Scottish Labour Students

Scottish Labour Students (SLS), is a socialist society organisation, affiliated to the Scottish Labour Party and forms an important part of the UK-wide organisation Labour Students.

Scottish Labour Students aim to bring Labour values to campuses and represent students within the Labour Party throughout Scotland. SLS hold regular Scottish events including SLS Conference in November and SLS Council in February. In addition, its members are often invited to hear major speakers at Labour Party events throughout the year. Glasgow University Labour Club and Edinburgh University Labour Club are the two biggest clubs within SLS and recently, the organisation has branched out into Further Education (FE) colleges across Scotland.

History

The organisation was founded as the Scottish Organisation of Labour Students (SOLS) in 1970/71, however it is a direct descendant of the Scottish Association of Labour Student Organisations (SALSO) which had existed since 1946. In the 1960s SALSO's UK equivalent, the National Association of Labour Student Organisations (NALSO), was taken over by Trotskyists and disaffiliated from the Labour Party. SALSO, however, successfully resisted any take-over attempts.

SLS remained famous for its hostility to Trotskyism and SOLS members were key to recovering control of the National Organisation of Labour Students, NOLS, from the Militant Tendency in 1975 and the following year SOLS members took the famous "icepick express" (a bus with an icepick - the weapon used to kill Trotsky - attached to the front) to that year's NOLS conference at Lancaster University. This incident is recalled in some detail in Michael Crick's books on the Militant Tendency/Revolutionary Socialist League. (See Clause Four Group.)

Internal organisation

SLS is made up of affiliated Labour Clubs at universities across Scotland.

SLS has an eleven-member committee who meet at regular intervals throughout the year.

* Chair - currently: Jillian Merchant, Dundee University
* Vice Chair - currently: Dean Carlin, Edinburgh University
* Secretary - currently: Helen Stephen, Glasgow University

All positions are re-elected at the annual SLS Conference in November.

Campaign groups

The SLS Committee includes representatives from each of the 4 liberation campaigns: Women's, LGBT, Disabled Students and Black Minority Ethnic. Each campaign is completely autonomous and hold events and discussions designed at highlighting issues relevant to them to the wider Labour Students movement.

Campaigning

SLS are heavily involved in every election in Scotland, mobilising its members to take part in campaigns in marginal seats across the country.

In addition to this, for the first time in 2007/08 SLS have run their own issed based prority campaign. 'Changing Perceptions - Homelessness' is designed to challege the perception young people have of the homeless in Scotland and challenge people to think again about what it really means to be homeless.

In recent months SLS have ran a successful Pro Choice Lobbying Campaign against attempts during the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill by Conservative Party MP Nadine Dorries to reduce the upper limit for abortions to 20 weeks from the current 24 weeks of pregnancy. Her amendment was defeated heavily by 332 votes to 190, with a separate 22 week limit opposed by 304 votes to 233 - with MPs continuing to heavily support the 24 week limit.

SLS are also actively involved in opposing the Scottish National Party (SNP) plans to introduce a Local Income Tax which would hit students who have to work to support themselves while studying hard.

Former chairs

1967: Robin Cook
1978: Dave Smith
1979: Margaret Curran
1980: John Boothman
1982: Paul Robertson
1984: Sarah Boyack
1985: Susan Deacon
1986: Pat McFadden
1987: Paul Greatrix
1988: Billy Halliday
1994: Joanne Milligan
1997: Gregg McClymont
1998: Alex Foulkes
2001: Blair McDougal
2002: Blair McDougal*
2002: Gemma Doyle & John Woodcock
2003: Adam Hug
2004: Neil Bibby
2005: Kenny Young
2006: Kenny Young
2007: Victoria Jamieson
2008: Jillian Merchant

Note: Blair McDougal served two terms because the Youth and Student Conference was cancelled following the death of Scotland's First Minister, Donald Dewar.