BUILDING LABOUR STUDENTS

Labour wants a mass vibrant student wing reaching into Further and Higher Education colleges
and Universities, representing the diversity of students up and down the country organising in
campuses, working class communities, campaigning for our vision of a very different world, for the
many not the few. We want students to help us build a mass movement, a social movement to
transform society.
Labour Students are Labour’s student wing and active on campuses, in universities and colleges up
and down the country. They are an affiliate of the Labour Party with their own Constitution and
have political autonomy. They are an active campaigning organisation who have brought
thousands of people into the Labour Party, working with trade unions and are active campaigners,
particularly in marginal seats and in by-elections.
Unlike other affiliates Labour Students does not affiliate a specific number of members to the
Labour Party and does not pay an affiliation fee. The democratic entitlements of Labour Students
have been calculated based on the number of members who pay the student rate of £3. We
know that often members who join as students remain on our membership system for many years
after they have ceased being students. Sometimes these members will be making regular
additional financial payments to the Party so it is not the case that individuals are attempting to
pay less but that they simply have continued with their membership on the same terms.
There is currently work being undertaken to create a new “verified student status”. All current
student members are being contacted to ask for evidence of their student status i.e. copy of a
matriculation card. All members who supply this evidence are given verified student status. Where
members do not supply evidence to demonstrate they are a student they are moved onto the
appropriate membership rate at the next renewal date. Though this process many members will
be moved onto other rates. Affiliation figures which have been used in the past for Labour
Students are inflated by many who are no longer students but still Labour Party members. The
steps being taken will make it possible to get accurate figures.
Labour Students advise that there have sixty-four Labour Clubs affiliated nationally and estimate
that the membership of each varies between fifteen and four hundred. They are unable to give
precise figures of the numbers of members in each of these clubs. Labour clubs organise
independently and register to take part in national Labour Students events. Delegate entitlement
within Labour Students are not based on membership figures so precise membership figures are
not asked for. Labour Students operate as a federation of clubs and most of these clubs are in
traditional Higher Education establishments. These Labour Clubs follow student union rules so
therefore will include both Labour Party members and non-members. Three of the Labour
Students Committee are sabbatical positions paid for by the Labour Party. They work in head
office and, in the past, have had access to the membership system as staff members of the Labour
Party. We understand there are many Labour Clubs who do not affiliate to Labour Students.
The Young Labour submission asks that there should be integration of Labour Students and Young
Labour, and that Young Labour should be able to organise on campuses. During the Democracy
Review and in their submissions Labour Students have said they believe they should be the sole
organisers on campuses and in the National Union of Students.
More needs to be done to ensure that Young Labour and Labour Students work together
campaigning for Labour policies. The Labour Party should produce a range of campaigning
materials aimed at students and young people to be used on campuses and in colleges as well as
in social media and other platforms. These materials should be used by both Young Labour and
Labour Students.
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Unlike other socialist societies and affiliates Labour Students have received substantial support
from the Labour Party over many years with funding for their work including providing
accommodation and providing salaries for three elected Sabbatical positions. The sabbaticals work
in head office with other staff, produce “freshers’ packs” and other materials used by Labour Clubs
and visit Clubs. A further National Officer is employed at Head Office to work on both Youth and
Student issues. This National Officer is the only staffing support which is given to Young Labour
which is significantly larger than Labour Students, a section of the Party and do not have a full-
time staff resource. Other Socialist Societies such as BAME Labour and Disability Labour also do
not receive this level of support.
The discussions which the Democracy Review have had with the Labour Students elected
sabbaticals indicate that they wish to remain a socialist society and have political independence.
They should be supported to do this and should have the same entitlements within Labour’s
democratic structures as other socialist societies based on membership affiliated.
A national Youth and Student Unit should be established at head office which should work with
both Young Labour and Labour Students. The Labour Party should no longer pay for Labour
Students sabbatical positions once the current tenures expire.
The Labour Student Constitution says that their Committee should be elected by OMOV. This has
never happened. The intention has been for all who pay the student rate to take part in these
elections. The data held on the Labour Party membership systems was inaccurate and it did not
happen. The current Labour Students Committee were elected by delegates at Labour Students
Conference. Every delegate to Labour Students Conference must be a Labour Party member.
OMOV elections will be able to proceed once the work to verify students is completed and so we
recommend that there are OMOV elections for the next Labour Students Committee in line with
their Constitution.
We have recommended a review of membership rates elsewhere and this may wish to consider a
standardisation of rates so that the verified student rate is the same as for young people on low
income.
Labour wants a vibrant healthy mass youth and student movement. We want a strong student
organisation campaigning on the ground in Higher Education and Further Education colleges up
and down the country. We need to make sure that our student movement represents and involves
working class students, disabled students and students from BAME communities and has political
education at its heart. Any changes to our student organisation should not involve fewer resources
being put into student work. Labour Students is currently heavily weighted towards the Higher
Education Sector. Labour needs to organise in both Further and Higher Education. The new Youth
and Students Unit must work with the Young Labour Committee, affiliated trade unions and young
workers, and Labour Students to develop a strategy for developing Labour Clubs and engaging
other students where there is currently little organisation. Many students will not be eligible for
Young Labour membership. We need to invest heavily in our Youth and Student structure
developing a range of campaigning materials to bring students to Labour and allow them to get
involved in the way which works for them. For some this will be Labour Students, for some that
will be Young Labour, for some it will be in their branch or CLP or in another way. As part of its
work the new Youth and Student Unit needs to work with Young Labour and Labour Students to
develop an action plan to build in colleges and universities up and down the country.
Labour Students are asking that students should be able to have membership in two CLPs. We
believe this should be explored and a protocol developed to enable this to happen. We would
recommend that this is attempted as a pilot in the first instance and then reviewed to see how it
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has worked and what if any problems had been experienced. One primary membership would be
in either their home or education location, which would be the place of full membership. This
place of primary membership would be where the member was able to vote and take part as any
other member of the CLP. They would then be entitled to a secondary CLP membership if they are
studying in a different location. This secondary membership would allow for the increased
participation of students in campaigning and other CLP activities. The secondary membership
would allow students to receive emails about campaigning and attend CLP meetings, as observers,
unable to vote. This model should be explored for others who require to work away from home
for extended periods. Students under the age of 27 years should also be encouraged to get
involved in Young Labour where they study as many students will enjoy getting involved with the
local community and making relationships with the local labour movement.
All students should be encouraged to be a member of a trade union.
Labour Students say they often have difficulty navigating regional structures and offices. The high
turnover of elected officers in Labour Clubs and within Labour Students will make this more
difficult. There should be a delegated point of contact in all the Regional Offices for both Young
Labour and Labour Students.

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