[NEITHER Durham University nor its students have a…]

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NEITHER Durham University nor its students have a particular reputation for being radical. Yet the Students Union has just elected Simon Pottinger, a Socialist Organiser supporter as President for 1984/5.

As socialist students, the main focus for our campaign was to relate to students' interests -working towards the development of our union into a body capable of defending those interests.

Our principal demands were for: *A full grant for all - not just in University but for everyone in post-16 education.

THE conflict within the British Communist Party has reached *Decent courses and even the boiling-over point. right to a course in the first place, in the face of current Tory policy.

In addition we recognised that policy is not enough, and that we need to build the union into a mass campaigning organisation, transforming the policy into energetic and consistent activity. refused.

A feature of the campaign was to involve the University Labour Club at all levels, and it supplied people to work into the early hours.

The Club's politics were at the present direction is not reversed". the front of the campaign, so that a political platform, rather help oust the Star editors. than an individual's views formed the basis of the campaign.

In this sense it was the Labour Club, rather than Simon himself who won the presidency.

Nevertheless, the candidate's own personality inevitably played an important part. Whereas past USSR and Eastern Europe.

presidents have been elected on an individualist ticket in a careerrally its support. ist manner, Simon's personality expressed a commitment to his own thought-out politics. Many voters found his political honesty learned from their mutual polemics. refreshing in a union where one candidate by the name of Nutt used the slogan "Durham's number one Nutt"

The election was one of 'the most political in recent years.

But that's not all. the Labour Club was particularly content to see the Tory candidate completely thrashed, and the centrist candidate • also well few mild words of disapproval.

states to be mend their struggle militants in Britain. PHOTO: PALATINATE Simon Pottinger beaten. This shows that the • Labour Club was capable of gaining considerable support. building on recent events.

During the campaign, the Club launched a successful mass action against the self-confessed "mild fascist" David Irving who was speaking in Durham. His speech was completely disrupted by the occupation of part of the building and a subsequent demonstration.

The Club was seen to be at the forefront of anti-fascist activity, giving protesters.

Winning

lead to the the President election is far from the end of had a to the story. If Simon's year is to be successful, it will depend on sustaining the sort of support that got him elected in the first place. The bureaucratic tasks of a union officer will have to be balanced against the political work in the The election victory came at the end of a hard campaign, but in fact it is only the beginning of the work that has to be done.

still By John TEN Constituency Labour Parties were represented at last Saturday's meeting of the National Council of Labour Against the WitchThe meeting focussed on reports from localities where the witch-hunt is still very much alive. Alf Holmes reported from Manchester Wythenshawe CLP, where the right wing regained control at the '1983 AGM' eventually held in January 1984 under the guidance of national agent, David Hughes.

But their victory might well be short-lived. The 1984 AGM is on February 26 and the NEC majority might not be able to come to their aid twice in just over one month.

The NEC's intervention in Wythenshawe could affect the future balance of the Manchester City Labour Group and it also has large implications for the future.

Why, then, CLP members are entitled to ask, did only two of the NEC left, [Dennnis Skinner and Joan Maynard] vote to overturn David Hughes's report on the situation when it came up at the NEC Organisation SubCommittee a week ago last Monday?

The meeting also heard reports of the exclusion of left wingers from Acocks Green ward of Birmingham Yardley CLP, the expulsion of Militant supporters in Blackburn and of the witch-hunt against SO supporters in the Stoke area.

The meeting agreed 'to set up an advice and assistance service to advise individuals,