Young Labour elections 2024: ‘Young Labour must push our party to be bold’

We are running pieces from candidates for Young Labour chair on both the Organise and Socialist Future slates. The piece from Organise- and Open Labour-backed candidate Jack Lubner can be found here. Ballots open in elections to the Young Labour national committee on Thursday.

We’re at a crossroads. At some point in the next nine months, after 14 years of brutal Tory austerity and misrule, our generation has the chance to vote for change. While our chances look good, we can’t be complacent. This year, Young Labour has to be out on our campuses and in our communities fighting for a Labour government.

By polling day, I want to be able to say that Young Labour has campaigned in every seat we’re contesting. The energy and enthusiasm young members bring to the campaign trail is infectious, and we have to ensure that we are properly funding all of our young activists to get to their regional canvasses. Our mission this year is clear: winning a Labour government.

As well as pushing for more funding from the party for our activists’ travel, I’ll ensure as chair that we’re developing and growing our Young Labour branches across the regions and nations, hosting trainings and activist development. We have to think beyond this election and take on the challenge of actively rebuilding Young Labour.

Across the country, our Young Labour activists should be the first port of call for all those eager for change. The only way to bring these young people into our movement is by establishing a thriving, vibrant organisation that shows we’re on their side.

For a proudly socialist Young Labour

Our generation is the most progressive for decades. On issues like the climate crisis, on international justice and on workers’ rights, young people are crying out for a fairer deal. If Young Labour fails to represent our generation on the issues that matter most, we’re not going to build up the long-term movement for change that we need. If Young Labour isn’t bold, if we don’t push at the margins of what we need, then where will that pressure come from?

As Young Labour chair, I will build a campaigning machine, but also a proudly socialist organisation unafraid to represent those on the receiving end of a raw deal. Every young member will know those struggling to keep up with rising rents or piling up masses of student debt, all while the mental health crisis deteriorates further and further.

It’s been heartbreaking to watch some of the best parts of our Labour programme under sustained attack. From a potentially transformative £28bn-a-year green industrial package to a full New Deal for Working People, there are some in our party who want to trim down our manifesto yet further still. We’re probably going to win this election, but our mission has to be bringing people into the Labour fold for the long term.

Young Labour must be at the forefront of defending the best of Labour’s programme for government. We need a Labour government that will build 1.5 million houses, give us workers’ rights from day one and a green industrial plan that generates hundreds of thousands of new jobs while proving we take the climate crisis seriously. If young members don’t fight for it, who will?

Building our organisation for the future

If elected, candidates backed by Socialist Future will work hard with the party to ensure a full, democratic Young Labour conference, so young members can have their voices heard. We’ll also establish policy working groups at our first Young Labour national committee (YLNC) meeting to involve voices from across Young Labour in our policy formation, engaging with unions and the shadow frontbench and – hopefully – the Labour government.

In the first eight weeks after the elections, we’ll reinvigorate the Young Labour trade unionist network with representation from all of our affiliated unions. In coordination with them and the TUC, we’ll ensure that Young Labour is at the forefront of supporting workers taking action and bringing more young people into the labour movement, as well as into the Labour Party.

I’m proud to be an active trade unionist and an executive member for one of the biggest branches of CWU. Whatever else Young Labour may be, it is first and foremost the political voice of millions of young workers. As chair, I’ll ensure that Young Labour is always on the side of the labour movement, sticking up strongly for the union link and the full New Deal for Working People agenda.

Steadfast against all forms of prejudice and hate

As well as sticking up for young workers, Young Labour has a duty to defend all of those who are marginalised and under attack. Young Labour has to be steadfast against all forms of prejudice and hate. Socialist Future reps will continue to ensure a zero tolerance policy towards all forms of racism, ableism and anti-LGBTQ+ hate.

I’m proud to lead the biggest campaign for trans rights in the Labour Party and to represent our trans members on the national Labour students committee. In our first meeting as the new YLNC, we will demand an independent review of transphobia in the Labour Party and develop a trans-inclusion action plan to bring to the national executive committee.

We’ll also set up a Young Labour trans rights working group to coordinate our solidarity work, uniting Young Labour in our first year with a campaign to rid transphobia from the Labour Party. This is personal for me: as chair, Young Labour will be at the forefront of the fight for trans rights.

I’m asking Young Labour members to vote for a democratic, proudly socialist Young Labour. If Labour does form the next government – for which we must fight tooth and nail – it’s more crucial than ever that our generation has a seat at the table. On issues like the climate crisis, on our broken housing and education systems, on Britain’s exploitative working practices, we can’t relent to right-wing pressure to shut up and be grateful. As someone once said, it’s a moral crusade or it’s nothing.

Alex Charilaou is standing to be chair of Young Labour.

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