(Hackney North LPYS) AS THE witch-hunting go to the next NEC Labour Party are leaked in the press, it's clear that the Party Young Socialists will be in the firing line. NEC the right wing tocoa surance the first post-conference interest in the Youth Committee. Left wingers Dennis Frank Allaun and Audrey Wise were purged. They were replaced and Anne Davis.
Coates, LPYS representative on the NEC was also thrown off the Organisation Sub-committee.
It seems that there are two sets of proposals circulating the right wing. The first is favoured by Dennis Howell: the closure of the LPYS. The second (and this is supposed to be the position) proposes the suspension or the YS's national organisation without any expulsions, with local branches being put under strict local control.
This 'compromise' cludes the following:
* A ban on sales of Militant at YS meetings.
*A ban attendance of any known Militant organiser at an LPYS activity.
Socialist Challenge 12 November 1982 page 6 proposals Militant within the LPYS.
Labour * Sacking Try In tne presumably Labour Party Youth Officer.
Skinner, represented Laurence privilege.
no sackings, no restrictions!
'compromise - ana more!
also in- LOTTS should with all Labour MPs Any postpone or vigerously conference! * A ban on collection of money for known Militant supporters from positions of authoriLPYS. This would include Laurence Coates, and also Andy Bevan, the Once again the Labour right wing is planning to crush its youth movement tor tear ot the threat to Is power and The only way we can respond is by going on the offensive: Build the LPYS! No closures, All this points to one thing: the LPYS annual conference at Easter 1983. It must be a massive council of war against the Tories and their agents in the labour movement. This means not just every LPYS branch, but every LPYS member Every union branch with LPYS members must celeoate them to the conference. All union Broad be invited, along restrict, cancel the conference by the new NEC must be opposed. Defend the LPYS! Build the Easter 1983 LPYS it was allowed newspaper - New Nation.
But — a recurring pattern — the three editors of New Nation were ap sonic o' Transport House 1933 League conference called control of the journal and for the right to discuss political matters and not just organisational questions at its own conference.
A political fight broke out between members of the League and the Transport House bureaucrats. Many of the League members were tavour of a united front with the Communist Party and the Independent Labour Party to fight against fascism. New Nation was opened to debate on this question, but eventualofficial disapproval ensured that the letters column was closed. The kind of censorship which was imposed is recalled by Arthur Peacock, one of the editors:
It was my job to submit proofs of the paper to Will Henderson, chief of the party's publicity department. He was concerned solely with ensuring that nothing was published in opposition to the official policy.
dictator. Now would send for me and talk about paragraphs which he thought offended and say 'Well, brother, we can't