Notices and statements

Policies passed at AWL Conference 2018, to be reviewed November 2019. These policies are revisions and additions to existing policy and were made in the light of a report of an historical case of sexual assault and the process we put in place to investigate our actions on this matter. Details of that can be found here.

The National Committee of the AWL welcomes the report produced by the Working Group, and thanks its members, and the external individuals they consulted and who contributed to the production of the report, for their work on it.

This report has concluded that the AWL lacked an adequate understanding of issues and procedures around safeguarding, and were guilty of serious collective and individual failures of duty of care, on the part of some members, including, in particular, some members of our elected committees.

A recent anonymous blog said that the author, an ex-member of the AWL, was sexually assaulted by another ex-member in 2005.

On Saturday 3 February, the AGM of London Young Labour took place at University College London. The conference was attended by about 350 young Labour members from across London, and passed good policy about defending free movement and working with the Labour Campaign for Free Movement, on social housing, and on creating the role of a trans officer on the committee.

On this page you will find our initial response to a reported sexual assault and updates on the process we have put in place to investigate our actions on this matter.

The working group we set up reported on 4.4.18, the report can be found at the bottom of this page or by clicking here.

Unison United Left, a left-wing grouping in the public sector union Unison, has recently split, with some of its leading figures planning to form a new organisation. A statement announcing the split is online here.

AWL supports this move, but believes more clarity is needed about the reasons for the split and the basis of the new organisation. In a spirit of comradeship and support, we have written the following statement.

(For this statement in printable/copyable form, with a model motion of support included - see here.)

Next year restrictions on migration from European Union member states Bulgaria and Romania are set to be lifted.

There is growing right-wing agitation for Bulgarian and Romanian workers to be excluded from Britain, treated as second class citizens without the right to remain, or denied access to services and benefits.

Workers’ Liberty members in Unite will be critically supporting Len McCluskey, the candidate of Unite United Left (in which we are involved), in the forthcoming general secretary election.

It would be better if the individuals and groups who define themselves as left in the Union could agree to support common candidates in national elections. It will be important in the period ahead to consolidate the small majority the left has gained on the national executive and avoid the prospect of Broadly Speaking regaining either the Executive or the GS or DGS positions. Just as important is the need to build a clearer, sharper, more determined left which acts collectively on the key issues facing members, particularly those which require us to mobilise members for action.