News of the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was met with applause at the NUS National Conference, an event which plays host to the country’s most senior student politicians.
The NUS Chief Returning Officer announced on stage: “This is a day I’ll never forget, and if you look at the news headlines you’ll know what I’m talking about.”
The statement was received with loud cheers from the floor, but YUSU President Kallum Taylor has been quick to distance York’s delegation, consisting of himself, Welfare Officer Bob Hughes, Academic Officer Graeme Osborn, Benjamin Dilks and Megan Ollerhead, from the reaction.
“None of the YUSU delegation cheered or jeered once the news hit conference. It’s quite alienating that a sizeable minority did though,” said Taylor.
“Whether you were a supporter of Baroness Thatcher or not, it doesn’t send out a message of credibility to the rest of the country if this takes place at NUS National Conference, and more importantly, it’s entirely inappropriate. Like anyone else, she will have grieving family members and that must be respected.
“Politically, to me, she’s divided and devastated many, many communities across the UK – and we’re still seeing the ruptures of it now. Though I’m obviously on one side of a very, very big fence.
“However, there’s not a cat in hell’s chance that we’d celebrate the death of anyone on behalf of the York SU.”
NUS President Liam Burns also warned against showing any disrespect towards the former leader, making a statement from the conference stage following significant responses to the cheers on Twitter.
“Following misrepresentations on Twitter, I feel that I have to respond to Margaret Thatcher’s death,” he announced.
“Now, let me be clear, I’m the last person to agree with Margaret Thatcher’s politics or her policy record as prime minister. But we must not forget that an elderly woman has just died. She had family, friends, colleagues and supporters who will want to pay their respects at this time, and the media and public debate will now be dominated by this unexpected news.
“It’s not just that this would reflect extremely badly upon us if we were to show disrespect at this time. We are better than that. We believe there is such thing as humanity. There is such a thing as sensitivity. And there is such a thing as respect. I ask you all to think very carefully indeed about how you respond to this news as conference continues.”
NUS Presidential candidate Vicki Baars denied hearing the applause on Twitter, but has also announced that she disagrees “completely” with it.
When she took mans milk. That was quite literally the last straw.
Vicki Baars is a joke. Ugh i wanna slap her with a fish. such foul display of behaviour by delegates
Please can UoY leave the NUS. This is just another sign that it they are just a bunch of arseholes. The whole organisation is a complete joke. No one has any idea what they do except put on high-vis jackets and shout through megaphones at demos, except when they’re sitting at home thinking up stupid slogans to shout through said megaphone wearing a bloody hemp scarf or whatever these idiots wear.
At least our Pres has the decency to disagree with what she stood for but condemn people cheering her death. UoY should distance ourselves from the entire NUS and the morons who work there.
Taylor squeezing his own opinions on the Thatcher era there…
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Jago Pearson has a massive head
To any student who has celebrated the death of Margaret Thatcher and blamed her for your woes: GET OVER YOURSELVES! YOU WEREN’T EVEN ALIVE WHEN SHE WAS IN GOVERNMENT AND STOP ACTING AS IF SHE IS TOO BLAME FOR ALL YOUR PROBLEMS! STOP SUBJECTING US TO YOUR LEFT-WING PREJUDICES AND HAVE SOME FUCKING RESPECT FOR A WOMAN WHO HAS JUST DIED!!!!
That is all.
NUS delegates weren’t alive during the Thatcher premiership, think they have a right to revel in her death.
Look’s like a classic example of some people needing to check their privilege ey?
Reviling in someone’s death, eh?
Hitler= Yes; Stalin= Yes; Pot= Yes; Bieber= Yes; Thatcher= I don’t think so tbh.
She has her haters, but then so did Reagan and Kennedy and remember their funerals! No riots then.