Union of Liberal Students
Encyclopedia
The Union of Liberal Students (ULS) was the English and Welsh
student wing of the United Kingdom
's Liberal Party
. The Scottish Liberal Party
had a separate organisation, Scottish Liberal Students. Together with the party's youth wing, the National League of Young Liberals
(NLYL or Young Liberals), the organisations made up the Young Liberal Movement.
ULS was founded in 1920 as the Union of University Liberal Societies.
ULS merged with the student wing of the UK Social Democratic Party
when the parent parties merged.
ULS was a member of both IFLRY and LYMEC.
Past National Chair of the Union of Liberal Students:
Alun Evans (1987-88)
Sheila Cunliffe (1986-87)
Harriet Steele (1985-86)
Andrew Lawson/Martin Horwood
(1984-85)
Andrew Lawson (1983-84)
(Liz) Elizabeth Barker (1982-83)
Jane Merritt (1981-82)
Tony Greaves (1960s)
Trevor Smith
(1950s)
Participation in the National Union of Students
and alliances in NUS:
In 1966 Liberal, Communist and independent students formed the Radical Students Alliance with the intention of introducing a more active, grass-roots approach to student politics. In 1969 Jack Straw
was elected to the NUS executive as a Radical Students Alliance candidate.
The RSA was dominant in student politics until 1971 when the Broad Left (an alliance of Communists and Labour Students) came to prominence.
During the 1970s ULS had little success in NUS National Executive elections with Francis Hayden (1975), Gavin Grant (1978) and Leighton Andrews(1979) being the only electoral successes as part time Executive members.
In 1979 ULS was one of the founders of the Left Alliance along with Communist, independent Labour (not in the National organisation of Labour Students) and Independent members. 1980-82 was a period of Left Alliance leadership of NUS with David Aaronovitch
as National Chair of NUS and Jane Taylor as National Secretary.
In 1982 John Murray was elected as a part time Liberal/LA member of the NUS Executive along with Frank Howard (Labour/LA) and Kate Steele (Communist/LA). John later went on to be National Treasurer of NUS.
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
student wing of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
. The Scottish Liberal Party
Scottish Liberal Party
The Scottish Liberal Party was the dominant political party of Victorian Scotland, and although its importance declined with the rise of the Labour and Unionist parties during the 20th century, it was still a significant force when it finally merged with the Social Democratic Party in Scotland, to...
had a separate organisation, Scottish Liberal Students. Together with the party's youth wing, the National League of Young Liberals
National League of Young Liberals
The National League of Young Liberals , often just called the Young Liberals, was the youth wing of the British Liberal Party. It was founded in 1903 and by 1906 it had over three hundred branches. In 1934 it called for David Lloyd George to lead a Liberal New Deal revival based on the Yellow Book...
(NLYL or Young Liberals), the organisations made up the Young Liberal Movement.
ULS was founded in 1920 as the Union of University Liberal Societies.
ULS merged with the student wing of the UK Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
when the parent parties merged.
ULS was a member of both IFLRY and LYMEC.
Past National Chair of the Union of Liberal Students:
Alun Evans (1987-88)
Sheila Cunliffe (1986-87)
Harriet Steele (1985-86)
Andrew Lawson/Martin Horwood
Martin Horwood
Martin Charles Horwood is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for the Cheltenham constituency. He is the founder and current Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tribal Peoples.-Early life:He was born in St. Paul’s, Cheltenham, in 1962. His parents...
(1984-85)
Andrew Lawson (1983-84)
(Liz) Elizabeth Barker (1982-83)
Jane Merritt (1981-82)
Tony Greaves (1960s)
Trevor Smith
Trevor Smith
Trevor Smith is a retired field hockey player from Australia, who was a member of the national team that won the silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. He also went to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where the Australian team missed the medals, finishing...
(1950s)
Participation in the National Union of Students
National Union of Students
-British Isles:*National Union of Students**National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland**National Union of Students Scotland**National Union of Students Wales-Scandinavia:*Danish National Union of Students*National Union of Students in Finland...
and alliances in NUS:
In 1966 Liberal, Communist and independent students formed the Radical Students Alliance with the intention of introducing a more active, grass-roots approach to student politics. In 1969 Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
was elected to the NUS executive as a Radical Students Alliance candidate.
The RSA was dominant in student politics until 1971 when the Broad Left (an alliance of Communists and Labour Students) came to prominence.
During the 1970s ULS had little success in NUS National Executive elections with Francis Hayden (1975), Gavin Grant (1978) and Leighton Andrews(1979) being the only electoral successes as part time Executive members.
In 1979 ULS was one of the founders of the Left Alliance along with Communist, independent Labour (not in the National organisation of Labour Students) and Independent members. 1980-82 was a period of Left Alliance leadership of NUS with David Aaronovitch
David Aaronovitch
David Aaronovitch is a British author, broadcaster, and journalist. He is a regular columnist for The Times, and author of Paddling to Jerusalem: An Aquatic Tour of Our Small Country and Voodoo Histories: the role of Conspiracy Theory in Modern History...
as National Chair of NUS and Jane Taylor as National Secretary.
In 1982 John Murray was elected as a part time Liberal/LA member of the NUS Executive along with Frank Howard (Labour/LA) and Kate Steele (Communist/LA). John later went on to be National Treasurer of NUS.