Labour Youth

Labour Youth (Irish: Óige an Lucht Oibre) is the youth wing of the Labour Party of Ireland. Anyone under the age of 30 is eligible to join Labour Youth.

It replaced an earlier organisation, the Young Labour League. The 1990s saw Labour Youth change and reestablished after the merger of the Labour Party and Democratic Left. In the 2007 General Election, Labour Youth opposed a pre-election pact with the centre-right party Fine Gael. Labour Youth Delegates to the Labour Party Special Delegate Conference in March 2011 also opposed the entry into a coalition government with Fine Gael.

History

Labour Youth succeeded the Young Labour League as a full section of the Party in 1979, under Party Leader Frank Cluskey. The first annual conference took place on 13 May 1979. John Kelleher was elected as the first Chair, Jane Scott as Secretary and Robin Hanan and Ted Gannon as the first representatives on the Labour Party's Administrative Council. The first campaign undertaken by Labour Youth was on combating unemployment.

Young Labour (New Zealand)

Young Labour (Māori: Te Rangatahi Reipa, formerly Labour Youth) is an official sector of the New Zealand Labour Party. All New Zealand Labour Party members aged 15 to 26 are members of Young Labour.

Description

Young Labour is the most active sector in the Labour Party and plays a significant role in policy development and campaign efforts. It is often called the 'conscience of the party'. Young Labour has worked on issues ranging from climate change and improved rental housing standards to liquor law reform and to opposing Voluntary Student Membership.

Although Young Labour is not an organisation which necessarily leads to a political career in Parliament, many of the Fifth Labour Government's Cabinet, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Labour Party leader Phil Goff began their political activism in Young Labour.

Activities

Conference

The Young Labour Conference, held annually and doubling as the sector's Annual General Meeting, is the highest decision-making body of Young Labour. It elects the Executive, alters the Constitution and decides the sector's policy priorities for the current year. The Conference also functions as a social and activism highlight on the Young Labour calendar, with addresses from Members of Parliament and activities such as canvassing commonly being a part of the programme.