The Labour Party

The Labour Party’s internal structure is in most ways like the Conservatives. Big differences arise from Labour’s attempts to give much more real power to trade unions and ordinary members. Labour’s annual conference is the supreme policy-making body of the party, and the parliamentary leaders are expected to follow its general policies when in power or in opposition. At each conference the unions and other sections of the party elect their twenty eight representatives on the National Executive Committee (NEC) which makes decisions week by week. The NEC includes the leader and, usually, several ministers (when in power) or shadow ministers. Relations between the NEC and Labour cabinets in office have often produce bitter arguments, much publicised in the newspapers.

The form of the Labour Party’s annual conference reflects the origins of the party as the political arm of the trade unions, when it was formed around 1900. With most of the unions most of the union members are affiliated through the union to the Labour Party. The union pays part of each member’s subscription to the party, which derives most of its funds from this source. Each union sends a delegation to the party’s annual conference.At each vote its delegates usually vote together as a single ‘block’. But the number of votes cast by a union depends on the number of its members who have been affiliated to the party.

As well as trade union, the party also has other affiliated organisations, notably co-operative societies, which also send delegates to the conference. People may also join their constituency Labour Parties. Each of them sends its delegates to the annual conference. Each local delegation casts its votes, usually as a block, on the basis of decisions made at local party meetings. Figures for individual party membership are not published, but were estimated at about a million in the 1950s and 300,000 in the 1980s.

The votes at the conference are counted in millions. About one-sixth are cast by the constituency parties and nearly all the rest by union delegates. The system has been criticised, inside the party, as well as outside it, for giving a great deal of power to the few hundred members of the executives of the biggest unions, and it is possible that there will be changes in the 1990s.

Notes*

policy-making body - орган, який формує політику political arm - політична влада, сила

to affiliate, v. - приєднувати, приймати в члени notably, adv. - примітно, знатно, вийнятково

Talking Points*

What’s the difference in policy between the Conservatives and the Labours?

What’s the internal structure of the labour Party?

What’s the central body of the party?

What’s another name for the Labour members?

Finally let’s learn something about British universities and their life…

There are 49 Universities in Great Britain. Good “A” Level results in at least two subjects necessary to get a place at one. However, good exam passes alone are not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews, and competition for places at universities is fierce. For all British citizens a place at university brings with it a grant from their local education authority. The grant covers tuition fees and some of the living expenses. The amount depends on the parents’ income. If the parents do not earn much money, their children will receive a full grant which will cover all their expenses.

Most 18 and 19 year-olds in Britain are fairly independent people, and when the time comes to pick a college they usually choose one as far away from home as possible. So many students in Northern and Scottish universities come from the South of England and vice versa. It is very usual for university students to live at home. Although parents may be a little sad to see this happen, they usually approve of their move, and see it is a necessary part of becoming an adult. Anyway, the three university terms are only ten weeks each and during vocation times families are reunited.

First year university students are called “freshers”. A fresher’s life can be exciting but terrifying for the first week. Often freshers will live in a Hall of Residence or near the college campus, although they may move out into a rented room in their second or third year, or share a house with friends. Many freshers will feel very homesick for the first week or so, but living in Hall soon helps them to make new friends. During the first week all the clubs and societies hold “a fresher’s fair” during which they tried to persuade the new students to join their society. The freshers are told that it is important for them to come into contact with many opinions and activities during their time at university, but the choice can be a bit overwhelming.

On the day that lectures start, groups of freshers are often seen walking around huge campuses, maps in hand and a worried look on their faces. They are learning how difficult it is to change from a school community to one of many thousands. They also learn a new way of studying. As well as lectures, there are regular seminars at which one of a small group of students (probably not more than ten) reads a paper he/she has written. The paper is then discussed by the tutor and the rest of the group. Once or twice a term students will have a tutorial. This means that they see a tutor alone to discuss their work and their progress.

In Oxford, Cambridge and some other universities, the study system is based entirely around such tutorials which take place once a week. Attending lectures is optional for Oxbridge students. After three or four years (depending on the type of course and university) these students will take their finals. Most of them (over 90%) will get first, second or third class degree and be able to put BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) after their name. It will have been well earned.

Unit 3

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