Student Broad Left

Student Broad Left (SBL) is a factional grouping operating within the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom.

The group was formed in 1997 as a split from the Campaign for Free Education (CFE) and first contested NUS elections in 1998. It is characterised by its vocal support for the NUS Liberation Campaigns, Palestinian rights and for free-to-student, state-funded education, and its loud opposition to racism, Islamophobia, fascism and war. The group describes itself as a "network of left activists campaigning for a progressive student movement", and has Labour, Respect, Green and independent members. The group's most influential members are members of Socialist Action.

In most years, Student Broad Left formed a slate with the Campaign for Free Education and Socialist Workers' Student Society, to increase the number of socialist candidates elected. This assisted the group in ensuring it has almost always had a least one member elected to the NUS Executive. In the 2004 NUS elections the CFE and SWSS split and stood against each other. Student Broad Left and the CFE negotiated a slate for some places, but in the proportional representation "Block of 12" election, Student Broad Left supported transfers to SWSS over CFE. Student Broad Left candidate Peter Leary polled 2nd in the Block of 12 in 2004 and 2005 coming behind only Labour Students. George Woods was Student Broad Left's Block of 12 member for 2006-8.

Opponents of Student Broad Left claim that many of the founders of the group, including all SBL candidates to the NUS National Executive Committee, have been closely linked to Socialist Action, pointing out that the Student Broad Left supports the same campaigns as Socialist Action, for example the Student Assembly Against Racism, Unite Against Fascism, Student CND and Cuban solidarity. Though these allegations are levelled at SBL members with some regularity, the list of organisations could cover many left wing groups and individuals, and is not indicative of any particular faction.

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