[1] While individual OIs have a broad range of political views and positions, from soft left to one-nation conservatism, the group as a whole holds a membership-focused ideology.
An exception to this was on Brexit, which prominent OIs took a strong and embittered stance against, and the group led NUS' campaign for a people's vote.
The OIs emerged as a group of independent candidates and NEC members who gave support to the Labour Students-dominated NUS leadership of the 1990s.
Former NUS LGB officer Carli Harper-Pennan wrote that at this time, the OIs were "aligned with Labour Students", "organised with them", and had "the same agenda".
In recent years there has therefore been renewed confusion over the exact membership of the OIs, stemming from a series of notable factional shifts within the NUS by several individuals and the emergence of more than one group of independents who organise together.
[7][8] In January 2017, Al Jazeera broadcast footage purporting to show that Brooks was involved in attempts to block the election of (and, later, discredit and remove) controversial President Malia Bouattia over allegations of antisemitism.
[17] HE policy commentator Nona Buckley-Irvine wrote that with the "significant ideological shift from the hard left to more moderate candidates, sector bodies and universities will prepare themselves for a rethink in how to approach NUS going forward".
[18] However, Liberation Left candidate for VP Union Development Ali Milani would prove critical in blocking the reforms.
[19][20][21] At the 2019 national conference, the OIs focused campaigning efforts on again passing a programme of reforms - this time to prevent financial bankruptcy.
[24] In 2018, in response to the ongoing political instability around Brexit, the group launched FFS, a cross-party youth campaign for a second referendum.
Key OI figures steered policy through the 2018 National Conference to ensure that NUS became one of the earliest organisations to declare support for the position.
[25][26][27] The campaign subsequently organised an open letter undersigned by 120 student leaders, and numerous demonstrations, which attracted over 160,000 attendees.