FOR THE present leadership of the LPYS, the Southern Region has always been one of their strongest areas. But doday the opposition journal Activist has supporters in 13 LPYS branches. It has a majority in East and West Sussex. In these areas, branches are growing and new ones being established.
In comparison thereare k• branches in Kent this cil tlal t. despite twing a mining area and a for Militant. None olieTIl y e: :he YSs Militant set up in Villages attended 1985 regional conterenie. The only miners and tomen mining communities present were miner paseo ma bazalo supported Brieting. and who spoke to the conference, and those invited from Aylesham and Betteshangerto the Activist fringe meeting LPYS's failure to respond adequately to the •?i-Orodso• or wonicı and black people during the Lake the debates on a strategy for victory, and to organise any national focus for youth, has meant it failed to grow.
Trere were delegates from 35 branches this year, compared with 72 delegates 11 branches last year. nas also been devastated by the political developments auring ine dispute. Tony Benn spoke to une conlerence emonds' ising the need to organise the lett in the Labour Party in defence of the miners, to defend the YS against witch hunts, the importance of the selt-organisation the oppressed, and the imporof lance struggles. These were the same questions the six-page Activist bulletin had taken up.
Activist supporters at the took state violence in the mining kulti munities. Militant told conference that Sinn Fein were National Front, and opposed drug pushing ony to keeo inel pouca. monopoly.
Women's liberation and positive action were mennoned Conference's full support was pledged, nowever. TOT regional *jobs bombs' demo charges: all methods tested called by YCND.
Activist held well fringe alleluca mccull with speakers from the NUM. YCND. Women Against Pit Closures, Activist, and a young Sandinista.
was impossible TOI Militant to marginalise us ana present something 'outside the LPYS iner usua rIck The regional committee asked conterence to dror an emergency resolution on the witch huntintavourot a regional committee statement. Eventuallv the statement was amended to include attacks on Vauxhall black section.
Chris Woolls, an Activsupporter Worthing YS, was elected to the regional committee.
Since the conterence we have been discussing the way forward. We recognisè we need to continue working with the Labour left.
In many areas Activist supporters have been involved in initiating miners support committees, demonstrations and meetings. We nave made steps linking up with further and migner caucanon students In collaboration with Labour Briefing, have organised 'Which Way Forward?' meetings eight towns.
We see the urgent need thạt has been obvious throughout the strike for a national focus capadie oI organising all those forces who have been leading support for the miners. We are organising a daily bulletin for YS national conference callng OLIC bulletins black sections and Lesbian and Gay YS for support.
We want to build a YS that will actively defend the interests of the workers and the oppressed. This means a national conference of YS activists to launch a newsva el organise these forces.
our conterence.
las a key role to play in th jett of the Partv. We mus put all our efforts into that tight it we are to buld on the radicalisation of the last ycal. year's.
hall.
The region of course includes Militant's powerbase: Liverpool. Although there aré sèveral indepenoenu YSS, re w Dolne coming to regional conlerence ine arenaa anl resolutions had been carefully doctored to stifle any real debate on the way forward for the LPYS Gorton LPYS Gorton YS had their resolution on lesbian and the agenda second year running. the miners' strike was dealt with under the rubric of 'policing and the state'.
This meant that most of the debate was taken up by Matan supporters denouncing the bourgeois courts and calling for the police to join the TUC Taner nanny dasCuSSon on why the Labour Party youtn secuon naal t growl in this region during the strike. Needless to say, no miners got anywhere near the platform!
miners' disposed of, delegates pro_ceeoe• lo more pressing matters, such glue slung ana loe neco to. more customs officers.
I he conterence livened up the on 'oppressed minorities' Supporters of Youth Action, a new bulletin of independent activists in sections in the North West managed to get some real going on black sections, the Sam BONG affair in Liverpool, lesbian and gay liberation. Aler sma kinicock. , to the latter, John Action supporter, and delegate trom Corton was physically threatened ov wo ooservels al llccoll ference. Eventually delegates voted to expel them from the hall, against the advice of the platform who had tried to minimise the incident. Probably the only time platlori mendation has been deTHIS YEAR's North West regional LPYS conference was a dispirited, low key affair, visibly smaller than last There was little indication that there was a miners' strike going on outside the Blackpool conference teated at North West region LPYS conference.
The brightest spot of the weekend was Alhon s linge meeling on the alliance of the oppressed built in the course ot the miners' strike. It attracted about 25 people.
Speakers included Colin Lenton from Bold NUM.
Lorraine Johnson, a miners' wife active in the women's support group, and Debbie Whithali Lesbians Gays Support „Tne Miners. Following up suggeston Hom unal meeling, a joint Bold NUM.
Action da vschoo will be held in Bold on 30 March. will focus on the lessons for the LPYS from the miners' looks set to be a bigger event than regional conference itself. It will certainly oe lot more relevant politically. TIONAL UNION OF VINEWORKERS MARCH TALLY
NATION
MINE NATIL RAL