Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

YOUTH AGAINST FASCISM
During this period youth resentment of the NEC intensified, culminating in greater
support for Willis and youth unity. The 1938 National Conference elected Ted Willis as
its leader and Advance was adopted as its official newspaper. The NEC pressed Willis to
recant on his Popular Front efforts to which Willis replied that "he has always made clear
his desire to work for the merger of the YCL with the Labour League of Youth and we
would continue to work to attain this end." 83
The YCL paid close attention to these developments in the LLOY. YCL literature
made public appeals to the Labour Party and the LLOY to find a common ground upon
which "the YCL and its members could enter the Labour League of Youth" to build a
"mass united organization of Labour Youth." 84 The NEC was unreceptive to these
appeals, consistently expressing grave concern and hostility about Willis' leadership. 85
After receiving a detailed memorandum from John Huddlestone "concerning the "dangerous
work" of the League of Youth," the NEC decided to disband its national leadership
in the summer of 1939. 86 The NEC took this initiative without even consulting the
LLOY. The expulsion of Ted Willis prompted a large section of the LLOY membership
to follow Willis into the YCL. Though the YCL had hoped that a united socialist youth
league would be created within the existing LLOY to keep Labour Party affiliation, it
openly welcomed Willis and his followers into their ranks.
YCL rhetoric and actions were also directed at coordinating activity among all British
youth. This strategy was a profound switch from traditional Leninist tactics. The YCL's
national leadership insisted, "It is time to rid ourselves of that self-satisfied, frank disbelief
in the possibilities for democratic activity of the youth movements that still lurks in
our branches, preventing mass work from being done." 87 United activity could transform
the political perspective of all participants. The YCL contended, "Unity adds something
more than the mere numbers united; it transforms the outlook of the movement." 88
United activity could show youth the common values held by their generation, dissuading
organizations from pursuing an isolated existence.
Popular Front concepts shifted the YCL's focus from an internal to an external perspective
centred on influencing the development of the youth movement. Mick Bennett
urged the YCL to transform its methods to adapt to the Popular Front:
Our policy arises from the experiences and lives of the youth, therefore, it is a policy of
the youth…our policy has so much in common with the highest ideals of youth.... Comrade
Gollan explained how all youth, provided that they believe in democracy and are
against Fascism, can find a place in the YCL. This is not yet the spirit and the general
idea which runs through the whole of our work and League life.... We have got to learn
from the other youth movements… this conviction has to be ingrained with us. 89
The new role of the YCL was to "serve the British youth," not just the Communist
Party. 90 The YCL National Congress stated that the YCL "is an indispensable necessity
for the successful development of the youth struggle… being the best inspirers and most
active workers on all fronts of youth activity." 91
88