[The last six months has seen a further…]

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The last six months has seen a further sharpening of national rivalries between the capitalist states as they all try to simultaneously raise the rate of exploitation of the working class and yet at the same time maintain or increase their share of a virtually stagnant world market for commodities.

One feature of this has been a new round of currency Broad Left continually hammered away at their message that "student unions shouldn't replace the job of political parties"

This is Stalinist short-hand for complete avoidance of serious discussion on policy to represent the interests of students in fighting the cuts in education and social services, and fighting mass unemployment.

The marked rightward move of the Broad Left (which comprises the Stalinists, the National Organisation of Labour Students and non-aligned 'socialists') since its open alliance with the Federation of Conservative Students (FCS) was indicated in the voting for Executive positions.

Siphoned

The Broad Left has siphoned layers of "moderate" Tories away from the FCS, and in all four elections for sabbatical posts on the Executive the Tories came in fourth, with the Broad Left winning, Socialist Students Alliance second and National Organisation of International Socialist Students third.

But neither NOISS nor SSA offered a real alternative to the Broad Lefts notion of "broad-based unity" NOISS presidential made this clear when he declared:

thing campaign"

There is little ditterence between this statement and that of newly elected Broad Left President Trevor Phillips, who announced that "Racialism is bigger than our political differences"

There was virtual unanimity in the Conference therefore on support for the Anti-Nazi League -a movement so broad-based as to include Sidney Bidwell MP, a signatory of the racialist Select Committee report!

NOISS even condemned the Tories for not participating in the standing ovation for ANL speaker Peter Hain!

The idea that fascism can be defeated by leaflets, protest and propaganda divorced from any socialist policies whatever, is one that the SSA and NOISS clearly found completely acceptable.

Defeat

The sole significant defeat for the Broad Left was when the "no platform for racists or fascists" policy was reinstituted-thus jeopardising the Broad Left-Tory Slipman (right) when newly elected Yet while the Conference sections in struggle or facing real problems that the Broad Left has an answer.

Students recently in occupations, Further Education students, mature students, gays, womens' groups and a black caucus all managed at intervals to penetrate the bureaucratic set-up to voice their protests at the Executive's failure to implement mandates. manamera These disgruntled forces must now turn to the question of building a principled leadership on a clear programme to stop the cuts and defend students' rights if they are to strike real blows at the Broad Left-Tory bureaucracy.

Need

Such a programme must stress the need for students to join with the workers movement in fighting to break the reactionary Lib-Lab coalition.

And it must include the demand for grants and education expenditure to be protected against inflation by automatic increases based on an assessmen: of inflation by elected committ. ees of students and trade un. 0".