aerate Iti DANGER 407, by a Nottinghan correspondent
2 bho noxt fow the future of the Young Sogialist movonont will bo eles, Cloarly the present state of affairs cannot continua; oithor the NEC will disband the prosont sot up or some bronk through on democracy will have to bo mado. Onco tho step of disbanding the Y.S. movomont is takon it will be oxtramely difficult to reverse, porhnps impossiblo until tho left gins a decisive majoritye For Labour to be without a youth moyemont would bnvo sorious long torm effects on the fight for socinlist policias.
The outragoeocus behnviour of the NEC indicates that the right wing is dotormined to ride roughshod over the Young Socinlista, It is importent to note that as matters stand now, ths NEC is in no mood for compromiso. Whether the right wing is working to 2 long term plan or is roncting wildly to evcnts one cannot know, but tho 1 likoly result is the samo cithor way - thant in faco of the resignntions snd walkouts they will tike furthor undomocrntic monsuras.
Faced with tho intransigonce of the NEC, fneed with a position whore their democrnatieally clocted roprosentatives are oxpelled or obligod to resign, fncod with a position where their eonferance decisions (excopt for onc enrricd by a tiny and dubious majority) are ignored, tho Young Socialists aro bound to ask thomselvos: is it worthwhile trying to work through the officirl movencntg The undzubted success of the Keep Left orgnnised unemploymmat demonstration, quite unofficinl end lod by expelled members will strengthen this fcoling. Meny will fool that ono ennnot fight for militnnt policies without being expelled like the Keop Lefterse. The events of last weok ond would soem to provo this pointe Tho combimtion of intransigence by tho NEC and on fooling of frustretion in tho rnnks could very well, without any sijructural changes forced by tho NEC, lend to the ond of the Young Socialists as a vinblo bodys
We need to take a hard look at the wny loft wingers havo conducted themselves in the Young Socinlist movement. Without doubt the responsibility for sny mistakes made is that of the fragnonted and foction-ridden ndult Marxist movanont. Tho Young Socinlists' movement hns been the heppy hunting ground fer all the sects, who hnvo, to difforing degrees, boen far more interostod in miking recruits for thoir brand of 'absolute truth’ thnn in building the Y.S. into _ mass movomont. Ultrn left tnetics have resulted in tnking tho fight outsido tho Iebour Party and hove pressurised the Young Socialists into fighting tho right wing in isoletion from the broad left in the Iabour Party. The practical fallacy of this is soon when one considors the different outeome of the fight ngninst Y.S. expulsions and the fight aginst the 'qilt by association’ cleuso, Meny people bave criticised the ultra lofts but in practico tail ond thoir politics undor prossure of tho ultra left's activism, This danger his ~~ become more acute now when conditions ero ripo for tho accoptence of ultre left policics.
Bat it is not too Inte and perhaps, aftor all, the trials ind tribulations of tris poriod oy provo boneficinl, Thore is now in the Young Socislist movement a endre foreo of young poople acqininted with the rudinonts of Marxism, The stage is now set for them to lonrn the moro diffimlt task of npplying this knowlodge to day to dny politics. Eat this can only cone nbout if the prosent crisis is met and torod. long with mn docpor and docper integration of the Young Socinlists with the Inbour Party at nll levols a tremendous campaign along the following lines should bo mounted: (a) n oxioun protest moyemont agninst the NEC's recont undconoerntic actions with tho specific nim of staying tho hand of the right wing before it takes furthor action; (b) this to be linkod with donmnnds for sutonony for tho Young Sociclista, which without sopirrmting them from the Labour Party will give thon control over thoir own nffnirs nnd organisations; and (c) all this to be linked with a fight on youth issues particulnrly unemployment. This to be conducted togethor with left in the adult party ond in such a woy thot the initintive is takm@ out of the hands of the ultra lofts. This fight to hive 1 perspective nnd ain to build the YeSe movaioniy /
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