NALSO campaign

We have received the following statement from the "Save NALSO Campaign", Cambridge University Socialist Club: At the second meeting of the Campaign, representatives of a number of Universities discussed the nature of the Campaign's Platform. It was agreed that the SLL would attempt to discredit our stand on the grounds that it was playing into the hands of Transport House. While, as our previous staements have indicated, nothing could be further from the truth, we felt there was a need for those present to formulate a principled platform beyond the relations with the Labour Party, although we affirmed that this was central to our aims. Accordingly, the following statement was drawn up to indicate our general positions, but without committing comrades who had to seek approval from their Clubs, Statement of Aims of the Save NALSO Campaign. We affirm our belief that there is a need for a National Organisation to express the views and wishes of the Student Socialist Movement. We believe that this organisation should not be isolated from the mainstream of the La Labour Movement and should avoid the kind of impotent sectarianism which such isolation brings, At the same time we do not call for the acceptance of any terms which Transport House may offer to NALSO when we seek to re-establish links with the Labour Party. We reject the Labour Party plan to destroy the National Framework of NALSO and to tie Clubs to Regional Youth Officers! dictates. The control of NALSO by any one faction would be disastrous and so we ask all who agree with this statement to come together at the April Conference to elect a non-sectarian platforn. The object of this would be to implement the principles outlined in this statement and to negotiate for a new relationship with the Labour Party (based on genuine representation of students in all sections of the movement), The platform would also seek to forge new links with the left Trade Unions etc., and to run NALSO on such contributions as the Left and the Clubs might be able to provide, We call upon the rank and file of the Labour Party to aid NALSO in the struggle to re-establish lirks with the Labour Party by raising the issue at Annual Conference, We also endorse the position of critical support for the Radical Student Alliance in order to link the students! struggles with the fight in the Labour Movement, and bearing in mind the ultimate aim of forming a National Students Union affiliated to the TUC and the Labour Party.