Organised Independents
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The Organised Independents (often abbreviated to OI) are a grouping within the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom.
The group is made up of candidates for National Executive Committee posts, all standing on an "independent" label, and their supporters, and as a result a lot of controversy has raged over whether such a faction exists. Many NUS commentators are in agreement that such an organised grouping is clearly in existence. Various names were in use, including the "Webberites" (after Simon Webber, an early leading figure), the "Owainites" (after Owain James, NUS President 2000-2002), the "Independent Faction" before the term "Organised Independents" took hold. The phrase "independent student officers" was also prominent on many manifestos. Increasingly members of the grouping no longer dispute their existence and the label. However, there is still much dispute over whether or not individual independents are aligned to the OIs or not.
The OIs emerged as a group of independent candidates and NEC members who gave support to the Labour Students-dominated NUS leadership of the 1990s. Several admitted to being "members of the Labour Party but not Labour Students," a distinction that some found difficult to understand. Further confusion reigned as some OIs appeared to be members of Labour Students at the ordinary level. The group became increasingly prominent in 2000 when Labour Students declined to put up a candidate to defend the Presidency of the NUS, a position which they had previously held for eighteen years, but instead backed Owain James as an independent, who won the post and held it for the two years allowed under the constitution.
The OIs have also been defined as an interest group as opposed to a faction. This has come from the idea that they are simply a group of officers who seek to support one another during their time as sabbatical officers.
The 2002 NUS elections saw the OIs and Labour Students fall out and run opposing candidates. In general the OIs beat the Labour Students in all elections, bar the Presidency which was won by Mandy Telford. Subsequently the OIs and Labour Students have co-operated at times but at other times have shown fierce opposition.
In recent years there has been renewed confusion over the exact membership of the OIs, stemming from a series of notable factional shifts within the NUS by several individuals and the emergence of more than one group of independents who organise together.
In 2007, though, the position is clear and the independents who describe themselves within NUS formally as OIs are Gemma Tumelty (National President), Stephen Brown (National Secretary), Ama Uzowuru (Vice-President Welfare), Adam McNicholas (Block of 12).
In the 2008 elections, Ama Uzowuru was re-elected as Vice-President (Welfare). Aaron Porter was elected as the Vice President (Higher Education) and Ben Whittaker and Elizabeth Sommerville were elected onto the Block of 12.
The Organised Independents continue to be very popular within the national movement. With Gemma Tumelty (National President) and Stephen Brown (National Secretary) both leaving their respective posts in June 2008.
The Organised Independents were also in power in NUS Scotland, with Gurjit Singh holding Presidency in 2008. He was defeated in the following presidential election by Labour party member Liam Burns.
In 2009 Ben Whittaker was elected Vice President Welfare and Liz Williams (Liverpool Guild of Students) and Alice Bouquet (University of West England SU) were elected onto Block of 15 at National Conference. Katie Dalton was elected President of NUS Wales.
In 2010 Aaron Porter was elected at the 54th President of the National Union of Students. Ben Whittaker was re-elected Vice President (Welfare). Peter Mercer and Ryan Wain were elected onto Block of 15. Katie Dalton was also re-elected President of NUS Wales.
In 2011 Peter Mercer was elected Vice-President Welfare following Ben Whittaker's two terms. Matthew East, two-term Anglia Ruskin Students' Union President, was elected onto the Block of 15. George-Konstantinos Charonis was elected as the NUS Postgraduate Taught Representative at the Postgraduate Conference.