Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

YOUTH AGAINST FASCISM
in not in order to help their development into a mass movement expressing unity… but
to make them nests of "opposition," points of support for the Trotskyist intrigues.... Inevitably,
they do all this under the cover of "left" sounding phrases, with which they
mask their real purpose… the "pull" of old ideas and habits leads, in practice, to resistance
against the operation of our policy. It is this atmosphere in which sectarianism
flourishes and which provides fertile soil for the plating of Trotskyist influences in our
midst. 102
The YCL contended that their anti-Trotskyist campaigns clarified the impact of sectarianism
among the youth. Ideological confusion was "fostered and exploited by the Trotskyists,
who are carrying on a vicious wrecking campaign against our line." 103 The YCL
further contended that Trotskyist theory in practice "shielded Chamberlain by their false
phrases" directed against Popular Front unity. 104 YCL logic deducted that since Trotskyists
opposed broad youth unity, they were either consciously or unconsciously allies of
reaction and fascism.
The British Youth Parliament became an important unity platform for the YCL.
Youth Congress movements affiliated to the international World Youth Congress became
a standard feature of the Popular Front internationally. 105 The British youth movement
had official representation of various organizations at the World Youth Congresses, but
did not create a British Youth Parliament until 1939. 106 Discussion of a Youth Parliament
began during the early struggles for the Youth Charter. The Charter movement had
initially been supported primarily by socialist youth and working-class agitation in the
Trade Union Congress. The YCL hoped a Youth Parliament would broaden the appeal of
the Youth Charter and "become a real expression of the will of the whole of the youth for
peace, democracy and social justice" so that "the charter will be achieved." 107 The YCL
insisted a broad Youth Parliament could become "a Genuine Assembly of all the democratic
youth of Britain." 108
The Youth Parliament received broad support and participation from throughout Britain.
The YCL received wishes of success from prominent individuals like "the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Chief Rabbi, Viscount Cecil…
and Brigadier General Sir Wyndham Deedes" for their service to the Youth Parliament
that focussed "the attention of youth on the duties of citizenship." 109 At the foundation of
the Youth Parliament in March, 1939 "twenty-seven national youth organizations" sent
representatives including "the Junior Imperial League and the Federation of University
Conservative and Unionist Association." 110 Even though the Youth Parliament contained
such potentially reactionary elements, the YCL pledged at its Eleventh National Congress
that it would "share this democratic spirit and… [would] find ways of making the Youth
Parliament the success it needs to be." 111 During its first meeting the YCL ridiculed the
Trotskyist elements "who were there not to obtain the widest unity for the maximum
progress, but who wanted to use the Parliament as a place in which to air their obnoxious
views… and "revolutionary" phrases." 112 The YCL contended that the rest of the delegates,
regardless of ideology, showed a deep united commitment to anti-fascism demon-
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