Today my new present from the guild is two new sets of charges against me. These new charges will require new committees to convene for deliberation; adding even more time to my suspension while the investigation rolls on.

I wonder who is making these decisions in the guild and with what mandate? A guild officer has informed me, contrary to some statements by the guild, that it has not been the guild officer group taking decisions. With new charges being created how long can I reasonably expect to be suspended for?

This letter [1] represents the first of the new charges . It is a letter signed by 40 student union sabbatical officer, MP’s and Union leaders including Bob crow, Len McCluskey, Mark Serwotka and Kevin Courtney. Apparently the fact that these people have written this letter may amount to gross misconduct on my part. I have been summoned to present my defence… uhhm I didn’t write it, that good enough?

I find it immensely worrying, that I could be potentially fired without a vote from elected position, for other people writing a letter and furthermore using a disciplinary process that has not yet been ratified by the guild council.

The second charge is this article [2] written in personal capacity in the guardian,

Both of these charges are obviously political. What purpose do they serve other than intimidating me and others, to deter us from publicly articulating a defence of student democracy and trying to smother a campaign against fees and cuts?

Are these issues not for students to debate and vote upon in student council? As of yet there have been no official movements from the student body to have me censured let alone removed. Instead students of the university have rallied on campus [3] in large numbers demanding democratic processes and my reinstatement. At the guild Education forum the room was packed out with students demanding my reinstatement.

Thankfully Liam Burns the NUS president has been kindly keeping watch on my case. In a recent letter to the NEC he explains that he has been assured by the guild that what is happening to me has nothing to with my campaigning or the Banner drop.

“Haven spoken to the Guild, I’ve been advised that on Edd’s return to the Guild, he was suspended pending an internal investigation on matters not connected to the banner drop itself. To be clear, I have been told that Edd was not suspended because of his campaigning activity or remit. This may well be contested between parties involved, but at the moment, and unless the Guild advises otherwise, this is what has been communicated to NUS.” – Liam Burns NUS president, letter to the national executive committee of the NUS.

I must wonder then why my suspension letter accuses me of things unrelated to the unfurling of the banner. Like the charges that the guild suspended me for, such as me missing meetings while held on remand by the police [4] and of course also the totally unrelated incident of me being arrested for unfurling the banner and now the articles about the banner drop, arrest and suspension.

This is about stopping me from fulfilling the campaigning pledges I set out to do; the charges against me are clearly demonstrably political. Worse still, apparently according to the NUS president himself the guild sought to mislead others as to the nature of my suspension.

Despite my removal, the campaign at the University of Birmingham to defend education against a privatisation continues, the best thing we can do is carry on campaigning. Invite all your friends on facebook  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=289424397749026 to the next demo on campus on November 2nd using this code  http://olivo.net/2011/04/how-to-invite-all-your-facebook-friends-to-an-event-at-once-code-has-changed/

Coach tickets to the national demo [5] November 9th are available for £5 text or call 07988056867 to reserve a seat, do this now spaces are limited.

If your not at Birmingham, make sure you are building the for the national demo, invite all your friends to the facebook event. [6]

[1]  http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=417707
[2]  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/05/students-crackdown-direct-action-arrest
[3]  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uWXY5rTR50
[4]  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/25/protest-students-higher-education
[5]  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=172700659466128
[6]  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=172700659466128

See you in London on November 9th.

Edd x