Does Young Labour need a Grassroots Alliance?

Duncan Hall, Skipton and Ripon CLP, wonders if the left could get another place on the NEC.

Considering Young Labour had its first conference some years ago now, it has never flexed its muscles or asserted itself. It remains a largely inactive section of the Party, dominated by the Labour Students right wing. It has neither debated nor voted on policy since that first conference and so its political balance is difficult to estimate.

What does happen at Young Labour Conference is an election. Two places on the National Policy Forum are elected along with one place on the National Executive Committee. After the impressive gains made by the Grassroots Alliance in the NEC elections, the left should not discount the possibility of organising again for next summer's Conference. A Young Grassroots Alliance could well perform the task of uniting the traditional youth and student left with the much broader disaffected majority who would thrive on the opportunity to be part of a more active, more muscular Young Labour.

This is unlikely to come about via self-organisation by young members. While Young Labour networks, groups and bulletins do exist on the left, the alliance which brought about September's victory might have to set to work again earlier than they had originally imagined. Young supporters of Campaign Group News, LLB, Tribune and Labour Reform will need to be mobilised if a repeat performance is to be pulled off.

Feedback to: Duncan Hall, 5, Spring Rise, Draughton, Skipton, North Yorkshire or email:shrbl@csv.warwick.ac.uk.

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