the presidency.
For SSiN the conference an infor SSiN Maeve was a alternative INUT paigning for students. terests Socialist NUS.
of Malto posts allowed SSiN canvassed as the one at which Socialist Students in NOLS (SSiN) would make a successful challenge for the leadership, in fact the conference was marked by the emergence of a new right wing coalition which forced SSiN back into third place in the elections for through. notably NOLS for elected Education majority The of the within the support. decided that the replacement wi not by SSiN. But this con derence also SaW the emergence of a right-wing coalition of so-called 'independents under the name of 'Students for Students'.
This current, whose only was opposition to 'political student unionism, gained a third of the vote and knocked SSiN into third place. It represents an attempt to break up the hegemony o plains why both the SDP Labour in NUS This and Liberal students were caling lor a vote for the *Students for Students' candidates canecales.
Although Labour has majority support in NUS, the new method of election of the part-time executive posts in block ot 12 which will be implemented next year, will make it far easier for these non-Labour torces to gain seats on ine executive. This makes it all the more imperative tha Labour students should fight for a majority of seats on the executive.
The of 'Students for Students' into control of NUS would undoubtedly mean that the NUS leadership would no longer defend automatic membership or Nos lol students, supporting voluntarv membership instead instead The ground would be laid for the destruction of NUS as a real element in the defence of education and students.
For force like "Students tor Students' to win the leadership of NUS wole De asas rous 1o! students and the labour movement. The refusal of the DL leadership of NOLS to fight for a clear majority of the seats on NUS ex ecutive gives ground to unese Torces Meanwhile, SSiN's pro-imperialist politics cannot win a majority either, moreover half their votes WCIC transferring Students for Students on the second ballot - an indication of the inherently right wing trends underly ing the politics of SSiN. The campaigning and interna tionalist leadership of NUS will come from Labour's lell, as an alternanve to both the DL and SSiN.
This is the importanci of Campaign Student, and the Alliance for Socialism that it was involved in at this NUS gain seats on the executive step forward in NUS and has scored some political Unlike at the last NUS conference when the first discussion on Palestine in 11 years led to no policy being adopted, at this NUS con Terence GUPS making hardhitting and hardline speech, received overhelming support on conference floor.
Unfortunately the debate on Palestine was not reached on the agenda due to lack of time, but it is clear that positions In solidaritv with the Palest nians would have been adopted. Campaign Stu dent, IAS, have been the core of the cam paign to achieve this situation in NUS.
Campaign Student and IAS supporters have also carried ine against Alton in organising and building a well-attended fringe meeting, despite the les than enthusiastic support of the DL NUS leadershp.
A major fringe meeting was also held on Irelanc with the new NUS president Maeve Sherlock who moved the initial motion that changed NUS policy on Ireland. This laid a good basis for building the coming year of action, and the Students Against Repres sion network.