Labour Students

Labour Students, often referred to as NOLS (from National Organisation of Labour Students, the former title), is an independent student organisation affiliated to the British Labour Party.

Members join Labour Clubs in their own universities or colleges which affiliate to the national organisation. Any Labour Club supportive of the Labour Party is eligible to affiliate. The elected leadership of Labour Students works closely with Labour Party national staff.

Labour Students has often been a site of competition between Labour Party factions for support and control of its structures. Also, there have always been some student Labour Party members organised outside its ranks.

History

In the 1960s, the National Association of Labour Student Organisations, the Labour Party's student organisation, was (except in Scotland) torn apart by in-fighting between traditionalists and members of the New Left. This left the party without a national student body. One of the principle areas of conflict was the Vietnam War, with Trevor Fisk, the leading member of the traditionalists, refusing the criticise Harold Wilson's government over its tacit support for the United States in the war. The fight against Fisk was led, in particular, by Jack Straw, who supplanted Fisk as President of the NUS in 1969.

In 1970 Labour students created the Students for a Labour Victory to co-ordinate campaigning in that year's general election. That organisation became the National Organisation of Labour Students (NOLS) with its founding conference in 1971. Initially, NOLS main goal was to put aside the conflicts of the 1970s and re-unite the two factions of Labour students. The factions were organised as the Trotskyist Revolutionary Socialist League (RSL) (later known as the Militant Tendency, after their newspaper Militant), and a group calling itself Clause Four, after the central political statement of the Labour Party constitution (this group occasionally called itself Operation Icepick). Members of NOLS at the time included Charles Clarke, Sally Morgan, Mike Gapes and Trevor Phillips.

From the founding of NOLS in 1971 until the late 1970s, NOLS worked within NUS as part of the Broad Left, a student co-alition which also included the student wings of the Communist Party of Great Britain and Liberal Party. The Broad Left stood slates of candidates in NUS elections. (The Broad Left is not to be confused with the post-1997 grouping Student Broad Left.) In the early 1980s NOLS broke with the Broad Left and presented its own slate of candidates in NUS elections. In 1982, NOLS won the presidency of NUS on its own for the first time. A succession of NOLS candidates were elected to the NUS Presidency until 2000 with the strongest challenges generally coming from those to the left of the Labour Party. Throughout this period, NOLS members of the NUS National Executive Committee were a minority, but exercised effective control.

In the early 1990s, NOLS was renamed Labour Students.

Politics and Wider Influence

Labour Students tend to be broadly supportive of Tony Blair's New Labour Government's policies. However, Labour Students have opposed the Government's planned introduction of university "top-up" fees. Many Labour Students members are also members of the Labour Party and are involved with the day-to-day organisation and work of the party.

Labour Students is also seen by some as a way for ambitious students to gain a rung on the political career ladder, and as such has attracted its fair share of controversy. Whilst some students favour its pragmatic, generally supportive approach to Blair's government, others see it as not radical enough, and not prepared to challenge the party. Partly because holding high office in Labour Students is perceived as a fast track to becoming an MP or to other jobs in the 'public realm' (for example, as Researchers for MPs, ministerial special advisers and members of left-leaning think tanks), it is sometimes claimed that Labour Students has helped the rise of careerists within the party, at the expense of more radical leftwingers.

Many former chairs have gone on to wider success in politics. John Mann (Chair 1983) is now MP for Bassetlaw, Jo Moore (Chair 1984) was special adviser to Transport Secretary Stephen Byers, Sarah Boyack (Chair 1985) is now MSP for Edinburgh Central, Ben Lucas (1986) was special adviser to Jack Straw, and Simon Buckby (1989) was an adviser to John Prescott and then advertising director for Labour's 1997 election campaign. Then in the 90s, Paul Richards (1990) was a parliamentary candidate for the seats of Lewes (2001) and Billericay (1997), Tom Watson (1992) is now Labour MP for West Bromwich East, Micheal Dugher (1997) is now special adviser to Geoff Hoon and stood for selection as a parliamentary candidate against Ed Miliband in 2005, and Patrick Diamond (1998) was special adviser to Peter Mandelson and a member of the executive committee of the Fabian Society. Some (but by no means all) of these figures have attracted controversy for their strongly 'New Labour' views and methods of operating; for example Jo Moore notoriously had to make a public apology after suggesting to her department that September 11th, 2001 would be a 'good day to bury bad news', whilst Tom Watson was given the 'Top Toadie' award by The Guardian Diary in 2005 for consistently refusing to criticise any aspect of government policy.

Some also say that more leftwing students who are critical of New Labour tend to be shut out of the organisation in favour of careerist students, who are less ready to openly criticise the party for fear of jeapordising their political careers.

However, Labour Students also has a history of progressive campaigning, and currently has policy supporting fair trade, refugee women and an end to child poverty. Recently, Labour Students has had success with its 'Sex, Lives and Politics' campaign as the Government lowered VAT on condoms amongst other measures to improve Britain's sexual health.

Internal organisation

Labour Students has three full time sabbatical officers. The Chair leads the organisation and is responsible for dealings with external bodies (including the NUS). The Secretary is responsible for the organisation's finances and organises national events. The Campaigns and Membership Officer co-ordinates the recruitment and campiagning work of the organisation. The three sabbatical officers work at Labour Party headquarters in London. Together with twelve other members they form the National Committee. Labour Students also has a seven member policy forum and a three member steering committee. The policy making bodies are National Conference and National Council, both held annually to which each Labour Club is entitled to send delegates.

Within Labour Students there are separate women's, LGB, Students with Disabilities and Black Minority Ethnic campaigns. There also exists a separate organisation for Labour Clubs in the constituent nations known as Welsh and Scottish Labour Students respectively.

At least during the 1980s and 1990s, the Labour Students' full time officers worked under the effective political direction of the Labour Party's employee responsible for student affairs. This position was held by Sally Morgan from 1985-1988 and then by ex-Chair Neil Usher. Recently, the person responsible has been Karim Palant, a former Chair. However, he has since returned to Oxford to continue with his studies.

Labour Students is a member of the International Union of Socialist Youth and the European Community Organisation of Socialist Youth.

National Union of Students

Despite a massive drop in support for Labour Students since the government of Tony Blair introduced controversial measures such as student loans and top-up fees, it remains a signficiant faction within NUS.

In 2000, facing defeat Labour Students decided not to select a candidate for NUS President choosing instead to support the Organised Independent Owain James (who was an ordinary member of Labour Students) as an independent. Labour Students officially regained the presidency in 2002, but in 2004 lost it narrowly to a candidate of the Campaign for Free Education. Labour Students did not run a candidate in the 2005 or 2006 elections for NUS President. In 2006 its supporters were initially split between two ordinary Labour members running as independents, Gemma Tumelty and Pav Akthar, but swung behind Tumelty after Akthar won the endorsement of Student Broad Left.

Despite setbacks at the 2005 NUS Conference, in 2006 Labour Students secured an improved position, winning five places on the NUS National Executive Committee: the Vice-Presidency for Education (Wes Streeting), the Presidency of NUS Scotland, two positions on the part-time Block of 12 (Richard Angell and Steven Findlay) and the National Women's Officer. Conference also endorsed Labour Students policy opposing universal grants instead of targeted support for students.

Chairs of Labour Students

The Chair of Labour Students is elected to serve for one year. From at least the 1970s the post was full-time, but, at least during the 1980s and early 1990s, it was unpaid.

Some chairs, with year of election given where known, are:

1960s Alex Neil
1973 Ian Davidson
1976 Mike Gapes
1977 Nigel Stanley
1978 Dave Smith
1983 John Mann
1984 Jo Moore
1985 Sarah Boyack
1986 Ben Lucas
1987 Neil Usher
1988 Carole Judge
1989 Simon Buckby
1990 Paul Richards
1991 Alison Ryan
1992 Tom Watson
1995 Lizzie Watson
1996 Lizzie Watson
1997 Michael Dugher
1998 Patrick Diamond
1999 Joe Goldberg
2000 Brendan Cox
2001 Vicky Foxcroft
2002 Ellie Reeves
2003 Karim Palant
2004 Adam Hug
2005 Gareth Smith
2006 Ciaran Ward (Takes office in June 2006)

Alison Ryan did not complete her year in office.

University Club Branches

External Links