Clause Four Group
Encyclopedia
The Clause Four Group was a grouping in British Labour student politics in the 1970s and 1980s set up on the 18th floor of Owens Park Hall of Residence at Manchester University, the same floor where John Mann
and Phil Woolas
first met at Manchester University. Set up largely on the initiate of Fergus Nicholson, the student organiser of the Communist Party of Great Britain
, who later led a faction within that party known as Straight Left
.
It controlled the National Organisation of Labour Students
for a number of years, and was involved in a severe faction fight with the Militant Tendency
for control of that organisation.
People who were involved at the time include Labour MPs Fraser Kemp
, Mike Gapes
, John Mann
, John Denham
, and Mark Lazarowicz
, and MSPs Margaret Curran, Johann Lamont, and Sarah Boyack
.
It was consolidated by "Operation Icepick" - when on the way to the Lancaster conference Clause IV pre-arranged to leave members of the Militant stranded at a motorway service station on the way to the crucial conference vote on delegates.
John Mann later commemorated Operation Icepick by leaving Militant supporters stranded 25 miles from London in an identikit plan to keep them away from Neil Kinnock
's address to the London hosted IUSY international conference in 1983.
As membership of the group aged out of youth and student politics many were involved in the founding of the Labour Co-ordinating Committee
.
John Mann (politician)
John Mann is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bassetlaw since 2001, after the retirement of previous MP Joe Ashton.John Mann serves on the Treasury Select Committee...
and Phil Woolas
Phil Woolas
Philip James Woolas was a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth from his election in 1997 to 2010. He was the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration in the Home Office, as well as being the Minister of State for the Treasury...
first met at Manchester University. Set up largely on the initiate of Fergus Nicholson, the student organiser of the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
, who later led a faction within that party known as Straight Left
Straight Left
Straight Left was a left-wing newspaper. The phrase was also the generic name given to a political faction of the Communist Party of Great Britain who disagreed with the leadership's emerging Eurocommunist politics, and were responsible for the production of the newspaper...
.
It controlled the National Organisation of Labour Students
National Organisation of Labour Students
National Organisation of Labour Students may refer to:* Labour Students, a student organisation affiliated to the British Labour Party* National Organisation of Labor Students, a former factional grouping operating within the National Union of Students of Australia...
for a number of years, and was involved in a severe faction fight with the Militant Tendency
Militant Tendency
The Militant tendency was an entrist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was first published in 1964...
for control of that organisation.
People who were involved at the time include Labour MPs Fraser Kemp
Fraser Kemp
Fraser Kemp is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Houghton and Washington East from 1997 to 2010, and had previously been a full-time employee of the Labour Party.-Early life:...
, Mike Gapes
Mike Gapes
Michael John "Mike" Gapes is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Ilford South since 1992....
, John Mann
John Mann (politician)
John Mann is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bassetlaw since 2001, after the retirement of previous MP Joe Ashton.John Mann serves on the Treasury Select Committee...
, John Denham
John Yorke Denham
John Yorke Denham is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Southampton Itchen since 1992. He has previously served in the Cabinet, as Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills from 2007 to 2009, and then as the Secretary of State for...
, and Mark Lazarowicz
Mark Lazarowicz
Mark Lazarowicz, is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith since 2001...
, and MSPs Margaret Curran, Johann Lamont, and Sarah Boyack
Sarah Boyack
Sarah Boyack MSP is a Scottish Labour MSP for the Lothian region and formerly constituency MSP for Edinburgh Central in the Scottish Parliament....
.
It was consolidated by "Operation Icepick" - when on the way to the Lancaster conference Clause IV pre-arranged to leave members of the Militant stranded at a motorway service station on the way to the crucial conference vote on delegates.
John Mann later commemorated Operation Icepick by leaving Militant supporters stranded 25 miles from London in an identikit plan to keep them away from Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
's address to the London hosted IUSY international conference in 1983.
As membership of the group aged out of youth and student politics many were involved in the founding of the Labour Co-ordinating Committee
Labour Co-ordinating Committee
The Labour Co-ordinating Committee was a factional body inside the British Labour Party established in 1978 and wound-up in 1995. In that period it moved from a group established to challenge to leadership of the party from the left to the vanguard of Tony Blair's drive to modernise the party's...
.