[Group's 'open-house' paper Socialist Challenge. A sixth of…]

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Group's 'open-house' paper Socialist Challenge.

A sixth of those present managed to find places on the paper's 21-person National Policy Committee, which will supposedly take over the direction of the paper's uncertain editorial line.

But since all bar a handful of those on the Committee will again be drawn from the ranks of the IMG little will change.

This is especially true when we see that among the non-IMG members is a preponderance of those drop-outs from the International Socialists who have now taken to calling themselves the "International Socialist Alliance" , and who self-evidently have nothing political to say for themselves.

The IMG's willing abandonment in Socialist Challenge of central aspects of Trotsky's Transitional Programme-most notably the call for defence of the Soviet Union against imperialism -was unanimously endorsed by the conference, but was apparently not sufficient to bring the antiTrotskyists of the Big Flame group onto the new Policy Committee.

Despite talk of the conference being "refreshTariq Ali-only 119 turned up to join him ing experience" and an "important step forward" there is little doubt that the feeble turn-out and the failure to attract other forces onto the Policy Committee marks a setback for the IMG's attempt to ape the Socialist Workers Party's notion of socialism by numbers' , and to "regroup" the British "left" on the basis of the lowest possible common denominator issue.

Any Socialist Press reader who would like to take out an annual subscription to Red Youth can do so by sending a cheque/PO £1.44 (regular subscribers to Socialist Press need only send 60p) to Red Youth, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

Islington Socialist Youth League DISCO Friday 23 June 1978 at Caxton House, St.

Johns Way, Archway 8pm - 11pm Sound System lah's sire (Reggae and Soul) Tickets 35p (members) or 50p (non-members).