Young Labour (UK)

Young Labour
ChairEmily Moore
Vice ChairMaddy O'Brien & Ben Hobbs
Founded1993
Preceded byLabour Party Young Socialists
HeadquartersLondon
Membership30,000 (January 2025)[1]
Colours  Red
Mother partyLabour Party
International affiliationInternational Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY)
European affiliationYoung European Socialists (YES)
Websiteyounglabour.org.uk

Young Labour is the youth section of the UK Labour Party. Membership is automatic for Labour Party members aged 14 to 26.[2]

It exists to engage young people in the Labour Party and ensure that their aspirations are reflected in Labour's policies in power. Young Labour members are able to get involved in the Labour Party through local policy events, campaigning or by attending events and social gatherings.

Young Labour hosts an annual conference, alternating between national committee elections and policy conferences every other year. Young Labour also holds a range of additional national events, including fringe sessions at the annual Labour Party Conference through a dedicated Youth Day, available at a discount to young members.

Young Labour is affiliated to both the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) and Young European Socialists (YES).[3][4]

History

Throughout much of the 20th century, younger members of the Labour party were represented first by the Labour League of Youth and later by the Labour Party Young Socialists. These organisations often positioned themselves on the left of the party and frequently had a difficult relationship with its leadership. The latter of these groups went into decline in the late 1980s after reforms were made to make it more manageable and closed down entirely in 1991.[5][6]

Young Labour was founded in 1993 by a Labour Party annual conference motion in Brighton, proposed by Tom Watson, seconded by Brian Whitington, then Chair of the Labour Party Young Socialists, and supported by then National Executive Committee Youth Representative Claire Ward.[5]

Membership

Members of the Labour Party aged 14 to 26 are automatically members of Young Labour.[7]

In January 2020, Young Labour had over 100,000 members.[1] In January 2025, its membership had decreased to 30,000.[1]

Structure

Young Labour National Committee

The Young Labour National Committee acts as the governing body of the organisation. It includes a chair, the National Executive Committee (NEC) youth rep, an international officer, an under-18s representative, four liberation officers, 10 trade union reps, three National Labour Students reps, one socialist society rep, 11 national and regional reps, and the chair of the Co-operative Party Youth Committee. In addition, the Labour Party appoints a permanent secretary to act as non-voting facilitator, and the National Policy Forum youth reps appoint a vice chair (policy).[8]

Upon the first meeting of each new Young Labour National Committee, two vice-chairs are elected by the body of the full national committee.[9] These two vice-chairs, along with the elected Chair of Young Labour act as the Executive Committee.

Current Membership of the Young Labour National Committee (2026 - 2028)[10]
Chair Emily Moore UNITE Representatives Niamh Iliff
Vice Chair Maddy O'Brien Joe Samuels
Vice Chair Ben Hobbs UNISON Representatives Shannell Trickey
International Officer Yusuf Amin Ben Hobbs
Women's Officer Ruby Simpson GMB Representatives Ashton Green
BAME Officer Amir Siraj Katie Heggs
Disability Officer Madelaine Wainman USDAW Representatives Hero Marsden
Under 18s Officer Ashae Small Rhianna Ross
Socialist Societies Representative Jimmy Sergi CWU Representative Charlotte Hoole
Scotland Representative Maya Pons Community Representative Flynn Cowell
Welsh Representative Chloe Tapper Co-Operative Party Representative Taylor Thomas
Northern Representative Jess Carson North West Representative Anya Wilkinson
Yorkshire Representative Oscar Seal West Midlands Representative Alex Bradley
East Midlands Representative Oliver Mousley London Representative Callum McGee
South West Representative Abbie Wells South East Representative Maddy O'Brien
Eastern Representative Szymon Blasiak NEC Youth Representative Elsie Greenwood

Chair of Young Labour

Between 1991 and 2009, the Chair of Young Labour was appointed by the Labour Party. Reforms passed by the Labour Party's annual conference saw the creation of a democratically elected chair, voted for by delegates at Young Labour's national conference, to serve a two-year term. The first election took place in 2009. In late 2017, the Labour Party's NEC changed the system so that the Chair of Young Labour is elected by a one-member-one-vote ballot of young members.[11] It was reported that over 7,000 young members voted in the 2018 election.[12]

Elected chairs of Young Labour

  • 2009–2011: Sam Tarry[13]
  • 2011–13: Susan Nash[14]
  • 2013–16: Simon Darvill[15][16]
  • 2016–18: Caroline Hill
  • 2018–2020: Miriam Mirwitch[12]
  • 2020–2022: Jessica Barnard[17]
  • 2022–2024: Nabeela Mowlana[18]
  • 2024–2026: Jack Lubner[19]
  • 2026–2028: Emily Moore[20]

National Executive Committee Youth Rep

Delegates at Young Labour's national conference also elected the Youth Rep to sit on the Labour Party's NEC. The election operated under an electoral college, with a third of the vote for young member delegates, a third for Labour Students delegates, and a third for delegates from affiliated trade unions and socialist societies.

For the 2018 election, the system was changed, with half of the vote allocated to young members through a one-member-one-vote ballot and half allocated to block votes by affiliated trade unions and socialist societies.[11]

Membership fee

The national Labour Party membership fee for under-27s was reduced to one penny in December 2010; this fee lasted until May 2011.[34] The fee has reverted to £1 for the first year of membership, with subsequent years charged at the standard rate.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "28th January NEC Meeting and other recent meetings – Left CLP Reps Report". Labour Hub. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  2. ↑ "Splash - Official Labour Organisation Sites". Younglabour.org.uk. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "IUSY - International Union of Socialist Youth". iusy.org. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  4. ↑ "MEMBER ORGANISATIONS". Young European Socialists. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  5. 1 2 Webb, Michelle (2007). "The rise and fall of the Labour league of youth" (PDF). University of Huddersfield Repository – via University of Huddersfield.
  6. ↑ According to Ted Grant, "The Real Situation In Britain", 1947, as quoted in Marxists and the British Labour Party: The Experience of Entrism; A Note on Ted Grant's Explanation of Entrism in the 1940s
  7. ↑ "Labour Join Donate Renew". Join.labour.org.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Young Labour National Committee 2013-15 - Labour Youth". Younglabour.org.uk. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "younglabouruk - Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Your National Committee - Young Labour". Young Labour. Archived from the original on 5 July 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  11. 1 2 Kentish, Benjamin (1 December 2017). "Jeremy Corbyn allies accused of 'stitch up' after changing election rules for key committee post". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Miriam Mirwitch elected as Young Labour Chair". Labour List. 16 March 2018. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  13. ↑ "Sam Tarry becomes chair of Young Labour « Birmingham University Labour Students". Bulsonline.org. 18 April 2009. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Youth Conference, February 2011". 3 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  15. 1 2 "Archived copy" (PDF). www.younglabour.org.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ↑ "Youth Elections 2013: The Results". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  17. ↑ Rodgers, Sienna (13 November 2020). "Labour national executive committee election results released". LabourList. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  18. ↑ Chappell, Elliot (1 September 2022). "Results released in NEC, national policy forum, youth and student wing elections". LabourList. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  19. ↑ "Internal Ballots Results 2024". The Labour Party. 8 April 2024. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  20. ↑ "I'm overjoyed to have been elected Chair of Young Labour 🌹 Today, I've been at The Labour Party HQ - meeting with Hollie Ridley and planning out an exciting programme for the next few months!… | Emily Moore | 19 comments". LinkedIn. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "The young idealist who took on the old hand". The Daily Telegraph. 16 March 2001. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  22. ↑ "Chocoholic with the willpower to stay on-message". The Daily Telegraph. 6 June 2001. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  23. ↑ Wring, Dominic; Baker, David; Seawright, David (January 2000). "Loughborough University Institutional Repository : Panelism in Action" (PDF). Dspace.lboro.ac.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  24. ↑ "The big squeeze (From Herald Scotland)". Heraldscotland.com. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  25. ↑ "Inside Labour's Bermuda Triangle". Socialist Party. 22 June 2001. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  26. ↑ Claire McCarthy (29 September 1999). "Speaking from the heart | Politics". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  27. ↑ Claire McCarthy (28 September 1999). "A thoroughly modern conference | Politics". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  28. ↑ "The young ones | Progress | News and debate from the progressive community". Progressonline.org.uk. 6 June 2002. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  29. ↑ "nec_march2001". Annblack.com. 27 March 2001. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  30. ↑ "About me". Jonathanreynolds.org.uk. 26 March 2014. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  31. ↑ Anderson, Joe (26 January 2012). "Jonathan Reynolds MP announced as the new Vice Chair Youth". LabourList. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  32. ↑ "Young Labour at the heart of the fightback « Labour Uncut". Labour-uncut.co.uk. 11 February 2011. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  33. ↑ Anderson, Joe (12 February 2011). "Young Labour conference 2011: Liveblog". LabourList. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  34. ↑ Stevenson, Alex (22 December 2010). "Young people offered 1p Labour membership". www.politics.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
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