By Ron. Kirk Among the working papers subritted to the N.A-L.S.0. Conference waa one dealing with the Young Socialiats. This paper was commented upon in journals as far apart as the 'Tines' and 'Tribune', and caused a minor furor at Transport House. The paper itself is not sensational, and the attention given to it is “Mainly due. to the timing of ita release. That , Tony Greenwood should tell the N.A.b.S.0. Conference that relations between the student organisation and the Labour Party were good in spite of this paper being presented to conference spotlights the present panic stations attitude of the Labour Farty *.H.C. to the Y.8 The paper starts with an attempt to pose the general problem of Labour Youth movements. “The present problems'of the ¥.5, should not be considered as being in any way new or special but must de sean in the perszective of previous attempts to build a Youth movement, The history of the various youth organisetions is seen to repeat iteelf time ard time egwin, An
NUMBER 18
obvious characteristic is the way that the official youth paper has languished whilet ‘Unofficial’ papers have thrived... The future of the Labour Party depends to a large extent on Tecruiting new members, This would follow from a large ¥.5. If only for this reason, it is imperative that imaginative measures are taken to build a healthy, vigorous youth movement. The concept of youth sections directly under the control of the Party has been tried and has singularly failed. ‘The present cautious compromise between freedom and control seems not to provida the answer; therefore new approaches have to be explored.” “Attempts to make the Y.S. reject its policies of unilateralism, withdrawal fron N.A.?.0., workers control, etc., will only worsen relations between them and Transport House. The Y.3. will be left, but they do not heve to be anti Labour Ferty... The tedious formalities of trying to stop political discussion at area and regional level should be stopped.... So that it (New Advance) should be a journel of the Y.S. and not imposed from Transport House, an Editorial Board should be elected on a regional besis, by delegates to the Y.5. Conference. Safeguards could de insisted upon that guarenteed minority rights... The Y.S. should have an E.C. rather than a National Committee, with rights to communicate to the branches directly, call demonstrations, etc., while keeping the Labour Party informed.... A more tolerant approach woulé mollify the left and enable the ¥.5. to turn from ita introspection inte the positive field of making socialists, campaigning egainet the evils of « class divided society, and for a Labour Party that had ite respect even though politcal differences were admitted." The Paper is limited by not stressing the easentisally political nature of the problen. Only a fool however, would deny the relevance of probleme of organisation, It has to be recognised that a section of cur Party is so completely committed to Parlianentarianisn, thet Youth activities which are not social, or notivated towards helping the Party to run election campaigns, are regarded at best as being irrelevant, but more usually subversive, This Feper has the merit of opening the debate or how to build a Labour youth movewsnt in a censtructive way, rather than just joining in the frenetic slanging match. Whether we can save the ¥.S, or whether we can do no’ more than write a sugpested constitution for a Labour youth organisation of the future, does not eiter the need for the debate to continue,