We're getting closer and closer! The AGM is due to take place at 4:30pm, Tuesday 17th June 2025 in Faraday Lecture Theatre. Please attend - there needs to be an attendance of at least 150 students present for the motion to be accepted if the vote passes.

Why should you turn up?

This AGM is a crucial moment for us to collectively decide what standards we expect from student societies at Lancaster. Our motion to refuse affiliation to the Reform UK Society in its current state isn't about silencing political views. It's about accountability for conduct that breaches LUSU’s Code of Conduct and the University’s Dignity in Student Life principles - principles that exist to ensure a respectful, non-discriminatory, and safe environment for all students.

We'd like to go through a few examples, you may have noticed a few of them in the cover of this update post.

1. We've seen public posts from the society's leader, Jack Eccles, calling for immigrants to be deported in relation to the Heathrow expansion (initially tweeting "Hopefully they use it to deport all the immigrants #ReformUK" before later editing it to add "illegal"). In public university group chats, he's used offensive terms like "retarded woke person." Such language is not "debate"; it's offensive and contributes to a hostile environment, especially for international students and those with disabilities.
2. Jack has publicly stated "DEI needs to go", attacking the very heart of why Lancaster is such a brilliant campus: it's diversity, equality and inclusion. Furthermore, his social media includes posts like "a man is a man and a woman is a woman YOU CANT CHANGE YOUR GENDER #TransWomenAreConMen", and describing transgenderism as an "ideology." These statements, particularly the derogatory hashtag, are direct attacks on the dignity and identity of transgender members of our community.
3. Perhaps most alarmingly, in another university group chat, Jack Eccles stated, "Nah I just have an EDL flag for my room at uni." The EDL (English Defence League) is widely recognised as a far-right, Islamophobic organisation. Any association with or endorsement of such a group by a potential student society leader is completely unacceptable and raises serious safety concerns for many students, particularly Muslim students and those from minority ethnic backgrounds. Update: We've learned from the wider screenshot that we didn't have access to that this was "a joke", we didn't find it funny.
4. Alongside transphobic rhetoric, we've seen comments from Jack questioning Pride Month ("I don't get why there's a pride month it's really stupid," and suggesting there should be a "straight month"). This dismisses the importance of celebrating and supporting LGBTQ+ students and contributes to an atmosphere where they may feel unwelcome or invalidated.
5. Problematic Conduct on Campus: We also have documented an individual associated with the society imitating Elon Musk's highly controversial salute in a university lecture theatre - a gesture widely condemned for its perceived links to extremist symbolism. This shows poor judgment and disregard for creating a respectful campus environment.

This is why your attendance at the AGM is vital. Granting affiliation to a society whose leadership demonstrates such conduct would compromise campus safety and inclusion.

We want to uphold the standards that every student society is expected to meet. Individuals remain free to hold their views, but LUSU affiliation is a privilege that must come with a commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive community for all.

The motion will be published on the student union website tommorow, June 4th, this update will be updated with a link to it. Students can request amendments to the motion which will be reviewed.