Tagged with Young Labour

Why Jeremy’s youth manifesto – written by young members – can help us win back a generation of voters

corbyn logoThis evening will see the launch of Jeremy Corbyn’s Vision For Britain 2020 – a bold manifesto to reverse the long march backwards faced by Britain’s youth. Successive British governments have viewed the young as an easy target when confronted with difficult Treasury balance sheets or the lobbyists of big business. New Labour’s best achievement, the National Minimum Wage, is still troubled by its lower rates for under-21s. The standard rate of jobseekers’ allowance is £73.10 per week – but under-25s are entitled to just £57.90. And as George Osborne prepares to axe housing benefit for the young in a bid to make them “earn or learn”, his much-feted “living wage” will only apply to those 25 or older.

To put young people at the centre of British politics, and to ensure Labour has a youth manifesto that truly makes a difference, Jeremy has asked NUS Vice-President Shelly Asquith and myself to draft a youth manifesto, in cooperation with Young Labour members from across the country. Continue reading →

Young Labour Members to hold Conference about democracy

Young Labour Labour Students Next GenerationDemocracy and Young Labour have, in recent history, been mutually exclusive. The strange incompatibility of democracy in this organisation and Labour Students has been justified with various excuses: “we should spend the money on campaigning” (as if a political organisation has no politics); “it will disenfranchise women” (as if the majority of women in our movement aren’t already disenfranchised by virtue of being unable to vote); and so on.

So what a pleasant change to discover that many Young Labour national committee members are freshly converted, and now extol the virtues of democracy. For this, we owe our thanks to countless Young Labour activists who have been campaigning for change for years. The motion presented at January’s committee meeting calls for “a wholesale overhaul to help build a more open and democratic Young Labour.” OMOV is indeed very much welcome, and sorely needed to increase the participation of every Young Labour member in our movement. So far, so good. Continue reading →

Young Labour leaders ridicule member for working in a restaurant

Young Labour Labour Students Next GenerationThis is the text of an open letter to Labour Party General Secretary, Iain McNicol

Dear Iain,

My name is Jake. You’ve only met me once so I doubt that you’d remember this particular bespectacled Labour-supporting 19 year old. Anyway, hello. I currently work in a restaurant in Waterloo. I enjoy my job. It’s sociable, fun and enables me to continue living in one of the most vibrant and diverse (and expensive) cities in the world. Like thousands of other people, I have to work hard to survive and thrive here. I’ve been a Labour Party member, volunteer and activist for 5 years.

Continue reading →

Labour Students wreck their own wrecking amendment

tuition fees demoLast night the Labour Students and Progress block on the Young Labour national committee accidentally wrecked their own wrecking amendment, thereby wrecked (for them) the overall motion, and then voted it down – despite their amendment having been carried. The bizarre spectacle was the climax of a shoddy episode which once again revealed that Labour Students believe education is a privilege, and that citizens should be charged for being educated.

A motion in support of next month’s free education demo had been tabled by Rida Vaquas – as Left Futures reported yesterday. The motion was not a policy motion – the Young Labour committee isn’t allowed to discuss policy, remember? – but was about taking a position on an event in the near future. Consequently, whereas motions generally are split into “…notes”, “…believes” and “…resolves” sections, Vaquas left out “believes” so there was less chance of the motion being voted down on these (equally spurious) grounds. Continue reading →

Young Labour members: lobby your reps for free education

Young Labour Labour Students Next GenerationToday (Tuesday 21st October) the Young Labour national committee will be debating a motion on free education and providing support for the free education demo on November 19th, submitted under-19s officer Rida Vaquas and seconded by trade union rep Caroline Hill.

It is likely that right-wing members of the committee will attempt to prevent the motion from passing in its original form. You can lobby your Young Labour reps – to demand the motion goes through unamended. Contact details – email and Twitter – can be found here. Continue reading →