Young Labour elections 2024: ‘My five pledges to rebuild Young Labour’

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

This year, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver a Labour government and transform our country. After 14 years of Conservative austerity, chaos and decline, Labour is ready to fight and win. But right now, Young Labour nationally is missing that opportunity.

Over the last two months, I’ve met with Young Labour groups and campaigned with them across the country. It’s inspiring to see the hard work, creativity and enthusiasm that young members have – founding new branches, holding great socials and campaign days, doing whatever they can to get a Labour win.

All of this with an insufficiently functioning national Young Labour. Just imagine what we could do together with a Young Labour that’s on your side. It’s time you got the support you deserve.

When I first got involved in Labour aged 16, I and other Jewish members had to fight for our place in the party. We faced a toxic and exclusionary internal culture. But through all of that, my local Young Labour group in Barnet was a safe haven for me. They had my back. I know the difference Young Labour can make. So here are my five pledges to rebuild Young Labour:

1. A travel fund to make campaigning accessible for all

Cost should never be a barrier to getting involved in Young Labour. If you elect me, my first priority would be to set up a travel fund to make campaign days accessible to all our members. Brighton and Hove Young Labour pioneered this brilliant idea last year. It’s time we rolled it out nationally.

2. A campaign day and a social in every nation and region

For too long, Young Labour events have been overly concentrated in cities like London – if they’ve happened at all. I want young members to be able to get involved, no matter where they are in the UK. If elected, I would hold a canvassing session and a social in every nation and region, working with your regional Young Labour group.

3. Bring back Young Labour conference

When was the last time young members from across our party were able to come together, campaign and discuss the issues that matter? Since the last Young Labour conference, more than five years ago, we’ve missed that great opportunity to see and learn from each other. Let’s bring it back and make it better than ever.

4. Dedicated safeguarding training for Young Labour groups

Looking after our members’ welfare and making sure all our members are safe is our most important responsibility. But I know we could be doing so much better. Equipping Young Labour committees with the knowledge, tools and confidence to act through dedicated welfare and safeguarding training is a vital first step.

5. Ensuring Labour in government delivers for young people

If we win the general election, Young Labour will have an unprecedented opportunity to help shape Labour’s agenda for young people. Here are some of the priorities I’d want to focus on:

• Our housing market is broken, and young people face the worst of it. A mass programme of housebuilding, a tenant’s charter and licensing for landlords could dramatically improve the rights and conditions of young renters.
• Over the last 14 years, the Tories have decimated mental health support. Often, this has affected young people the most. We could work together with an incoming Labour government to make sure that schools and universities have the resources and training to support young people wherever they are.
• With Labour’s ambitious plan for the biggest strengthening of workers’ rights in decades, Young Labour should be working with trade unions to make sure young people are front and centre. We often face unique challenges in the workplace, so let’s campaign for the best possible protections.

Let’s win together

I am so proud to have received support from across our party. Being backed by both Open Labour and Organise is so important to me – rebuilding our youth wing that all members deserve to play a part in. I am also incredibly grateful to the trade unions UNISON and Community for their support.

Campaigning is what I do: day in, day out. I organise in a marginal seat. I know how hard we have to fight to win. Labour needs a fully functioning youth wing, and young people need a Labour government.

So it doesn’t matter what part of the Labour Party you come from – we’re all here to win together. It’s time young members had the youth wing they deserve. Let’s rebuild Young Labour.

Jack Lubner is standing to be chair of Young Labour.

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