education, against Government attacks on student union autonomy, against the etosion of students" living standards, etc. Of course a permenent solution to student problems can only be created by the working class taking up the demands of students. But these demands will only be seen as key social questions if students themseives are engaged in determined struggles around them. Only on that basis can n allance be built with workers in struggle I BELIM TOLTE WAS TELES COLIN scale participation of students in fierce resistance to the ruling class policy of 'education on the cheap". We can expect these struggles to increase. But the crucial problem remains unsolved-how to carry all these struggies forward.
The present student leadership- the NUS executive has no idea of how to do this, Its strategy of "protest politics" of calling students out on one-off demonstrations, of making negotiations with the Government the 'focus' for the mass struggle- is a total Tailure, The question is now urgently posed of building an alternative, revolutionary leadership which can advance the immediate struggles against the Government and build powerful tinks between students struggles and the struggles of the working class. We believe that the IMG has a central part to play in the creation of such a leadership. Our "programme of action', on which we will be standing in the April NUS elections, makes clear the lines along which such leadership must be built.
REVOLUTIONARY POLE
The essential step at present is to strengthen the revolutionary pole within the student movenent. This involves more than building the by the massive turnout for last Friday's national grants demonstration, With over 40,000 participating, it was the largest and most militant student demonstration for many years. And coming just 24 hours IMG, for the strength ofa revolutionary group is determined not only by its size, but by the forces which it can mobilise for struggle, by the pressure it can bring on other groups to join the struggle, and by what sections look to it for leadership.
At this very moment many student activists are looking for political solutions which the NUS leadership cannot provide. As a move "Tory Freedom Works'. No doubt you are familiar with this General Election slogan, And, by and large, it is true. We have piven them the froedom to crode our living standards, and erode our cherished reputation for humanity in the cyes of our Europcan colleagues. We have given them freedom to imprison our pickets and to imprison without trial over 1000 of our citizens in Northern Ireland, Freedom to contravene human rights, by force feding in England and by the use of the noise machine forture in Northern Ireland.
We have had to suffer the dishonour of being "included in a recent television programme entitled 1973-Year of the Torturer. Before if 1s too lote, let us protest and challenge each and every attempt to dehumanise and degrade our fellow citizens, Let us be careful lest we are roduced to the old refrain of the German people, after they had allowed their masters know".
Michael Walsh APEX Dear Comrades I would like to draw your attention to some confusing references in an article in the 18 January Red Weekly entitled "National Front mobilises for anti-Common Market demo 1. The article states "it is important to point out to the working class movement the growing links betwoon the fascists and the extreme right." As, in the past, the terms fascist" and 'extreme right have both been justifiably applied to the National Front in the paces of Red Weekty, thus i rather contusing In this case the phenoenemon being described i the several other groupings, often under the individual leadership of fascist clements, but esentially composed fight for the full claim now and them put in for o1 dissident petty bourgois nuwty dren tram lon' Party allegianies by the impact of EEC membership and other Tory peticies un twir tradlionsy confor able living standards, These formations, many affiliated to Ibe National Council of Anti-Common Market Cresnissbons referred to in the article, are to the right of the Conservative Party, but have yot to a mass movement designed ultimutely to smash wark. ing class organisations. They an not 'combat organisaHOTS OF THIS COUL 2. The anti-fascist campaign organisod agsiast the NT in the Hove hy-election did sacceed in pinning the fascist label firmly on die N" as the article points out. However, it must immediately he added that anti-fascist strugge is never a mattor of labels alone. The NF has developed a scries of arguments to deny ticir fascist character, mostly pathetie by nature, but encapa in many stareons to anow mom to concuc Eir agitation on key social issues such as lousing and employment opportunities It is this agitation, gunerally racialist al base, which must be countured by anti fascists to avoid workers heing deccived by it. The Hove campaign, as well as labelling the NF quit: before the start of the miners' strike, one of the key slogans taken up by large sections was "Victory to the Miners", together with Raise the grants, smash the freeze, bring the Tories to their knees!".
It was therefore a setback that the NUS leadership refused to support the call by the IMG and many colleges to take the demonstra towards filling this gop the IMG is organising u rally next month with the aim of grouping together student militants from all parts of the country to exchange experiences and discuss the influence of the IMG and strengtben the lessons of recent struggles, and to discuss the in the following woeks ked Weekly will carry a series of articles analysing in more detail correctly as fascist, did attempt to raise the question al the laseats socid propramme and agitation Communist Greetings, Toen Cameron.
Dear Sir It is evident from comments in the most rocent edition of Red Weekly that you agree at least in part with Mr Mick MeGahey's position as regards the SETS BOUT!
I road last week in a Conserrative newspaper that If the government meets the miners demands and the strike is called off, Mr MeGahey will immediately put in a new wages claim and call for a new strike in order to bring down the Tories Of course I have no proof whether or not these would like to know what your views about it are, If the miners' claim were granted and they felt they had obtained a fair wage deal they would be unlikely to listen to a plea for ammodate new industrial action. especially if their families had suffered handship during the strike. This could mean that Mr MeGahey would he discredited and would lose all his support from the ordinary rank and file, Yours truly, A prospective student of politics, London Editor's Reply:
As our correspondent is aware, capitalist newspapers are not a reliable source of information.
What Mick MeGahey did say, at a time when the Tory Government was offering the miners promises Phase 3 for the present, was that the miners should another rise for next year as well.
On this we agree with him. Miners have been led on promises by successive capitalist Governments for far too long. We believe that every group of workers has the right to expect a regular and substantial increase in their standard of living. The crisis-ridden coonomy of British capitalism cannot afford thatIndeed, it has to try and cut hack on existing living Mandards. Then it is capicalian which mast go to the wall, not workers living Mandards, for a socialist organisation of production could guarantee every worker's family a decent living standard.
MeGahey, rather than calling for the miners to bring down the Tory Government, has insisted that the strike is only over higher wages. The Conmunist Party, housewives and students take gainst rising prices? to which MeGahey beloegs, has always said that the only way to remove the Tories is through an clection. The International Marxist Group has been aloes on Ene wat an urging nat une meners sauke ne turned into a general strike to bring down the Governent, because we feet that this is the best way to unite all the different struggles in which sections of the working class are involved and win a major victory for the entire class tion on to the National Coal Board headquarters after the rally in Hyde Park.
Such an action would have been an excellent way of asserting the students" militant solidarity with the miners and clearly posed the student struggle as one that is integrally linked with all other struggles against the Tories. the contribution students have made to the struggle for socialism around the world If you are interested in helping us busld the revolutionary pole in the student field, and want to participate in the rally and the discussions leading up to it, contact your local IMG branch or write to Student Commission, IMG, 97 Caledonian Road, London NI.
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The willingness of students to struggle in defence of their living standards was shown