Abstract
The far left were an important force on English University and Polytechnic campuses in the 1970s and 1980s but they did not control or direct student politics. By exploring the debates within the far left about students and the role of student activism this chapter sheds new light on the functioning of the far left within the student milieu. It also examines student politics in this period which, to date, have been under-researched. Many student political leaders in this period went on to important roles in mainstream politics. In exploring student politics we can, therefore, gain a greater understanding of British politics, society and culture in this period when Higher Education was changing rapidly and becoming increasingly open to the ‘masses’.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Waiting for the Revolution: The British Far Left from 1956 |
| Editors | Evan Smith, Matthew Worley |
| Publisher | Manchester University Press |
| Chapter | 1 |
| Pages | 11-29 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-5261-1368-9 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-5261-1365-8, 978-1-5261-1366-5 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2017 |
Keywords
- universities
- polytechnics
- student politics
- National Union of Students (NUS)
- Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB)
- International Marxist Group (IMG)
- International Socialists/Socialist Workers Party (IS/SWP)