609

Callum Roper 1715687

Jessica Cooper 1719147

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Elliott Knights-Sloane 1709064

Toby Dawes 1715051

Daniel Knights 1632863

Joseph Jordan 1509546

Jason Moloney 1700044

Bethany Wale 1501527

Oliver Pressland 1712908

Thomas Horrex 1713991

James Cantwell 1704984

Gabriel Gruter 1712540

Harriet Weaver 1801701

Samantha Roberts 1503066

Cayla Martin 1617879

Proxy Votes:

Name ID Proxy Name Proxy ID

Serena Spring 1612918 George Wardle 1443903

Daniel Grimble 1620528 George Wardle 1443903

Will Tate 1719093 George Wardle 1443903

Christy Curtis 1609969 George Wardle 1443903

William Bartholomew 1807739 George Wardle 1443903

Morgan Bowen 1712839 George Wardle 1443903

Nicolas Lomas 1540273 George Wardle 1443903

Timothy Belchamber 1401323 George Wardle 1443903

Megan Leonard 1615958 George Wardle 1443903

Virgil Ampansah 1613664 George Wardle 1443903

Matthew Smart 1612870 George Wardle 1443903

Kieron Mackenzie 1613284 George Wardle 1443903

Connor Mcleod 1839683 George Wardle 1443903

Genevieve Hedges 1801436 George Wardle 1443903

Gabriel Tala 1637484 George Wardle 1443903

Ryan Hunter 1540711 George Wardle 1443903

Rafael Ibrahim 1536862 George Wardle 1443903

Daniel Bewsher 1701343 George Wardle 1443903

Jack Gurney 1519954 George Wardle 1443903

Alana Lawes 1540660 George Wardle 1443903

Ellie Griffith-Erysthee 1706646 George Wardle 1443903

Harlie Macmurray 1800881 George Wardle 1443903

Richard South Cott 1623987 George Wardle 1443903

Chelsea Cooper 1705068 George Wardle 1443903

Anna Popova 1715504 George Wardle 1443903

Heidi Louise 1641481 George Wardle 1443903

Luke Cowell 1717046 George Wardle 1443903

Joel Ambrose Brown 1711233 George Wardle 1443903

Alice Mitchell 1710805 George Wardle 1443903

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Henry Robert Mcintosh 1700438 George Wardle 1443903

Hal Meakin 1705429 George Wardle 1443903

Annabel Grace Hutchings 1741129 George Wardle 1443903

Jessica Deu Wilson 1504937 George Wardle 1443903

Ellen Catherine Parkinson 1706280 George Wardle 1443903

Bernard Hehetro 1611068 George Wardle 1443903

Callum Holland 1715767 George Wardle 1443903

Olivia Curtis 1408560 George Wardle 1443903

Jaime Woodhouse 1612885 George Wardle 1443903

George Louis Baker 1624397 George Wardle 1443903

Hamal Masters 1504196 George Wardle 1443903

Kunzang Lee 1840211 George Wardle 1443903

Preston Ng 1711095 George Wardle 1443903

Nii Ocquaye 1111286 George Wardle 1443903

Anna Andraos 1712354 George Wardle 1443903

Luke Anthony McLaughlin 1742679 George Wardle 1443903

Dana Harding 1707956 George Wardle 1443903

William Byron 1719528 George Wardle 1443903

Ruth Bowe 1722816 George Wardle 1443903

Jack Ravner 1608985 George Wardle 1443903

Daniel Crimble 1620528 George Wardle 1443903

Arjuna Jumar 1616591 George Wardle 1443903

Izzak Miller 1540558 George Wardle 1443903

Patrick Geider 1822826 George Wardle 1443903

Alex Sullivan 1702811 George Wardle 1443903

Finley Miles 1606757 George Wardle 1443903

Samuel Rhys Charles 1704979 George Wardle 1443903

Christopher Harvie 1541170 George Wardle 1443903

Luca Ponceta 1817079 Peri Sherif 1434437

Shona Auha 1642841 Peri Sherif 1434437

Samantha Roberts 1503066 Peri Sherif 1434437

Freya Mcleish 1513439 Peri Sherif 1434437

Samuel Bristow 1608144 Peri Sherif 1434437

Kimron Mahal 1623530 Peri Sherif 1434437

Eleanor Galvin 1630241 Peri Sherif 1434437

Ellie Sherman 1511194 Peri Sherif 1434437

Kevin Sorometo 1716140 Peri Sherif 1434437

Alicia Toon 1718637 Peri Sherif 1434437

Andrew Amoah 1510156 Peri Sherif 1434437

Kyle May 1616696 Peri Sherif 1434437

Karim Hadaya 1642395 Peri Sherif 1434437

Scovia England 1810150 Peri Sherif 1434437

Callum Defrrick 1408142 Peri Sherif 1434437

Frederico Seaha de Almeida 1638693 Maria Valada 1601223

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Evander Jalles Lobo 1836483 Maria Valada 1601223

Claudia Rojas 1612981 Maria Valada 1601223

Rafael Aanjo 1729467 Maria Valada 1601223

Sean Cullen 1307293 George Wardle 1443903

Simad Gabriel Esteves 1821970 George Wardle 1443903

Christopher Harvie 1541170 George Wardle 1443903

Rachel Kerslake 1512023 George Wardle 1443903

Si Yin Yip 1829711 George Wardle 1443903

Eva Margisit Bachmann 1829793 George Wardle 1443903

Alicia Perez Gomez 1521841 George Wardle 1443903

William Jack Thomas 1504745 George Wardle 1443903

Jake Smalley 1618663 George Wardle 1443903

Ryan Flannagan 1806528 George Wardle 1443903

Syed Hadi Ahmed 1824283 George Wardle 1443903

Sophie Rutherford 1613719 George Wardle 1443903

Natasha James 1718531 George Wardle 1443903

Isabel Barclay 1742120 George Wardle 1443903

Kyle Ageyman 1616926 George Wardle 1443903

Lana David 1717726 George Wardle 1443903

Adrian Nicholson 1719060 George Wardle 1443903

Jordan Arnold 1605385 George Wardle 1443903

Dafne Moran Toha 1738126 George Wardle 1443903

Lucy Rutter 1540421 George Wardle 1443903

Diogo Espirito Santo Luz 1514366 George Wardle 1443903

Alexandra Christofi 1711917 George Wardle 1443903

Aoife Linehan 1707563 George Wardle 1443903

Nora Kristiina Turunen 1723915 George Wardle 1443903

Rhianna Graver 1716391 George Wardle 1443903

Michael Davis 1716295 George Wardle 1443903

Toby Jax Disbury 1712873 George Wardle 1443903

Tara Flindall 1517710 George Wardle 1443903

Jordi Alan Leroux Fito 1521705 George Wardle 1443903

Keeley Butler 1104664 George Wardle 1443903

Mohamed Bilal Chaudhry 1705357 George Wardle 1443903

Olivia Archibald 1714895 George Wardle 1443903

Diego Ramus 1509407 George Wardle 1443903

Joshua Jefferis 1418948 George Wardle 1443903

Constandca Fernandes 1713600 George Wardle 1443903

Theodore Hannah 1611544 George Wardle 1443903

Mary-Martin Akioyame 1641817 George Wardle 1443903

Paula Cerro Alvarado 1828065 George Wardle 1443903

Lorrine Penwarden 1636750 George Wardle 1443903

Jonas Stankevicius 1405401 George Wardle 1443903

Matt Newman 1512520 George Wardle 1443903

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Rebecca Stone 1706887 George Wardle 1443903

Elspeth Lunt 1541291 George Wardle 1443903

Rupert Moff 1741376 George Wardle 1443903

Emily Chow 1540832 George Wardle 1443903

Fergus Anderson 1611188 George Wardle 1443903

Daniel Vinson 1613551 George Wardle 1443903

Joseph Bainbridge 1707225 George Wardle 1443903

Ninoshka Barros 1513437 George Wardle 1443903

Hope Adams 1809646 George Wardle 1443903

Sophia Sefton 1507650 George Wardle 1443903

Rachel Beaven 1708973 George Wardle 1443903

Daniel Parkins 1613860 George Wardle 1443903

Chloe-Anne Cortes Dellipiani

1700065 George Wardle 1443903

Jasmine Amos 1604102 George Wardle 1443903

Baks Jammeh 1617899 George Wardle 1443903

Miah-George Thompson 1406990 George Wardle 1443903

James Houlberg 1701311 George Wardle 1443903

Ryan Wilson 1703943 George Wardle 1443903

Shakur Blackman 1809803 George Wardle 1443903

Philip Lartey 1732959 George Wardle 1443903

Kai Walker 1813292 George Wardle 1443903

Sophie Bellamy 1506942 George Wardle 1443903

Angelica Barnes 1803467 George Wardle 1443903

James Rocha 1720135 George Wardle 1443903

Timothy Campbell-Alexander

1723427 George Wardle 1443903

Abigail Morrell 1610940 George Wardle 1443903

Emilie Knights-Toomer 1809639 George Wardle 1443903

Katie Barker 1601963 George Wardle 1443903

Oifiok-Abasi Awak-Essien 1809498 George Wardle 1443903

Angelique McGiluvary 1710157 George Wardle 1443903

Alastair Hall 1540395 George Wardle 1443903

Ahmad Gul Kiani 1701058 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ryan Haddad 1833788 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Roy Chege 1727410 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ayan Biswas 1437915 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Harpreet Sing 1817672 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Najeeb Gambo Abdulhamid 1337925 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Shebryar Asmin 1624045 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Aditya Sutresa 1731825 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Fuzail Ahmed 1827698 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mundeep Chaudhry 1700353 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Anas Zouhir 1835272 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Kazi HaSSAN 1822871 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

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Aizada Kazybayeva 1820384 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Aawn 1820331 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mohammed Javed 1800342 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Peeyush Chauhan 1727102 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Aayush Mittal 1739538 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Eden Schunmann 1708019 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Muhuyiddeen Bawa 1800465 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Karan Vavadia 1800984 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Khalid Haji 1503406 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mahmood Zuber 1809007 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mohammad Yusuf Muliksada

1612775 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mohammad Atif 1801000 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Syed Mustafa 1739561 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Youness Sebbar 1403767 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Abdulahi Abdikadis Mohamed

1641528 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Shaheer Hamza Azad 1818332 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Talha Sabir 1529398 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ahmad Gulzar 1642851 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Alisher Satimov 1435556 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ridhima Malhotra 1738844 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Rahul Kumar Mulani 1809919 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Kavish Vaibhav Shah 1833790 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Tamer Travasi 1835120 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Usman Zafar 1735515 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Kirtan Soni 1827270 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Kalpesh Puronit 1727791 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Aditya Manjare 1734965 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Shrey Parikh 1835021 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Hrithik Ahuja 1838522 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Alisia Usher 1741718 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Elahe Amraie 1623902 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Hashim Minhas 1818915 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Tejaswini Tapadiya 1830208 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Archit Mehra 1828514 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Sahib Zazai 1840042 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ammar Satia 1839556 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mehrab Iqbal 1713896 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Levi Ofwono 1734314 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Khatera Naderi 1717373 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Maryam Adaman 1715037 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Hiba Abdulahi 1702075 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Youseff Enajar 1818818 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Atefa Hamayoon 1818644 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

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Lima Gharzai 1706956 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ghoslan Lakhdari 1706293 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Adnan Hassan 1703665 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Neeyati Mittal 1744446 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Carlotta Pietrebini Pini 1802249 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Monica Jain 1801973 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Jade El Alam 1640454 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ali Akhai 1634626 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Saad Khawaja 1736410 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Navishta Arif 1734671 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Hitea Rawal 1637007 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Glena Raza 1720708 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Firas Al Husayni 1540653 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ola Reda 1629627 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Haider Al-Asadi 1613492 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Sumreen Khan 1712867 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mario Espinosa Cordero 1833215 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Shah Taharus Zabar 1739567 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mustafa Ozerden 1536479 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Victor Daniel 1445746 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mihir Aggarwal 1834067 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Hussein Mohamed Abdi 1812057 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mohamed Bashir 1801997 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Isabella Norman 1809386 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Candie Feddis 1813052 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Remi Jessop 1804130 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Hassaan Mashadi 1800662 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Azan Waseem 1806046 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Fatima Mohamed 1707498 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Nikhil Trehan 1825593 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Aniqa Khan 1741329 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Saira Khan 1617947 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Megan Rass 1741867 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Maria Ellonen 1730288 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mohamed Osman 1807813 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Murtajis Shabbir 1816116 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Moses Etifa 1835024 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mohammad Nadeem 1709427 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mohamed El-Madkours 1712848 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Adam Osman 1507872 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ibrahim Azhar 1511617 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Umar Amin 1643667 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Akhil Balagopal 1641678 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

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Muhammad Uddin 1619617 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Lama Alughaibi 1715727 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Omara Mukhtar 1742026 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Tom Wingrove 1707153 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Edward Marshall 1600810 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ali Jeral 1635558 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Muhammad Ibrahim Babayo 1827608 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Hasan Abbas 1614349 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Salina Abbussu 1541419 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Dani Mansour 1601800 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Ali Jemil 1514759 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Nur Salim 1707617 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mohammad Bhuttoo 1710867 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mohamed Abuhar 1617255 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Abdulla Nasser Alnaimi 1531191 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Busty Okundaye 1837934 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Dhiren Valechha 1727195 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Yameen Khan 1727199 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Yash Chudasama 1734461 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Sam Bhardwaj 1735701 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Mohammed Nihal Tharammal Chamayil

1833240 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Abdul Ahad 1828209 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Fabliha Matin 1719650 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Harisa Bhatti 1703952 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Emmanuel AmanKwah 1715531 Ranjeet Rathore 1441715

Staff Members in attendance

Chief Executive of the Union of Brunel Students Craig Lithgow

Head of Education and Advocacy Patsy Headlam

Student Voice Manager Rebecca Davies

Student Voice Intern Sophie Charlotte

1. Minutes of the Previous Meeting – Thursday 08th of February 2018.

Minutes were approved

2. Motions to revoke or amend the Constitution and Bye-Laws:

Craig Lithgow, Chief Executive of the Union of Brunel Students: presented the motion to amend the Constitution/Bye-Laws, taking the paper as read. No speech against and no questions Motion Passed Unanimously

3. Motions

a. Motion to create the post of European Union (EU) Officer role.

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Maria Valada, Vice President of Health and Life Sciences presented the motion. Taking the paper as read. Some important points – Brexit will have an impact on the status and rights of EU students, thus they require specialised representation. An EU Officer will ultimately represent and empower EU students. Student Q: Will it not be simpler to extend the responsibilities of the International Student Officer? MV: EU students are in a unique and ambiguous position post-Brexit. Their rights must be protected, and specialised representation will allow for greater advocacy. Student Q: Will the elected student representative have the knowledge and experience required to perform the role? MV: The officer will have robust training. Student Q: Why are there not officers dedicated to represent other continents? MV: The unique circumstances of EU student’s post-Brexit, as well as their numbers at Brunel, warrant the additional officer position. Motion passed

b. To provide unbiased information on student discounts.

Daniel Knights, presented the Motion. Taking the paper as read. Some important points – The Union should provide advertising for alternative discount services, other than the NUS Totem Card. The posters are everywhere, with no other option for students. The card is expensive, and many students cannot afford it. Peri Sherif: NUS Affiliation makes the discount Totem Card profitable for the Union, and the Totem app does feature free discounts. DK: Most Totem discounts are only available after purchase. Student Q: Do you not think that this motion is condescending to students? If a student wants to use an alternative discount service, they can simply use Google and find them. This motion suggests that students are not able to do this. DK: There is a reason particular services are promoted and advertising provides greater access. It is not condescending to suggest that advertising works. Student comment: The NUS should have privileged access to advertising because of the resources they provide to the union. Ranjeet Rathore, comment: The motion is misleading, as it implies that the union is biased with regards to affiliations. The union has many non-NUS affiliations and promotion deals with non-NUS organisations. Motion Not Passed.

c. To ban the promotion of essay mills and similar services.

Daniel Knights, presented the Motion. Taking the paper as read. Some important points - We should take a moral stand against this increasingly popular form of academic cheating. The use of essay mills are dishonest and illegal. Student comment: Essay mills are indeed illegal and advertising for illicit services are not permitted anyway on our campus, this motion is unnecessary.

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DK: This motion allows us to take a firm moral stance on the use of essay mills. Motion Passed.

d. To pay and promote the living wage.

Daniel Knights, presented the Motion. Taking the paper as read. Some important points – Union student staff are not paid the London Living Wage, as recognised by The Living Wage Foundation (£10.20 an hour). Student poverty is a significant contributor to mental health issues. The Union should pay the London Living Wage with 60 days and not sign any new promotional contracts with companies who do not pay at least the Living Wage to all staff. Peri Sherif, Vice President College (CEDPS), presented an Amendment. Taking the paper as read. Some important points – We will lose a significant amount of income for the union if we drop contracts as recommended in this motion. This will create a deficit that will ultimately harm the Union. The time limit of 60 days does not give enough time for the Union to successfully accommodate the wage increases of staff. A 2021 deadline will allow for this process. Amendment: To implement the living wage by the end of the strategic cycle in 2021. Motion is introduced by Peri Sherif with an amendment. Amendment was accepted by Daniel and became part of the final motion. Craig Lithgow, Chief Executive of the Union of Brunel Students, Comment: The Union will need a period of consultation to soften the financial impact of implementing the London Living Wage. Student comment: All this will do is mean that the Union Bar has less hours to allocate than before. Student Staff will ultimately lose out because of this and ultimately our income will decrease. The motion will not help us. Peri Sherif, comment: I worked at Westfield in the City Centre and earned £7.50 an hour. Student staff are paid significantly better than that. DK: That wage is awful, and employers should be held accountable for doing this. The Living Wage Foundation have made their recommendations based on their research and we should fall in line with this for moral reasons. Motion not passed.

e. Ensure fairer funding between sports teams.

Daniel Knights presented the Motion. Taking the paper as read. Some important points – Societies are chronically underfunded and sports teams receive a disproportionate amount of funding by comparison. The funding gap must be addressed and as such, we should impose a funding cap. Sports teams must not receive more than 3x of the total funding pot for societies. Student comment: Sports teams obtain a large amount of funding from external grants that they work very hard to obtain. This is so we are not entirely reliant on Union funding. My society is a great example of this. DK: Good on you, and well done to any sports team that does this. I am not referring to external funding though.

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George Wardle, comment: Sport teams are very resourceful with the external funding they secure and there are many reasons why sport teams and societies require more funding than other societies. It is disappointing that you have not looked into this. Amendment: To increase society funding, but not to the detriment of sport. Amendment is introduced by Sean Cullen. Amendment Passes Student comment: The additional funding we could receive as a result of this motion and subsequent lobbying would really benefit smaller societies, like my own. Student comment: There are practical options we can look at when looking to help societies financially. For example, we could allow societies to keep their allocated money past the end of the academic year, into the next.

Motion Passed.

f. Motion to Support a second referendum and People’s Vote on the final deal.

Ranjeet Rahore, Union President, presented the Motion. Taking the paper as read. Some important points – The government is in chaos and it is likely that we are heading for a hard Brexit. There is now little hope for negotiations and the subsequent ability to deliver for students. 750,000 18 year-olds who were too young to vote in the referendum are now able to have their voices heard. The Union should support a second referendum, a People’s Vote and actively campaign for the UK to remain within the Erasmus Scheme. We should also negotiate for special immigration status for EU students.

Student, counter-argument offered: Brexit was voted upon by the general public, it is done. It is better for the Union to remain neutral and not invite this combative topic onto campus. Student comment: We should not refrain from being politically active at university. It is our social responsibility to campaign and lobby for what we believe to be right. This is important.

Student comment: I campaigned for the Remain campaign during the referendum in this area. Our wider local community is staunchly pro-Brexit. There were occasions where we received verbal abuse and threats. I want to be assured that the Union will provide necessary safeguarding for students. RR: We will make sure students are protected. We can work with the local community to ensure measures are taken for security and safeguarding.

Student comment: Our major British political parties are now supporting Brexit. The majority of people who voted, voted in favour to leave the EU. We are not respecting the will of the people and a second referendum is invalid. The people have already had their say. The Union should not support an undemocratic campaign. Also, the fact that people who are 18 now were 16 then and thus were unable to vote in the EU referendum is immaterial and irrelevant. I wouldn’t expect to have a say on something retrospectively. RR: The Brexit campaign made false statements, fake promises and lied to the general public. We now know this, before the vote we did not. This motion aims to help repair our democracy and the support a campaign that empowers young people. It is valid and it is democratic.

George Wardle Q: Why does the person providing a counter-argument think that the Union should remain neutral on this issue?

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Student who offered counter-argument: The referendum campaign divided communities and created a really harmful friction between the two sides. I don’t think we should welcome this divide onto our campus. Not doing so is in the interest of protecting our students, and ensuring that Brunel remains an open and safe space.

RR: It is important that we take a stand in favour of remaining within the EU and supporting a People’s Vote. On principle but also for the practical implications of Brexit. As a Union we must advocate for the rights of EU students, the continuation of the Erasmus programme and more broadly, against xenophobia and bigotry. We have an opportunity to repair our democracy and give a voice to young people.

Motion Passed.