The Young Fabians is the under age 31 section of the Fabian Society,[1] a socialist society in the United Kingdom that is affiliated with the Labour Party (UK). The Young Fabians operate as a membership-driven think tank that organises policy debates, research projects, publications, conferences, and international delegations. The organisation holds no collective position on policy.

Young Fabians
ChairpersonPatrick Cook & Francesca Reynolds
SecretaryJonathan Heywood
Vice ChairMaham Saleem
TreasurerConnor Escudero
Women’s OfficerLucy Healey
Editor of AnticipationsYusuf Amin
Founded1960; 64 years ago (1960)
HeadquartersFabian Society, 61 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9EU
Membership2,000
TypeThink tank
PurposeThe under-31s section of the Fabian Society
Website
www.youngfabians.org.uk

History

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The Fabian Society was founded by a group of young idealists in the late 19th century.[2] For example, H. G. Wells was 27 when he joined the committee as was George Bernard Shaw. However, by the middle of the 20th century, the average age of active members was relatively elderly. To encourage more young people to join the society, a Young Fabian Group was proposed.

The Young Fabian Group for members of the Fabian society 30 years of age or younger was officially convened in May 1960 at a meeting organised by Fabian Society assistant General Secretary, Richard Leonard.

From small beginnings, the Young Fabians produced a steady stream of pamphlets through the 1960s and 1970s, and produced some 50 by 1980.[3]

 
Tony Blair at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, 29 January 2009

The Young Fabians became less prominent during the 1980s while the Labour Party re-organised its youth wing, partly based on a template set out in a Young Fabian pamphlet. However, in the early 1990s, the group underwent a revival and played an important role in the discussion of the next stage of modernisation within the Labour Party. In 1994, members of the Young Fabians were part of the campaign to elect Tony Blair leader of the party and then the campaign to change Clause IV, although the group itself took no formal position on these issues.

In recent years, several controversial pamphlets have been produced including "Students as Citizens" which advocated granting more choice to university students and "The Case for Socialism" which set out the socialist themes and actions of the Government of Tony Blair. In 2014, pamphlet number 63 "One Nation" was launched, which examined Ed Miliband's vision for Britain. The most recent pamphlet, number 65 "Closing the Gap", explores how the Labour Party can remould the NHS to ensure it is fit to face the new challenges of an ageing population.

The Group's quarterly magazine Anticipations, named after the title of an essay by H. G. Wells, was founded in 1996. It was originally edited by Liam Byrne, Tom Happold, Mark Leonard and Emma Beswick.

Until 2015 the organisation's activities were run directly by its executive committee, which undertook a programme of speaker events, seminars, receptions and policy pamphlets. This was changed fundamentally with the adoption of a new constitution in 2015 after a campaign led by A. Adranghi and Martin Edobor with the document drafted by A. Adranghi and Luke John Davies. Since then, the focus of running programmes have been devolved to members as a whole, notably through member-led networks centered around topics related to core issues like International Affairs, Health and Education. The steering groups of each network are elected annually by the membership at a special Network AGM at the start of each calendar year.

The Young Fabians are currently affiliated as a full member of the Young European Socialists (YES).[4]

In 2023 all Young Fabians had face-to-face activities, including the annual general meeting, were suspended and the executive committee largely suspended by the Fabian Society following its non-public review of culture and practice.[5] In 2024, Young Fabians was relaunched with under-18s barred from membership, and the upper age limit reduced from 30 to 27. Young Fabians will also be led by two co-chairs, at least one being a women, with member complaints directly handled by the Fabian Society.[6]

Political position

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The Young Fabians' statement of purpose is to avoid commitment to any one brand of socialism and to provide a "forum for different points of view within the left".

Unlike other youth socialist groups, the Young Fabians has maintained this position of neutrality on policy issues, upholding the Fabian Society's principle that its role is merely to determine whether a matter or position is suitable for discussion, not to take a group position on an issue. This has helped the group survive through many changes in the Labour Party without being identified as part of the left or right wing factions.

Along with the Fabian Society, the Young Fabians is affiliated with the Labour Party. The group officially maintain a policy of neutrality with decisions internal the Labour Party such as internal elections. The group has the right to appoint one member to the executive committee of Young Labour.

Full members of the group must not be members of political parties that oppose Labour. A significant minority of members do not hold membership of the Labour Party. Members of other political parties are able to join the group as associate members.

The importance of the Young Fabians

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Former Young Fabian Chairs James Hallwood and Martin Edobor at Fabian Society Summer Conference 2015

The book The Modernisers' Dilemma cites the Young Fabians as one of the most important groups within the Labour Party. As an organised network of younger, generally well-educated party members, often researchers or academics, the Young Fabians is one of the main social and informal networks through which political activity is carried out. However, by taking no formal policy stance, the Young Fabians has been able to include both supporters and sceptics of past Labour governments.

The Young Fabians also fills the gap between student politics and mainstream Labour Party politics, a gap which is filled in the Liberal Democrat and Conservative Party structures by having youth wings which include graduates up to the age of 30.

Young Fabian alumni

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Young Fabian alumni have played significant roles in British public life, with many entering the British parliament and holding offices of state. Young Fabian alumni include Professor Colin Crouch,[7] Brian Lapping, Howard Glennerster, Giles Radice, Conrad Russell, Michael Crick, Peter Mandelson, Jack Straw, Stephen Twigg, Ann Taylor, Vince Cable[8] John Mann, Phil Woolas, Oona King, Lorna Fitzsimons, Paul Richards, Tom Watson, Liam Byrne, Stella Creasy, Seema Malhotra, Sunder Katwala, Mark Leonard, Jessica Asato, Conor McGinn, Sara Ibrahim, Keir Mather, Jessica Toale, Jeevun Sandher and Kirith Entwistle.

The Young Fabians today

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In recent years the Young Fabians has seen a surge in membership, which had grown to more than 2,000 members as of 2017 from around 1,400 in 2014.[9] It regularly holds a series of events including policy seminars, debates and receptions in foreign embassies, and publishes magazine 'Anticipations' which moved to being quarterly to twice-yearly in 2020.[10]

The Young Fabians are distinct from other youth movements in their focus on ideas and policy. Like the Fabian Society, the Young Fabians promote the discussion and dissemination of ideas to help shape Labour Party policy. It holds its annual AGM every November alongside the main Fabian Society AGM. It also holds regular social events, with its annual summer boat party on the Thames having become a popular fixture in the Westminster calendar for young members and activists.

While primarily a research based organisation, the Young Fabians also held a series of campaign day events for members across the UK during the 2017 general election, including in Reading, Oxford, Wolverhampton and Birmingham as well as London, and have run a number of international campaigning trips. Recent campaigning visits include going to Florida for the 2016 presidential election and to Sweden for their 2014 general election.

Under the auspices of the Young Fabians International Network, Young Fabian research trips have also been conducted in recent years to China (2015), Brussels (2015), Sweden (2015), Israel and Palestine (2015 and 2016) and the United States (2016). It has also held a number of delegations to Europe with the Young European Socialists.[11]

In March 2020 the Young Fabians moved to holding all of its events and activities online during the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] At their November 2020 AGM the Young Fabians voted to change the way they vote for their executive committee from the block vote system to single transferable vote, and to add Women's Officer and National Coordinator roles to their constitutional roles. They later changed their voting system back to block vote the following year.[13]

The Young Fabians Networks

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Young Fabians International Network at the Riksdag.

In 2010 the Young Fabians launched two special interest groups focused on finance and science industries. These networks set out to bring together those involved or who have an interest in the subject, and link their specialist knowledge into policy debate. In 2011 a Health Network was launched. In 2013 saw the brief existence of Foreign Policy and Creative Industry networks, and in 2014 a Local Government Network was intended to open. 2015 saw the largest expansion of networks with the founding of Education, International and Communications networks, followed by further addition of the Law and Technology networks in 2016.

Each network is run by a steering committee who manage their own annual programme, and since 2012 the networks have elected their own Chairs and other officers.

Young Fabian Executives

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The Executives of the Young Fabians are elected in the run up to the November AGM and hold office for one year. Recent Executives and Chairs have included:

Young Fabian Chairs
Year Chair
1960 Stephen Hatch
1960–1961 Hilary Chantler
1961–1962 Rex Winsbury
1962–1963 Richard Bone
1963–1964 Howard Glennerster
1964–1965 Jack Sumner
1965–1966 Robert McFarland
1966–1967 Rosalind Steele
1967–1968 Giles Radice
1968–1969 Nicholas Bosanquet
1969–1970 Bruce Lloyd
1970–1971 David Keene
1971–1972 Colin Crouch
1972–1973 Isla Evans
1973–1974 Guy Fiegehen
1974–1975 Ian Wilson
1975–1976 John Chesshire
1976–1977 Toby Harris
1977–1978 Steve Hoier
1978–1979 Nick Butler
1979–1980 Stephen Brooks
1980–1981 Michael Crick
1983–1984 Paul Goulding
1984–1985 Andrew Cook
1985–1986 Sarah Gilmore
1986–1993
1993–1994 Katherine Edwards
1994–1995 Darren Kalynuk
1995–1996 Emma Beswick
1996–1997 Tom Happold
1997–1998 Peter Metcalfe
1998–1999 Howard Dawber
1999–2000 Seema Malhotra
2000–2001 Mari Williams
2001–2002 Guy Lodge
2002–2003 James Connal
2003–2004 Jessica Asato
2004–2005 Kevin Bonavia
2005–2006 Prema Gurunathan
2006–2007 Conor McGinn
2007–2008 Mark Rusling
2008–2009 Kate Groucutt
2009–2010 David Chaplin
2010–2011 Adrian Prandle
2011–2012 Sara Ibrahim
2012–2013 Steve Race
2013–2014 James Hallwood
2014–2015 A. Adranghi
2015–2016 Martin Edobor
2016–2017 Ellie Groves[14]
2017–2018 Ria Bernard[15]
2018–2019 Charlotte Norton[16]
2019–2020 Adam Allnutt[17]
2020–2021 Mark Whittaker[18]
2021–2022 Laura Cunliffe-Hall[19]
2022-2023 James Potts

Young Fabian Press

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  • Anticipations – Twice-yearly print magazine of the Young Fabians

Former Projects

  • Anatomy – Former policy project-centric serial

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Politics Special Reports". The Guardian. 2013.
  2. ^ Margaret Cole (1961). The Story of Fabian Socialism. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0804700917.
  3. ^ The London School of Economics (1961–2009). "LSE Fabian Society and Young Fabian digital archives". The Fabian Society.
  4. ^ "Member Organisations". Young European Socialists. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  5. ^ Belger, Tom; Jones, Morgan (23 October 2023). "Young Fabians suspend members, review culture and halt events over complaint". LabourList. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  6. ^ Green, Daniel (31 March 2024). "Young Fabians relaunch with under-18s banned after complaints and review". LabourList. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  7. ^ Colin Crouch (1969). "Politics in a Technological Society". The Fabian Society.
  8. ^ Vince Cable (1969). "Whither Kenyan Emigrants". The Fabian Society.
  9. ^ "YF Members Profile: the successes and challenges confronting the organisation archives".
  10. ^ "Anticipations Magazine". Young Fabians.
  11. ^ "YES Seminar Luxembourg". Young Fabians.
  12. ^ Saludes, Carolina (15 March 2020). "The Young Fabians keep calm and carry on... online (CoVid-19 announcement)". Young Fabians.
  13. ^ "Young Fabians Constitution".
  14. ^ Fabians, Young (14 November 2016). "Ellie Groves elected National Chair". Young Fabians. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  15. ^ Stawiski, Jakub (31 October 2017). "Young Fabian Executive Election Results". Young Fabians. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  16. ^ "Young Fabians election results – in full | LabourList". LabourList | Labour's biggest independent grassroots e-network. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  17. ^ Young Fabians list
  18. ^ @youngfabians (21 November 2020). "It's now time for us to introduce our new Exec for 2020–21 – please join us in welcoming our new team 🎉🎉🎉 They for…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. ^ @youngfabians (22 November 2021). "It's now time for us to introduce our new @youngfabians Exec for 2021 -22 – please join us in welcoming our new team Party popperParty popperParty popperThey for…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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