The annual report of the Labour Party's Northern Regional Court reports a serious decrease in the number of Young Socialist branches. e Geoffrey Foster, the Region's youth officer, blames lack of ‘recruiting to replace lost membership. He claimed that the lack of liaison between some of the C.L.P.s and the Y.S. branches led to a position where ne of "Young Socialists! branches had no relation to actual — ip pigs arty."' He went on to say “The major problem during the year was to & oat e (of the Young Socialists) to appreciate that they were, first some members bility to abide of all, members of the Labour Party and..ehad the responsi py the party constitutione.."
These remarks are presumably directed against left wing members of the Young Socialists and in particular federation organisationse Mr. Foster does not explain how he expects young people to be enthusiastic about an organisation that has clamped down on indpendently minded activitye