WEEKLY have changed. The Booad Left, a mistere Party wembers, still retains the leaerstip of the Union. The revolulionnry left still has its thrce members, and the Isheruls have sneaked in on the right with the elaction of Francis ayden.
election figures the Infernational Sociaists, who last year had thnee members on the national exccutive, now have orly one. СЫНЕ НЕСС НаССЯ nas acea ENao Valerie Coultas a member of the InterraConal Marxist Group.
te fiest tine the sicht begirning to rear its ugly bead in the shape of thie Liberab and the Kadical Action Group, a motley ragbag of Toros and Liberals.
CAMPAIGNS
In the present crisis, which fosters the right wing, students have to tako up the campaiges on grants, oducational cutbacks and hausing bot in a context of O S SEHES ABE AR TLE CH Haitish troops in Ircland; the growth of Powellisn arl the National Frone: and for withdrawal from che Common Market The most pressing problem lacing students is thoir declining Jiving standards Allied to the ever worschng rate of inflation, students face an upbill battle to keop their headk above the rising tide of rents and prices The Broad Left motion carned by the confirence bolds sout no hope of defending the granr. after 11 weeks but their strike has aiso been undermined by the usd of troops lo service the incinerators.
CRACKS APPEAR
came evident on 5 April when Das Duffy, one of the strike lenders, appealed to a moeting of strikers at the Polmadie incinerator "not to po back in dribs and drabs.' Before the mass mesting of all drivers took place on Wednesday 9 April, a On the surface things do not appear to of Communist Party and "Classe 4 Labour Despite pood However the conference also saw for winning practial sapport from the working class Students have to be in the foretont Val Coultis of IMG, elected to Executive The motion curried clazms that sliding scales ar threshalds tie the grant to 'a delining standand ar living | Nothing could be further from the truttsA slidin scale would give inmeclate compensation for the effeets of inflation. By rejecting it the Consmunist Parly and tho 18 doom students to a desperate chase after inflation -a taco thiey cannot win.
Amongst all the rather prodictablo and at times mundane debates there weru from the North Vietnamese change d affeines helped to raise over £500 for the PRG. after which an IMG militant successfilly proposed that a telegramn be for Glasgow defeat immediately sent to Harold Wilson deman ding the repognition of the PRO by the Labour Govertmienl.
The best debute of the conference abd the higgust blow dealt to the Broad Left came doring the discussion over the Comibon Markel Having just defealed tho call for a Iniled Socialists Statos of Europe and an anti-Market campaign on thewiogin of "No so the capitalist Common Marker', the Cl then tried to push throuch an amendment calling for a arcad based cam paigr In line with NUS policy, they Agroed that these broad-bused commeittoes shoald exclode racists and fascists However. true to their 'anti-monopoly alliance perspostive, they ware preparod to work with Tonios Libcrals amd the SNP:
The dolegates did not quite agroc Alter a heated debate, a close volo kickod out the broad-based comciittos The Exceutive havo interpreled the ejco tion of the raad Lefl amnendusent to na national circalation of'GBOC maseria Incal campaigus with trade unions and bade councils This victory for Lhc re olutionary lell Was a SaR POWer tOr tae Doo nu t fotose campanas But tis was a victory for the revolutionary lett, mot che 15 oc the INC alone. It shased that with the Fresent hankrupicy of the Broad Lelt leacorship Be maily of independents and organisations of tao revolarionacy left in the NUS is at present moro dan eeer called, for.
Ric Sissons