Swss

[Pogue]

Anyone in the Socialist Workers Student Society who could give me help on joining this group? I'm active in the NUS and want a good red group active in student politics to get involved in. I sent them an email - no reply.

[Holden Caulfield]

Socialist Students for the win,
what uni do you attend?

[Sam_b]

Anyone in the Socialist Workers Student Society who could give me help on joining this group? I'm active in the NUS and want a good red group active in student politics to get involved in. I sent them an email - no reply.
http://www.swss-nationalsite.moonfruit.com/ - Is your uni on there?

Give the office a call on 020 7819 1178. This would be quicker than just emailing.

[Pogue]

I'm in college at the moment, not Uni, do I have to be at a Uni to join?

[BobKKKindle$]

No, not at all, SWSS does work in colleges throughout the UK, and it's always good to have new people getting involved.

[Pogue]

So I should ring up?

[TC]

SWSS is by far the best organized, most effective, largest and most capable leftist faction in the NUS and on most campuses. I can help put you in contact with them if you PM me your details and where you're going to uni.

[Sam_b]

So I should ring up?

Yes definitely. Welcome to the team :)

[Pogue]

Thanks. But what do I have to do to join over the phone?

[BobKKKindle$]

Strictly speaking you don't have to join up right away and I don't know whether it's possible to join over the phone - the best thing to do is phone up the student office so you can find out where the nearest group is and then get involved with them. If you later decide you want to become a fee-paying member than you can always join, but either way I'm sure your local group will welcome new supporters. As TC suggests, we do have a big presence in the student movement - at least in comparison to other socialist groups - and the head of the student office, Rob Owen, is a member of the NUS national executive and was one of only two members to campaign against the governance reforms earlier this year.

If you don't mind me asking, are you planning to go to uni next year, and if so, do you have any idea where?

[BobKKKindle$]

One more thing - if there isn't a SWSS group in your area or if the group is only small in size, it's also worth checking out the SWP website and possibly phoning the national office to find out whether there is an SWP branch nearby. If you're willing to join SWSS then presumabely you are happy to work with the SWP as well. I've found that SWSS groups tend to work quite closely with SWP branches anyway - but SWSS sends seperate delegates to our annual party conference, which is due to take place next month. Maybe if you become part of SWSS now, you can go along to conference as a delegate? Each group is entitled to a certain number of delegates depending on size, but anyone can go as an observer, which means you get the same rights as a delegate except that you can't vote.

[Pogue]

Yeh I'd work with them in STW and Anti-BNP groups as I have previously, and I'll ring em up this weekend then.

[TC]

Maybe if you become part of SWSS now, you can go along to conference as a delegate? Each group is entitled to a certain number of delegates depending on size, but anyone can go as an observer, which means you get the same rights as a delegate except that you can't vote.

Oh come on, voting at the SWP conference is a joke, there is no meaningful leadership or policy contest; the CC is elected by slate and the only viable slate is the one proposed by the CC itself. The only thing thats more interesting this year is that they've dropped John Rees from the ticket.

I would encourage you to work with the SWSS to the extent that its useful in getting whatever you'd like done, done, but don't think the SWP is the mass democratic party it porports itself to be; its politically a sect around a leadership clique, it just happens to be the largest and most effective organization of that type which makes it in my opinion worth while engaging.

I think, incidentally, Education Not For Sale which is probably the second largest student leftist faction, is much more democratic in that it actually makes room for multiple tendencies, has genuine and open leadership contests and policy debate; the AWL are clearly the largest party within ENS but they don't dominate it either operationally or numerically the way SWP does SWSS. This is of course not to say that theres anything wrong with it if you happen to agree with the SWP's current leadership's ideological stances. Just saying...but then, ENS (and socialist students, and student broad left) is just not as effective, but if you(HLVNS) happen to be at one of the universities unions where they have a strong or dominant presense (LSE, Sheffiled, etc) then it might make more sense to work with them.

[RevolverNo9]

ENS and SWSS aren't comparable - SWSS constitutes the student membership of the Socialist Workers Party and the political groups they lead on campuses. It doesn't purport to be a broad group.

SWSS has just initiated a broad-based education campaign, Another Education Is Possible. Particularly given the continued difficult circumstances for a radical students' movement in the UK, its potential and effectiveness are yet to be seen.

[georgestapleton]

H-L-V-S you say you are an Anarcho-Syndicalist. If so don't join the SWSS, they are a trotskyist group, youth wing of the SWP.

They are also generally thought very very poorly of. They are extremely opportunistic.

For example, despite being a troskyist group, they are trying to recruit you despite you calling yourself an Anarcho-Syndicalist. Most groups will talk to you about your politics see if you are on the same page as them before they get you to join. The SWP/SWSS on the other hand operate by recruiting first and indoctrinating people. Not surprisingly as most people don't like it when people try to indoctrinate them, most people leave the SWP/SWSS after a few months, and convinced that all socialists are the same as the SWP/SWSS drop out of socialist political activism.

I'd advise very very strongly that you read up on Trotsky, trotskyism, the history of the SWP a bit before you join. It is NOT a proud history.

[Q]

H-L-V-S you say you are an Anarcho-Syndicalist. If so don't join the SWSS, they are a trotskyist group, youth wing of the SWP.
And they call Trotskyists splitters... :rolleyes:


They are also generally thought very very poorly of. They are extremely opportunistic.
That comes as no surprise. It's the SWP we're talking about after all.


For example, despite being a troskyist group, they are trying to recruit you despite you calling yourself an Anarcho-Syndicalist. Most groups will talk to you about your politics see if you are on the same page as them before they get you to join. The SWP/SWSS on the other hand operate by recruiting first and indoctrinating people. Not surprisingly as most people don't like it when people try to indoctrinate them, most people leave the SWP/SWSS after a few months, and convinced that all socialists are the same as the SWP/SWSS drop out of socialist political activism.
Yes, numbers are very important to the SWP. They'll tear apart any movement if they can recruit a handfull.


I'd advise very very strongly that you read up on Trotsky, trotskyism, the history of the SWP a bit before you join. It is NOT a proud history.
I personally don't consider the SWP to be Trotskyist anymore, having left the transitional approach and a class analysis for opportunism and communal politics.

Then again, this is off topic.

H-L-V-S: I do recommend Socialist Students aswell :)

[georgestapleton]

I recommend seeing if there is anything on campus and not joining a political party/organization until you think it is definitely the best party/organisation for you.

[Forward Union]

Get in touch with the swss so you have their numbers etc. Give them a ring when you need numbers at a demo etc. Contacts are always important. Don't join them however, just stay on friendly terms.

My reccomendation is that you join the Student union, see what is of use there. If you want London IWW can post you a load of full-colour Student IWW postcard-leaflets?

[Pogue]

I'm active in the student union. That IWW stuff would be good, Levellers Standard.

[Dr Mindbender]

I am an open university student. Does SWSS get involved with distance learners like myself?

[Forward Union]

I am an open university student. Does SWSS get involved with distance learners like myself?

Yea I would assume so.