The original motion pushed by the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty displayed its soft position on imperialism (No804): “Conference believes: That the current chaos, sectarian conflict and corporate plunder consuming Iraq proves that American (and British) military adventures in the Middle East have almost inevitably disastrous consequences” (my emphasis).

This slippery formulation has been changed at the last minute – but clearly it underlines this organisation’s belief that imperialist military intervention in some circumstances might not be such a bad idea. The political line of the majority of the AWL can only be described as social-imperialist. And, while the AWL’s motion calls on the NUS to “oppose any military action or economic sanctions against Iran”, it does not demand ‘Troops out now’ in relation to Iraq, despite the “disastrous consequences” of the occupation. No wonder the current NUS executive, dominated by Labour bureaucrats and careerists, had no problem in adopting the motion, presented by comrade Buckland, as their own.

The SWP-sponsored motion, ‘Don’t attack Iran’ (No809), neatly demonstrates the other side of the unprincipled coin: in their long resolution, the comrades refer only twice to the people of Iran: “Sanctions hurt ordinary people, damage their economic and civil institutions and are a prelude to war. The best way to support the Iranian people is to campaign against war and sanctions.”

But to support the people’s struggles against the theocratic regime is somehow totally out of order and ‘gives ammunition to imperialism’, as we have been told many times. Interestingly, the SWP motion also does not spell out the need to campaign for an immediate end to the occupation of Iraq. Another exercise in self-censorship, no doubt, in line with the official line of the Stop the War Coalition. Lovely to see the AWL and SWP agreeing on something.