the biggest con tricks of all time. A rightwing block in NUS: the Kinnockite National Organisation of Labour Students(NOLS); the Liberal Democrats and so-called "independents"; have been pushing for years. They claim to aim to "democratise" the NUS and give it to "ordinary" students. I have yet to meet this imaginary "ordinary'" student and it is difficult to find very many in the above groups. NOLS, for example. long ago degenerated in to little more than a rump of careerist bureaucrats, ruthlessly competing for desk space at Walworth Road.
"Reform" is a con because it is a factional tool by the rightwing to hold on to power in the NUS and to drive out the left. The supposed "democracy", involving abolition of one of the "national conference and abolition of Area NUS organisado that by centralising power in larger regions and in national forum. Like the Labour Party leadership, the right are also running scared of the Tories and are desperate to make the Union appear ultra-moderat e.
The policy of the right allows the government to push voluntary membership on a Union where collective action has been consistently run-down. Many members have been disengaged from activity.
"What about services" you hear the right cry? When Tory students say that the services can be provided by the private sector, they are not wholly wrong. Without the collective life that makes the Union a Union, the choice for some students over the NUS may end up a simple commercial one.
But reform is also negative because to most students it smacks of the worst kind of boring bureaucratic politicking. Laced with "this will kick out the trots". NOLS probably get a positive response from a few inactive Tories, Big deal. I wonder which way they will vote on disaffiliation?
So reform is leading the NUS down a path to disaster, reinforcing the lack of interest in the NUS that the right are happy to see and encourage. Not surprisingly some elements of the rightwing bloc are already planning a new business-based Union of Democratic Students. They guess or probably hope that the destruction of NUS is imminent. le respons of the studer left to this crisis is crucial. One bloc, Left Unity, have reacted to not secured union.
Agenda
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