A policy entitled “BDS Motion 2021” at City, University of London, which was passed by the students’ union in December 2021, has been overridden after a complaint by Israel advocacy group Stand With Us.

The BDS motion, set out as part of a “Decolonise City” programme which aimed to “centre black and minoritised (sic) students at the heart of our institution”, set out a series of notes, beliefs and resolutions in relation to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

It stated that the union believed that it “should incorporate the Palestinian community’s call to BDS in its ‘Decolonise City’ project on an educational, investment and social level.”

It added: “The union should assist in City student’s wishes to inquire into City’s investment and endowment funds.

“This would maintain a reasonable level of transparency for students and staff, allowing for informed decisions to be taken.”

This prompted Stand With Us to make a complaint to the Charity Commission, which regulates students’ unions in England and Wales.

Stand With Us raised concerns that the City motion was a political campaign that fell outside of the charity’s objectives.

The commission subsequently engaged with the union about potential regulatory concerns.

According to a statement that was posted on the student union’s website, the Union Board of Trustees engaged openly at all stages with the Charity Commission and agreed to seek further legal advice from law firm Bates Wells.

Based on this new advice, the Board then took the decision to override the motion, on the basis that it may be inconsistent with charity law.