Birmingham C.S.E. set up

from Pat Jordan A small meeting in Birmingham on Sunday, November 14th, heard a report of the founding conference of the Centre for Socialist Education, The meeting had been arranged by inviting a number of know supporters of the idea of establishing an organisation of this type, plus a few other people who were interested in discussing the problem, The report provoked a lively response from one or two of the audience who considered that the establishment of C.S.E. might endanger the unity of the Labour Party. They used the well knom"don't rock the boat" argument, but other members © of the audience argued against being side~tracked into merely discussing this question, Another participant argued that this discussion in itself was the proof that such an organisation was both desirable and necessary. Criticism of another kind came from a comrade with considerable trace union experience = who had been the leader a particularly heroic strike he argued that the fact that certain left wing organisations had not been invited to partidpate in the founding conference was undemocratic. He expressed the opinion that this omission was because the organisers did not want the C.S.E. to be too "left." The chaizmman of the meeting and others answered these points by first stressing the need for an organisation like C.S.E. to arrest the fragmentation of the movement, and then pointing out that it would be the most democratic organisation = completely without bans and proscriptions - on the left in Britain. The whole evolution of the Labour Government proved the necessity of socialists taking stock; moreover, the founders were quite entitled to restrict the foundinz conference to known supporters of the establishment of a non-sectarian education movement, Only in this way could they have had a fruitful and constructive meeting. The bulk of the audience were enthusiastic about, the project and the chairman reported that support had been promised /¥everal people who had been unable to attend the meeting, A committee was established to get the organisation off the ground. This committee is most representative; including Mrs. Beryl Ruehle, secretary of Selly Oak Labour Party, who has a wealth of experience in organising trade union education; a secretary of: a Young Socialist branch, who is also a Federation official; the secretary of the Socialist Union. at the University; John Chapman, who until his resignation was chairman of the Y.S. federation and editor of Y.S. page in the Trades Council newspapers Barbara Allen, who is assistant secretary of the Birmingham New Left Clubs; and, in addition, other members will ensure contact with important bodies of trade unionists, the academic community and trade unions. A big public meeting is planned in January and it is clear that from this modest becinning the Birmingham C.S.E. will rapidly grow.