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Related: About this forumYoung Labour Grounded
Earlier this month, Labours general secretary, Iain McNicol, wrote to the national committee of the partys youth wing, Young Labour, ordering them not to send a delegation to the International Union of Socialist Youths summer camp in Malta. The camp is hosted annually by either IUSY or the Young European Socialists (YES). The Labour Party has taken part for many years. This August, though, McNicol said he would rather young members focused their efforts on campaigning in the run up to the general election. Labour is not currently engaged with IUSY in a meaningful way.
Two years ago, I was one of around fifty activists who went to the IUSY camp in Croatia. We were the largest British delegation ever. During New Labours 13 years in government, the party struggled to attract young supporters. In the months after Ed Miliband became leader, thousands of new members many of them young joined the party.
When we met with delegations from other countries, it was obvious that Young Labours political compass was shifting. The delegations leaders were in their mid-twenties (membership is for supporters aged between 14 and 26). They toed the party line that we were opposed to the depth and speed of the coalitions austerity, but accepted the need for cuts. Younger recruits heckled them.
Labour HQ decreed that only ten delegates would go to last years camp in Turkey. McNicol wrote to other European parties, saying that if Young Labour members tried to jump aboard their delegations it would be treated as a disciplinary matter. Kaisa Penny, YESs Finnish president, told McNicol to stop interfering.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2014/06/23/conrad-landin/young-labour-grounded/
Two years ago, I was one of around fifty activists who went to the IUSY camp in Croatia. We were the largest British delegation ever. During New Labours 13 years in government, the party struggled to attract young supporters. In the months after Ed Miliband became leader, thousands of new members many of them young joined the party.
When we met with delegations from other countries, it was obvious that Young Labours political compass was shifting. The delegations leaders were in their mid-twenties (membership is for supporters aged between 14 and 26). They toed the party line that we were opposed to the depth and speed of the coalitions austerity, but accepted the need for cuts. Younger recruits heckled them.
Labour HQ decreed that only ten delegates would go to last years camp in Turkey. McNicol wrote to other European parties, saying that if Young Labour members tried to jump aboard their delegations it would be treated as a disciplinary matter. Kaisa Penny, YESs Finnish president, told McNicol to stop interfering.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2014/06/23/conrad-landin/young-labour-grounded/
This sounds short-sighted, to me.
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Young Labour Grounded (Original Post)
muriel_volestrangler
Jun 2014
OP
Anarcho-Socialist
(9,601 posts)1. Very short-sighted
The control-freakery of Young Labour stems from its predecessor, Young Socialists which was basically taken over by Militant in the 1980s. The Labour leadership re-established Young Labour and have kept a very tight leash on it, unfortunately squeezing out any life left in it.
T_i_B
(14,749 posts)2. Begs the question....
Why would anyone who hasn't set their heart on a career as an MP choose to get involved with a political party?
All that control freakery from the central offices of political parties makes them very unappealing to anyone wishing to get involved in improving our country.