IN THE PLEASANT surroundings of the Forest of Dean on 30 July the Labour Party Young Socialists holds its annual week long summer camp. As always in the Party's history, periods are acutely reflected in its youth movements.
This year's camp background of a Labour leadership election in which most of the contenders are advocating the expulsion of LPYS members on account of their support for bold socialist policies.
There is a bitter debate as to can rebulld its base, having secured the support of only a minority of workers at the election, in orael lo fight the Tories.
At the election, young people's support lor Labour stumpeu. published in the Guardian According. survey less first time voters supported Labour than either the Alliance or the Tories.
yet, as a part ot its witch hunt, Labour's ex ecutive Slas CuL the YS budget, resulting a rise in ine summer camp regisua Labour's most turbulent will be held against the tion fee from £15 in 1981 to £25. a prohibitive increase for any unemployed youth or school student.
There is nothing new in this situation. every period of youth radicalisaSCOTTY years, Wild especially when allowed to foreanise anas discuss politics grown rapidly.
No sooner has this happened, Labour leadership has imposed restrictions, suspended national structures or closed down the organisation altogether. League of Youth was set 1927. miner up. Lne Call paigns around fascism and unemployment in the early 1930s claiming 25,000 members branches 1934. with the advent of the Spanish Civil War it was active in organising aid for the Republican side. Discuss Heavy restrictions were placed on the right to discuss resolutions leadership League continued to grow In 1939 its conference was cancelled and the National Advisory Committee suspended by the Labour leadership. Large numbers JoIn Lne Young Communist League.
the war the organisation reformed and tensions again developed in response the tight control by the Labour Party. By 1949, had branches.
The right to a national ComiC Cac Wal WOll 1950 1951 the League claimed 25,000 members in 820 branches. But, after Labour's defeat « ne eechoo ano with ne cold war another witch hunt developed. 1952 the League conterence was cancelled and in following members were expelled. In 1955 the organisation was closed down sections' under tight party control set up instead However these sections became politically particular altive. through the developing movement the Hydrogen bomb.
Under this pressure, with the realisation that Labour was lacking the youthful support needed to beat the Tories, une loung socialists war formed. At its first conterence Easter 1961 it claimed 726 branches and passed resolutions supporting withdrawal Another witch hunt began Left a paper of one of the left currents in the YS proscribed by the was National Executive Committee and Luce Keep Left YS Nationa. Committee memoels were expelica The number of YS branches declined and ir 1965 Keep Left split off to form the youth wing what is now the Workers Revolutionary Party. Part the remains were reconstituted as the Young Socialists which held Its first conference that year has continued organise to this day.
Lessons There are lessons to be learnt from this history. At present the LPYS small organisation of, at 4,5000. growing, but compared to uropean equivalents and given Ine 70,000 who turned out for the demo festival in May, there room for dynamic growth An I.PYS based on the campaigns ol youll could be, as in the 1930s the late '40s and the early 1960s. like 20-30,000.
Such an LPYS will always be witchhunted, but even moderating its policie will not from the attacks of the Labour leadership, as the events of the last year confirm The dominated leadership refused to oppose last year's war in the South Atlantic, , have not thrown the LPYS into Youth CND and gave its backing the fudged manifesto that lost Labour the election.
In fact the small size of the LPYS and its isolation trom the missiles WHO VO ment, , mass campaigns of wullcu. blacks and gav and the main currents of the labour movement left, make it more vulnerable to a purge:
Supporters of the paper Revolution will be making these points at the summer camp arguing that a mass campaigning youth organisation can be built. But this involves organising in action with and leading all the struggles against th bosses and the Tories.
It means. above all gest mass mintement ig gest mass against the Tories: YCND.
Builder The 22 October CND DOses a ared op portunity for the LPYS to SHOV SILSCUI the besi builder of YCND Revolution will be sup porting the call by Oxfor LPY! for a women's conference and it's meeting to organise al those LPYS branches and members that want build such a conference.
Additionally, to be
VOULI organisation thai defends workers interna the LPYS welcome the visit of Sinr Fein MP Gerry Adams to Britain and follow Youth CND's lead in building a massive youth contingent on the 11 September Chile TOWER