oPenca the paced London is rally against the BEC ast national (centre] and Portuguese Trotskyist leader Joao Cabral Fernandes (rightl. Full report of Mandel tour next week. Prior to last week's meeting of the Labour Party National airman Brian Grogan when he id the need for international workers education culs again TWO THOUSAND STUDENTS from all over the country rallied on the campus of Lancaster University last week to demonstrate in support of students victimised for their participation in the Lancaster students campuign against the Five scurents have heen expeiled. five suspended for one year, and heavy fines imposed on over a dozen others. This ferocious atlack reflects both the intensity of the cash crisis facing the university authorities, and the measures that the Labour Government will use against both students and workers in education to force through the But within hours of the demon stration dispersing, a Union General Meeting voted against a motion pro posed by the ING, 1S.... and the Young Laberals (.), calling tor a re occupation to force the administration to drop the disciplinary measures, of joint union committees of students The call was opposed by a motley combination of Tories, Broad Left supporters and Communist Purty members, although before being whipped into line by CP student organiser Mike Bloomtield, Communist Party members had carlier spoken in favour of a re-occupation This shatp about-turn is a clear indication that the CP believes the fight against the cuts is over, and hopes that un orderly retreat will encourage the university authorities to have mercy at the appeals. By capitulating to the university's 'right to discipline students carrying out union policy, they have only opened the way for further attacks because more cuts are on the way Several hundred students at Lancaster are still on rent strike but because the rent strike was not politically prepared-unlike at Surrey where as well as a full explanation of the grants and cuts campaign students going on rent strike were told to expect summonses -it will be more difficult to get them to stand firm against the legal threats Students and workers on the cam puses will face a new round of cuts this autumn. A necessary preparation to fight these will be the development and all campus workers to throw back the university authorities offensive. The desire of the CP. dominated NUS Executive to avoid this inevitable confrontation can only repeat the disorderly retreat now being seen at Lancaster.
Lancaster IMG