Oxford university students have voted to disaffiliate from the National Union of Students (NUS) and more students’ unions may follow.

An NUS spokeswoman said that it “respects the decision taken this week in the referendum” following the vote on Wednesday to break from the main confederation.

She added that the union will continue to make “the case for the considerable benefits affiliation brings to students.”

Another referendum is reportedly planned at Royal Holloway, University of London, for later this year.

National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts spokeswoman Hannah Webb said that “it’s completely unsurprising that a lot of people feel very let down” by the NUS, claiming that “it has on many occasions failed to adequately stand up for students when they needed it.”

Oxford’s anti-NUS campaign won the referendum by 128 votes of a total of 3,464 — a turnout of 15.1 per cent.

It was led by former Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) president and Conservative Future chairman Jack Matthews.

Mr Matthews has criticised the NUS in the past, claiming that it was a far-left group.

Current OUSU president Tom Rutland said the result was “a shame.”

Ms Webb added that she hoped “people are leaving the NUS to lead something radical for students rather than to become inactive.”