Labour Students
Encyclopedia
Labour Students is a student organisation affiliated to the British
Labour Party
.
Membership comprises affiliated college and university clubs (these are known as "Labour Clubs"). Membership of Labour Students is through membership of a university or college Labour Club. Affiliation is open to any Labour Club generally supportive of the objectives of Labour Students. It is often referred to - especially among officers of the National Union of Students - by its previous name, National Organisation of Labour Students (NOLS, which is pronounced "Nols").
One of the principal areas of conflict was the Vietnam War
, with Trevor Fisk
, the leading member of the traditionalists, refusing to 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 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 which emerged in about 1974 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 the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom (NUS) as part of the Broad Left
, a student coalition which also included the student wings of the Communist Party of Great Britain
and independent left wing students. 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.
From the early 1990s, NOLS began calling itself Labour Students.
in Birmingham Hodge Hill and of Iain Wright
in Hartlepool
in recent by-elections. Labour Students has mobilized its members to take part in campaigns in marginal seats across the country.
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 the Labour government, others see it as not radical enough, and not prepared to challenge the party. This is 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'. Recent graduates of Labour Students have gone on to work in Labour central office, or as ministerial special advisers, Trade Union officials and members of left-leaning think tanks.
Elections are held openly, and are presumed to reflect the prevailing feelings of the membership. Many former chairs have gone on to wider success in politics. John Mann
(Chair 1983 and 1984) is now MP for Bassetlaw; Sarah Boyack
(Chair 1985) is now MSP for the Lothian Region; 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. Paul Richards (1990) was a Special Adviser to Hazel Blears and a parliamentary candidate for the seats of Lewes (2001) and Billericay (1997); Tom Watson
(1992) is now Labour MP for West Bromwich East; and Michael Dugher (1997) is MP for Barnsley East
having previously worked in 10 Downing Street
as part of the media operation. Patrick Diamond
(1998) was special adviser to Peter Mandelson
and Tony Blair
, Director of Policy at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and a Downing Street advisor. Ellie Reeves (2002) is now a member of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee.
Other former Labour Student officers have also gone onto wider success for example, Caroline Flint
, Women's Officer 1982-1984, is Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. John Woodcock
was a Special Adviser to John Hutton before joining the Downing Street media team, and is now the Labour and Co-Operative MP for Barrow and Furness. Blair McDougall was a Special Adviser to James Purnell. Former National Secretary (1986) Rob Minshull worked for the BBC World Service and migrated to Australia to work for ABC, and former National Secretary (2000) Jonathan Ashworth
worked as Deputy Political Secretary to Gordon Brown
before being elected as MP for Leicester South
in May 2011
.
Labour Students takes on a major campaign each year. Recent campaigns have included the "Make Child Poverty History" campaign (2006-7). Policy is decided at the National Council, usually held in December, and at the National Conference in March. Labour Students' 2005-6 campaign, "Sex, Lives and Politics", was followed by a government reduction of VAT on condoms to the EU minimum of 5%.
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 campaigning work of the organisation. The three sabbatical officers work at Labour Party headquarters in London
. Together with twenty 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.
The Labour Students full time officers work closely with permanent Labour staff on involving young people and students in the Labour Party. The Labour Party has an officer responsible for liaising with Labour Students and for generating youth and student involvement in the Party. This position was held by Sally Morgan
from 1985-1988.
Labour Students is a member of the International Union of Socialist Youth
and the Young European Socialists
.
, Disabled Students and Black Minority Ethnic Students campaigns. There also exists a separate organisation for Labour Clubs in the constituent nations known as Welsh and Scottish Labour Students
respectively.
Owain James
(who was an ordinary member of Labour Students) as an independent. Labour Students regained the presidency in 2002, but in 2004 lost it narrowly to Kat Fletcher
, who ran on the Campaign for Free Education
ticket and subsequent to that group's collapse formed a coalition of centrist student officers. Labour Students did not run a candidate in the 2005 or 2006 elections for NUS President. In 2006, Labour Students rejected the bid for support from Pav Akhtar despite his Labour membership and voted for Gemma Tummelty, on the condition that she join the party.
Labour Students flagship policy in NUS has been the rejection of campaigning for universal grants, in favour of targeting student support funds towards poorer students through means testing. National Conference 2006 narrowly supported this policy, but it was renewed with a much increased majority in 2007.
was elected NUS National President securing victory over independent Ciarán Norris by 120 votes. Ed Marsh, Susan Nash and Hollie Williams were all elected to NUS Block of Twelve. Labour Student Nicola Heaton was elected onto the NUS Steering Committee.
Meanwhile, Katie Curtis, the Labour Students candidate, narrowly won the full-time position of National Women's Officer at the Women's Campaign Conference. After Cat Smith of Student Broad Left was eliminated in the first round with 15 votes, 8 transferred to Sofie Buckland of Education Not for Sale
, giving Curtis a victory of 4 votes with 33 to Buckland's 29. Josh MacAlister, the Labour Students' candidate for the full-time position of NUS Scotland President, narrowly lost the election to Gurjit Singh (the first independent candidate to beat a Labour Student in an NUS Scotland Presidential election since the organisation formed) and Gaz Hughes, the Labour Students' candidate for the part-time position of NUS LGBT Officer (Open Place) withdrew from the race shortly before the election.
re-elected as National President with 81% of the vote against Rob Owen, the Socialist Workers' Party candidate standing as part of the 'Another Union is Possible' slate. This conference also saw a second Labour Students' candidate elected to a full time office for the first time in a decade with the election of Susan Nash to the new position of Vice President (Society & Citizenship). In spite of the reconstitution of the old 'Block of 12' non-portfolio executive members into a new 'Block of 15' with five reserved places for Further Education representatives, both of Labour Students' HE block candidates were elected: Ed Marsh and Tobin Webb. Steven Findlay, former Labour Students Block of 12 member, was also elected to the new Democratic Procedures Committee, on which he will serve with fellow Labour Student Nicola Heaton.
Elsewhere, in what was tipped as a tightly contested election, Olivia Bailey defeated self-proclaimed revolutionary candidate Jennie Killip in the election for NUS National Women's Officer. In line with the Estelle Hart was elected to the National Executive Council as a Women's Campaign representative.
The 2010 conference was also the last for Labour Students' leader in NUS and outgoing National President, Wes Streeting, after a tumultuous five years on the NUS NEC which saw Labour Students firmly re-establish themselves at the heart of NUS. His successor, Aaron Porter
is a Labour Party member but stood as a candidate of the Organised Independents, with the support of Streeting and Labour Students.
Elsewhere, Olivia Bailey was re-elected unopposed as NUS National Women's Officer, while in NUS Wales Michaela Neild was elected as Deputy President and Estelle Hart was re-elected as NUS Wales Women's Officer. Luke Young, a member of the NUS Wales Executive Committee also sits on the NUS National Executive Council as one of Wales' representatives. He joins Samantha Kennedy, who sits on the NUS NEC as the Society & Citizenship zone's additional representative.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
Membership comprises affiliated college and university clubs (these are known as "Labour Clubs"). Membership of Labour Students is through membership of a university or college Labour Club. Affiliation is open to any Labour Club generally supportive of the objectives of Labour Students. It is often referred to - especially among officers of the National Union of Students - by its previous name, National Organisation of Labour Students (NOLS, which is pronounced "Nols").
History
In the 1967, the National Association of Labour Student Organisations, the Labour Party's student organisation, was derecognised by the party after it was taken over by supporters of the Socialist Labour League. While the Scottish organisation continued, the Labour Party was left without a national student body.One of the principal areas of conflict was the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, with Trevor Fisk
Trevor Fisk
Trevor Fisk was a British student union leader.Fisk was elected President of the London School of Economics Student Union in 1964, then attended the Inns of Court. He was elected as President of the National Union of Students in 1968, as a moderate candidate, defeating the then-radical Jack Straw...
, the leading member of the traditionalists, refusing to criticise Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
's government over its tacit support for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the war. The fight against Fisk was led, in particular, by Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
, 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
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
. That organisation became the National Organisation of Labour Students 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
Revolutionary Socialist League (UK, 1938)
The first RSL was formed in early 1938 with the merger of two different parties, the Marxist League led by Harry Wicks and the Marxist Group led by C. L. R. James....
(RSL) (later known as 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...
, after their newspaper Militant), and a group which emerged in about 1974 calling itself Clause Four
Clause Four Group
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...
, 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
Charles Clarke
Charles Rodway Clarke is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Norwich South from 1997 until 2010, and served as Home Secretary from December 2004 until May 2006.-Early life:...
, Sally Morgan
Sally Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Huyton
Sally Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Huyton is a British Labour Party politician.Morgan was educated at Belvedere School for Girls, Liverpool, and at Durham University, where she graduated in 1980 with a B.A. in geography. After taking a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at King's College London...
, 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....
and Trevor Phillips
Trevor Phillips
Trevor Phillips OBE chairs the Equality and Human Rights Commission and is a former television executive and presenter...
.
From the founding of NOLS in 1971 until the late 1970s, NOLS worked within the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom (NUS) as part of the Broad Left
Broad Left
The Broad Left was a political faction within the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom during the 1970s. It consisted of a working relationship between the Labour Party, the Liberal Party, Plaid Cymru, the Communist Party of Great Britain , and other, non-aligned, supporters in order...
, a student coalition which also included the student wings 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:...
and independent left wing students. 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
Student Broad Left
Student Broad Left is a factional grouping operating within the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom.The group was formed in 1997 as a split from the Campaign for Free Education and first contested NUS elections in 1998...
.) 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.
From the early 1990s, NOLS began calling itself Labour Students.
Politics and wider influence
Labour Students were broadly supportive of Gordon Brown's government. However, during Tony Blair's premiership, Labour Students opposed the Government's planned introduction of university "top-up" fees. Most Labour Students members are also members of the Labour Party and many are involved with the day-to-day organisation and work of the party. Indeed, Labour Students have been widely credited with ensuring the electoral success of Liam ByrneLiam Byrne
Liam Dominic Byrne is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hodge Hill since 2004, and was the Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2009 to 2010 before being appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 20 January 2011.-Early...
in Birmingham Hodge Hill and of Iain Wright
Iain Wright
Iain David Wright is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool since 2004, and was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for apprenticeships and 14-19 reform in the Department for Children, Schools and Families until 11 May...
in Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
in recent by-elections. Labour Students has mobilized its members to take part in campaigns in marginal seats across the country.
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 the Labour government, others see it as not radical enough, and not prepared to challenge the party. This is 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'. Recent graduates of Labour Students have gone on to work in Labour central office, or as ministerial special advisers, Trade Union officials and members of left-leaning think tanks.
Elections are held openly, and are presumed to reflect the prevailing feelings of the membership. Many former chairs have gone on to wider success in politics. 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...
(Chair 1983 and 1984) is now MP for Bassetlaw; 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....
(Chair 1985) is now MSP for the Lothian Region; Ben Lucas (1986) was special adviser to Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
; and Simon Buckby (1989) was an adviser to John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
and then advertising director for Labour's 1997 election campaign. Paul Richards (1990) was a Special Adviser to Hazel Blears and a parliamentary candidate for the seats of Lewes (2001) and Billericay (1997); Tom Watson
Tom Watson (politician)
Thomas Anthony Watson is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East since 2001. Watson was a Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office from 2008 to 2009...
(1992) is now Labour MP for West Bromwich East; and Michael Dugher (1997) is MP for Barnsley East
Barnsley East (UK Parliament constituency)
Barnsley East is a Parliamentary constituency in South Yorkshire which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The seat was created as Barnsley East in 1983 and abolished to create Barnsley East and Mexborough in 1997...
having previously worked in 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
as part of the media operation. Patrick Diamond
Patrick Diamond
Patrick Diamond worked as a policy advisor under the Labour Party government of the United Kingdom in a role covering policy and strategy. He was previously a Senior Research Fellow at the International Think Tank Policy Network, where he had been previously the Director. He has previously worked...
(1998) was special adviser to Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
and Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, Director of Policy at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and a Downing Street advisor. Ellie Reeves (2002) is now a member of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee.
Other former Labour Student officers have also gone onto wider success for example, Caroline Flint
Caroline Flint
Caroline Louise Flint is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Don Valley since 1997. She served as the Minister of State for Housing and Planning in 2008, and later as the Minister for Europe until her resignation in 2009, citing the leadership of Gordon...
, Women's Officer 1982-1984, is Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. John Woodcock
John Woodcock (UK politician)
John Zak Woodcock is a British Labour Co-operative politician. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness in 2010.-Early and personal life:...
was a Special Adviser to John Hutton before joining the Downing Street media team, and is now the Labour and Co-Operative MP for Barrow and Furness. Blair McDougall was a Special Adviser to James Purnell. Former National Secretary (1986) Rob Minshull worked for the BBC World Service and migrated to Australia to work for ABC, and former National Secretary (2000) Jonathan Ashworth
Jonathan Ashworth
Jonathan Ashworth is a British politician and the Labour Member of Parliament for Leicester South. He was elected to the seat in a by-election on 5 May 2011 following the resignation of his predecessor Peter Soulsby who stepped down in order to run for office as Mayor of Leicester...
worked as Deputy Political Secretary to Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
before being elected as MP for Leicester South
Leicester South (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicester South is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , by the first past the post voting system...
in May 2011
Leicester South by-election, 2011
The Leicester South by-election was held to elect a Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom for the Leicester South constituency on 5 May 2011. It was prompted by the resignation of Sir Peter Soulsby of the Labour Party, who stood down from Parliament to contest the election for Mayor of...
.
Labour Students takes on a major campaign each year. Recent campaigns have included the "Make Child Poverty History" campaign (2006-7). Policy is decided at the National Council, usually held in December, and at the National Conference in March. Labour Students' 2005-6 campaign, "Sex, Lives and Politics", was followed by a government reduction of VAT on condoms to the EU minimum of 5%.
Internal organisation
Labour Students has three full time sabbatical officers:- National Chair- currently Olivia Bailey
- National Secretary- currently Ross MacRae
- Campaigns and Membership Officer- currently Samantha Kennedy
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 campaigning work of the organisation. The three sabbatical officers work at Labour Party headquarters in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Together with twenty 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.
The Labour Students full time officers work closely with permanent Labour staff on involving young people and students in the Labour Party. The Labour Party has an officer responsible for liaising with Labour Students and for generating youth and student involvement in the Party. This position was held by Sally Morgan
Sally Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Huyton
Sally Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Huyton is a British Labour Party politician.Morgan was educated at Belvedere School for Girls, Liverpool, and at Durham University, where she graduated in 1980 with a B.A. in geography. After taking a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at King's College London...
from 1985-1988.
Labour Students is a member of the International Union of Socialist Youth
International Union of Socialist Youth
The International Union of Socialist Youth encompasses socialist, social democratic and Labour Party youth organizations from more than 100 states of the world...
and the Young European Socialists
Ecosy
ECOSY - Young European Socialists is an association of social-democratic youth organisations in the European Union. The most widely accepted pronunciation of ECOSY is as a single word with short "e" and short "o"....
.
Campaign groups
Within Labour Students there are separate Women's, Lesbian Gay Bisexual & TransLGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
, Disabled Students and Black Minority Ethnic Students campaigns. There also exists a separate organisation for Labour Clubs in the constituent nations known as Welsh and Scottish Labour Students
Scottish Labour Students
Scottish Labour Students , is a student society, affiliated to the Scottish Labour Party and forms an important part of the UK-wide organisation Labour Students....
respectively.
Selection Procedure
The process for selecting Labour Students candidates for election to office in NUS is conducted in three stages set out below. Any member of Labour Students at an NUS affiliated institution is eligible to put themselves forward as a candidate, though prior experience in student union and NUS is considered essential.- Application stage
- Candidates submit a statement explaining why they wish to stand and a copy of their CV.
- Selection Panel
- A panel made up of the National Chair, NUS Group Leader, and a member of the National Committee make a shortlist from the applications. Shortlisted applicants are interviewed by the panel.
- Election
- The panel recommends candidates to Labour Students National Council and they are voted on by the delegates at the council. If approved by the council, the candidate is then an official Labour Students candidate for the position they put themselves forward for.
Conferences (2000-2005)
In 2000, facing a predicted defeat, Labour Students decided not to select a candidate for NUS President choosing instead to support the Organised IndependentOrganised Independents
The Organised Independents are a grouping within the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom.The group is made up of candidates for National Executive Committee posts, all standing on an "independent" label, and their supporters, and as a result a lot of controversy has raged over whether...
Owain James
Owain James
Owain James is the Global coordinator for the Global Campaign for Education a Non-Governmental Organisation that campaigns for the right to education. He was president of the NUS from 2000-2002-Career:...
(who was an ordinary member of Labour Students) as an independent. Labour Students regained the presidency in 2002, but in 2004 lost it narrowly to Kat Fletcher
Kat Fletcher
Kathryn Jane Fletcher was president of the UK National Union of Students between 2004 and 2006, the first to be elected from a political slate clearly to the left of Labour Students, who had held the position for most of the previous twenty years.-Early life:Fletcher was formerly the General...
, who ran on the Campaign for Free Education
Campaign for Free Education
The Campaign for Free Education was a left-wing grouping in the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom of those opposed to tuition fees and the abolition of student grants....
ticket and subsequent to that group's collapse formed a coalition of centrist student officers. Labour Students did not run a candidate in the 2005 or 2006 elections for NUS President. In 2006, Labour Students rejected the bid for support from Pav Akhtar despite his Labour membership and voted for Gemma Tummelty, on the condition that she join the party.
Conferences (2005-2006)
Despite setbacks at the 2005 NUS Conference, in 2006 Labour Students secured an improved position. It secured four places on the NUS National Executive Committee: Vice President of Education (Wes Streeting), two positions on the part-time Block of 12 and the National Women's Officer. Until recently, Labour Students also held the positions of NUS Scotland President and NUS LGBT Officer (open-place), however, the resignations of James Alexander and Scott Cuthbertson from Labour Students has depleted the number of votes on the NUS NEC for Labour Students. .Conference (2007)
At the 2007 Conference, Wes Streeting was returned at the Vice-President for Education, and Katie Curtis and Benedict Pringle were returned to the Block of 12. Richard Angell lost a hotly contested election for Vice-President Welfare to Ama Uzowuru (OI).Labour Students flagship policy in NUS has been the rejection of campaigning for universal grants, in favour of targeting student support funds towards poorer students through means testing. National Conference 2006 narrowly supported this policy, but it was renewed with a much increased majority in 2007.
Conference (2008)
At the 2008 Conference Labour Candidates achieved great success. Wes StreetingWes Streeting
Wesley "Wes" Paul William Streeting is Chief Executive of the Helena Kennedy Foundation, an educational charity that promotes access to higher education to students from further education colleges through bursaries, mentoring and work placements...
was elected NUS National President securing victory over independent Ciarán Norris by 120 votes. Ed Marsh, Susan Nash and Hollie Williams were all elected to NUS Block of Twelve. Labour Student Nicola Heaton was elected onto the NUS Steering Committee.
Meanwhile, Katie Curtis, the Labour Students candidate, narrowly won the full-time position of National Women's Officer at the Women's Campaign Conference. After Cat Smith of Student Broad Left was eliminated in the first round with 15 votes, 8 transferred to Sofie Buckland of Education Not for Sale
Education Not for Sale
Education Not for Sale is a radical left-wing student campaign in the United Kingdom.The name originally derives from the "European Education Not for Sale network" and was first used by socialist and other radical activists at the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom conference in...
, giving Curtis a victory of 4 votes with 33 to Buckland's 29. Josh MacAlister, the Labour Students' candidate for the full-time position of NUS Scotland President, narrowly lost the election to Gurjit Singh (the first independent candidate to beat a Labour Student in an NUS Scotland Presidential election since the organisation formed) and Gaz Hughes, the Labour Students' candidate for the part-time position of NUS LGBT Officer (Open Place) withdrew from the race shortly before the election.
Conference (2009)
The 2009 NUS Conference saw Wes StreetingWes Streeting
Wesley "Wes" Paul William Streeting is Chief Executive of the Helena Kennedy Foundation, an educational charity that promotes access to higher education to students from further education colleges through bursaries, mentoring and work placements...
re-elected as National President with 81% of the vote against Rob Owen, the Socialist Workers' Party candidate standing as part of the 'Another Union is Possible' slate. This conference also saw a second Labour Students' candidate elected to a full time office for the first time in a decade with the election of Susan Nash to the new position of Vice President (Society & Citizenship). In spite of the reconstitution of the old 'Block of 12' non-portfolio executive members into a new 'Block of 15' with five reserved places for Further Education representatives, both of Labour Students' HE block candidates were elected: Ed Marsh and Tobin Webb. Steven Findlay, former Labour Students Block of 12 member, was also elected to the new Democratic Procedures Committee, on which he will serve with fellow Labour Student Nicola Heaton.
Elsewhere, in what was tipped as a tightly contested election, Olivia Bailey defeated self-proclaimed revolutionary candidate Jennie Killip in the election for NUS National Women's Officer. In line with the Estelle Hart was elected to the National Executive Council as a Women's Campaign representative.
Conference (2010)
The 2010 NUS Conference, held outside of Blackpool for the first time in decades at the Sage conference centre in Gateshead, saw a relatively low-key but successful intervention by Labour Students. Due to the proximity to the 2010 general election, Labour Students chose to field just one full time candidate; Susan Nash was comfortably re-elected as the Vice President (Society & Citizenship). Their two candidates for the 'Block of 15', Thomas Graham and Dannie Grufferty, were both elected successfully in the first round of voting. Ed Marsh, who had previously been elected to the NUS National Executive Council as a member of Labour Students, stood successfully as an independent candidate for Vice President (Union Development) having resigned his membership of Labour Students earlier that year.The 2010 conference was also the last for Labour Students' leader in NUS and outgoing National President, Wes Streeting, after a tumultuous five years on the NUS NEC which saw Labour Students firmly re-establish themselves at the heart of NUS. His successor, Aaron Porter
Aaron Porter
Aaron Ross Porter is the former President of the National Union of Students in the United Kingdom; he was elected with a 65% majority and took office in June 2010 for one year.-Background and positions held :...
is a Labour Party member but stood as a candidate of the Organised Independents, with the support of Streeting and Labour Students.
Elsewhere, Olivia Bailey was re-elected unopposed as NUS National Women's Officer, while in NUS Wales Michaela Neild was elected as Deputy President and Estelle Hart was re-elected as NUS Wales Women's Officer. Luke Young, a member of the NUS Wales Executive Committee also sits on the NUS National Executive Council as one of Wales' representatives. He joins Samantha Kennedy, who sits on the NUS NEC as the Society & Citizenship zone's additional representative.
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.- 1949-50 Dickson MabonDickson MabonDr. Jesse Dickson "Dick" Mabon PC FRSA was a Scottish politician, physician and company director. He was the founder of The Manifesto Group of Labour MPs, an alliance of moderate MPs against the perceived leftward drift of the Labour Party in the 1970s. He was a Labour Co-operative MP until...
- 1950s Roy HattersleyRoy HattersleyRoy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
- 1950s Kevin Mcnamara
- 1960s Alex Neil
- 1973 Ian DavidsonIan Davidson (Scottish politician)Ian Graham Davidson is a Scottish Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West since 2005...
- 1976 Mike GapesMike GapesMichael John "Mike" Gapes is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Ilford South since 1992....
- 1977 Mike Jackson
- 1978 Nigel Stanley
- 1979 Dave Smith
- 1980 Steve Page
- 1981 John Boothman
- 1982 Geoff Norris
- 1983 John MannJohn 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...
- 1984 John MannJohn 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...
- 1985 Sarah BoyackSarah BoyackSarah Boyack MSP is a Scottish Labour MSP for the Lothian region and formerly constituency MSP for Edinburgh Central in the Scottish Parliament....
- 1986 Ben Lucas
- 1987 Neil Usher
- 1988 Carol Judge
- 1989 Simon Buckby
- 1990 Paul Richards
- 1991 Alison Ryan (did not complete year in office)
- 1992 Paul Hewitt
- 1993 Tom WatsonTom Watson (politician)Thomas Anthony Watson is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East since 2001. Watson was a Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office from 2008 to 2009...
- 1994 Ian Corfield
- 1995 Lizzie Watson
- 1996 Lizzie Watson
- 1997 Michael DugherMichael DugherMichael Vincent Dugher is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Barnsley East since 2010....
- 1998 Patrick DiamondPatrick DiamondPatrick Diamond worked as a policy advisor under the Labour Party government of the United Kingdom in a role covering policy and strategy. He was previously a Senior Research Fellow at the International Think Tank Policy Network, where he had been previously the Director. He has previously worked...
- 1999 Joe Goldberg
- 2000 Brendan Cox
- 2001 Vicky Foxcroft
- 2002 Ellie Reeves
- 2003 Karim Palant
- 2004 Adam Hug
- 2005 Gareth Smith
- 2006 Ciaran Ward
- 2007 Kenny Young
- 2008 Sarah Mulholland
- 2009 Joseph Sherry
- 2010 Dean Carlin
- 2011 Olivia Bailey