The Left at Sheffield established a group called “Kick ‘Em On Campus”, complete with website and Facebook group.

A Facebook group called “Keep ‘Em On Campus” was set up in opposition, and despite the best attempts of Kick ‘Em Off Campus activists to smear the group (viewed widely as a horrendous strategic error that simply made them look childish and amateur), membership of “Keep” rapidly overtook that of “Kick”, until the ratio was nearly 4:1 in Keep’s favour.

A debate was also organised by the Sheffield Union Debating Society, and the result, in a turnout of roughly 150, was a majority against banning Armed Forces recruitment by a majority of over 100.

The Centre-Right should NOT be afraid to challenge the Left in student unions. The common assumption is that the Left control them. That’s rubbish.

There’s more support for the moderate Right (conservatives, libertarians and classical liberals) among students in their unions than most of the Left would care to admit or dare to acknowledge.

What I’d like to see is a new Centre-Right organisation established dedicated solely to keeping the political balance in the student unions and the NUS (where in the latter the Left have run amok for WAY too long).

What with the NUS now looking to introduce minimum pricing in student union bars and introduce a graduate tax, a student-focussed Centre-Right organisation is needed more than ever.

Perhaps call it the Student Broad Right? Or Student CentreRight?