Report from YCL Congress

The 46th Congress of the Young Communist League was held on 30th June 2012. The Congress was held in the International Brigades room of The Marx Memorial Library. The aim on the congress was to amend, add to and generally improve the Political and International Resolutions which the executive committee uses to guide its work during the next two years.

Each district had already suggested amendments, so it was the duty of the congress to go through all of the amendments, discussing them and then voting whether to accept, accept in principal, accept in part or reject the amendment.

Congress started with the amendments to the political resolutions. Specific debate was had on to what extent the ConDem coalition had gained power “illegitimately” because it was a coalition government - it was eventually decided we cannot condemn coalition governments as Britain's Road to Socialism calls for one uniting progressive groups in an anti-monopoly alliance.

Whilst going through the amendments to the international resolution, specific debate was had on whether moves to remove “all national democratic control of fiscal policy” by the EU could be seen as a step towards a “fascist super state in Europe” - it was decided the word “fascist” was justified as fascism is the open dictatorship of finance capital, the removal of elected leaders and replacement by representatives of finance capital is a step towards fascism, so is the imposition of permanent austerity in the economically weaker countries in the EU.  It was therefore decided that we cannot call the EDL fascist.

Debate was had on the extent the growth of inter-imperialist rivalry could be seen as a direct consequence to growing German imperialism – it was eventually decided it is correct to say “the development of new military alliances such as the cooperation agreement for the supply of aircraft carriers by Britain to be manned by French forces, in addition to to agreements between the two countries for the sharing of nuclear energy infrastructure” are a direct consequence of inter-imperialist rivalry which can be viewed as a response to growing imperialism. Debate was also had on BRICS, women's rights and Scottish Independence.

Robert Griffiths, General secretary of the Communist Party, came to give a speech to Congress, he spoke about how in the 1950's when he grew up, it was a time of capitalist expansion in response to a devastating world war, world war today is likely to be nuclear and have cataclysmic results so this is a too high price to pay for a period of brief capitalist expansion, the choice is socialism or barbarism.

At the end of the day we also elected a new Executive committee for the YCL, the election was a secret ballot. The EC now consists of ten members.

Lewis Backon