CUCA are sliding into people’s DMs

Cambridge University Conservative Association hitting back against opponents is nothing out of the political norm. But their most recent method is anything but conservative.

In an effort to spread their social media wings, CUCA joined Instagram back in July, attracting a few raised eyebrows when it came to follow requests. Rose Aitchison, a third year English student, publicly decided to decline the follow, posting this message to her Instagram story:

She cited previous society controversies such as 2017's £20 note burning incident and the comments of guests hosted by CUCA at dinners as reasons for not wishing to engage with their Instagram platform.

Over a month later, the Society have decided to respond to the comment, messaging Aitchison directly to invite her to a freshers' reception, despite her blatant opposition. This was on the account that her comment to her circle of 548 followers had done 'a stellar job of helping us advertise on social media', signing off with 'CUCA love x'.

The message has heavily sarcastic undertones.

This prompted Rose to share her updated inbox on Instagram, adding that she'd rather "staple raw meat to my clothes and run through a field of starving dogs", encouraging yet another response from CUCA's platform:

This time, the sender claimed that they would never describe CULC meetings in such a way. Burn.

Whoever is sending these messages appears to be writing from a direct and personal perspective, though unlike the recipient of the DMs, their identity has remained concealed.

When approached for comment, CUCA have told The Tab that:

CUCA is pleased to have an active and engaging social media presence. We can only do what we do thanks to our legion of loyal fans who support us by regularly attending our events and mentioning us in their Instagram stories. It is only right we thank them!

Apparently "fans" and "haters" have become an extension in the political vocabulary, and speaking out against wanting to follow CUCA on Instagram now means you actually really want to engage with CUCA in real life.

Will this ever end?

If you've also fallen victim to CUCA's DMs, drop us an email at [email protected]