Despite the resolutions. passed at the last Young socialists Conference the National Committee have ignored the undemocratic nature of their 'selection'. At the very first National Committee meeting Mike Caffoor moved a resolution calling on all * National Committee members to submit themselves to endorsement >a their xegional Conferences - these to be specially convened. if necessary. The Resolution received only one vote - that of the mover — liike Kalaher being absent from this meeting. Furtaernore
Young Socialists National Committee Minority Report Cont'd
when Mike Caffoor asked that N.C. members should state the process by which they came to be on the National Committee he was told to, "mind his own business". Conference Decisions - It is important for Young Socialists to realise that their National Committee have taken absolutely no action on the resolutions passed by the last Young Socialist Conference. At the first meeting of the National Committee several members wanted to submit the Conference decisions to the N.E.C. with the proviso that they, the N.C., disagreed with, and deplored, the decisions. It was only when two N.C. members threatened toresign that this course of action was dropred. Political Resolutions - Also at the first meeting political resolutions received from Young Socialist branches were discussed. However, since that first meeting the National Committee have steadfastly refused to discuss political resolutions sent to them from branches. The N.C. also defeated a resolution asking them to inform Y.S. branches of their intention not to discuss the resolutions sent to them. Young Socialist Journal - The N.C. have discussed the supposedly Y.S. journal Focus but have only been allowed to make suggestions. Resolutions passed at the last conference calling for a democratically controlled Y.S. journal and resolutions submitted by Y.S. branches making similar demands since Conference have been rejected. Youth for Peace in Vietnam - It was moved at the second N.C. meeting that the Y.S. should support Y.P.V., the programme of which is based on dissociation by the British Government from American policy in Vietnam, a programme which we feel would have the support of the majority of Young Socialists. Yet the N.C. rejected this resolution and went on to ignore completely a proposal that the Y.S. should have its own campaign on Vietnam. . Pro-Smith Rhodesia Rally - A resolution calling for all Young Socialists to demonstrate against the Duncan Sandys rally wes carried only on the Chairman's casting vote, and even then, only after a motion deploring those who sought to destroy free speech was rejected. International Conferences - As you will see from the N.C. Report Mr. Collins and Mr. Holland attended the 60th Congress of the Jong Socialisten of Belgium. What is, however, conveniently not mentioned is that at this congress the two N.C. members spoke in direct opposition to the declared policies of the Young Socialists as a whole. Conclusions. We consider that a time when there has been considerable activity on the political scene the National Committee has failed to give a lead to the Y.S. movement resulting in the failure of the Y.S. to establish a National identity. Consequently at a time. when the Y.S. desperately needs to recruit more people into the movement, the Y.S. finds itself not only unable to interest Young people, but also losing many of its existing members to other political organisations.
It is our opinion that the National Committee members have not acted in accordance with the wishes of the majority of Young Socialists and have been more concerned with acting as agents of the N.E.C., than as representatives of the Y.S. In doing so we feel that they have failed to take a golden opportunity to build a strong Y.S. movement. We hope that the Sixth Conference of Young Socialists will take up the points which we have reised and accord to the National Committee the criticism it justly deserves.
Mike Caffoor
(Nat. Comm, member for London & Middlesex Region)
Mike Kelaher
(Nat. Comm, member for Eastern Region).