The right-wing Labour bureaucracy in the NUS needs to be driven out of office – but not all ‘socialists’ deserve a vote. By Jojo Palmer

Communist Students call on all delegates to only vote for candidates who:

1. Oppose the governance review.

2. Oppose the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, stand for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of troops from the Gulf region and oppose any imperialist action or sanctions against Iran.

This does not mean we are sectarian or demand that everybody has to stand on a full communist platform. Clearly, communists fight for a much wider programme. For example, we always link our opposition to the war on Iran with active solidarity with all those Iranian social movements who are fighting against the theocracy there. Socialists need to fight on two fronts. We also believe that universities and colleges should be run by those who learn and work there – not in the name of profit and business.

But in our view, those two points are the minimum platform any candidate worth supporting must openly and clearly adhere to. Why?

1. The proposals in the governance review are a blatant attempt by the ruling Labour bureaucracy to restrict democracy even further and to increase its stronghold over the NUS (see article overleaf). We condemn the fact that some right wing local student unions are attempting to force their local delegates to vote for the review by evoking ‘binding mandates’ – even though many delegates have been elected precisely because of their opposition to the review. We call on all such delegates to stick two fingers up to those unprincipled careerists – and break their mandate!

2. The occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and the sable-rattling against Iran remain the key issues for the British working class and progressive movements. As long as British troops deny the people in the Middle East the right to govern their own affairs, we have a duty to campaign actively against the occupation and for the immediate withdrawal of all troops.

Sadly, not everybody on the left agrees with this basic internationalist position. In their motion on Iran, the Socialist Workers Party/Student Respect does not call for troops out now, displaying the fact that this organisation often hides its politics, be it to placate the leaders of the mosque in Respect or the liberals and soppy pacifists in the Stop the War Coalition. For the SWP ‘broadness’ – ie, unity with the right – overrides any principle. Having said that, in their individual manifestos the three SWP candidates standing for executive positions clearly state that they are for “troops out now”.

The candidates standing on the ‘Education not for Sale’ ticket have a joint manifesto, which calls for: “No to war on Iran; for mass action including occupation in the event of war; against the occupation of Iraq. No to Iran’s theocratic regime: solidarity with workers, women and students in Iran and Iraq.” Sounds ok, doesn’t it?

However, the problem is that majority of members in the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty (which runs ENS) have consciously taken a position on Iraq against troops out now. They actually believe that there is something potentially progressive about the occupation in that it gives “breathing space” to the social movements and trade unions. Some in the AWL even advocate that US and British imperialism should be conducting “surgical strikes” against Iran, others are in favour of sanctions.

After we were informed that a number of ENS candidates have a ‘troops out now’ position, we wrote to all ENS to clarify their positions. The only one who replied is AWL member Daniel Randall (standing for president). In an ill-tempered email, he says he cannot support our second point, because it is too “abstract” and does not take “working-class solidarity as its point of departure”.

We would argue that to call on our own troops to stop occupying other people’s countries is quite a strong message of solidarity. And as Daniel knows very well, Communist Students is heavily involved in Hands Off the People of Iran, which fights against imperialist war and against the theocracy and for active solidarity with the students, women and workers’ movements in Iran. However, Hopi and CS also know that the main enemy is imperialism. And this is where Dan – and the majority of the AWL – really disagree. This organisation must now be described as social imperialist – that is, socialist in rhetoric; pro-imperialist in policy.

Arran Cottam (standing for Socialist Students) also leaves out the word “now” from his manifesto. He has however confirmed to us that he supports the above formulation and therefore we call for a vote for him

But we cannot advocate a vote for ‘Student Broad Left’, the bastard child of the Stalinoid organisation Socialist Action. This is one of the most undemocratic organisations that dare to carry the word socialist in its name. It consistently looks to ‘enlightened’ leaders to liberate the masses from on high – be it Hugo Chavez or Ken Livingstone (whose office is run almost exclusively by SA members). When it comes to the vote on the governance review, for example, a number of SBL members are planning to hide in the toilets rather than break the mandate of their student union. Who needs shithouse weasels like that? Naturally, we also cannot advocate a vote for Labour Students, who has run the NUS into the ground.

We call for votes for members of the following left organisations in the order below (ie, where two candidates of the left stand against each other, we will give preference to members of the groups higher up the list).

1. Communist Students

2. Socialist Students

3. Student Respect