In a recent report by Cambridge student newspaper Varsity, the Cambridge Marxist Discussion group is found to be far more popular among students at the university than the Cambridge University Conservative Association (CUCA). The full report can be read here: http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/8141 and a few choice extracts can be read below.
“In terms of running a political discussion group, however, CUCA has something in common with the Marxists; as Daniel reported, their term card features the quote from Lenin that “without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement”. This seemed to sum up the society quite nicely. Their meetings, held at Kings College, consist of an hour dedicated to the speaker on a chosen topic – last week, Marxist economics.
After the main speech, discussion was opened to the floor. Debate was fixed between obvious Marxist supporters and a seemingly lone historian whose interest was purely academic. It was obvious that most in the room were regular attendees and contributors to the meetings, and two of them ended the evening by selling copies of socialist newspapers.
So far, so similar; both CUCA and the Marxists feature discussion-based events, as would probably be expected of a university political society. But the crucial difference is that the Marxists, despite officially acting only as a ‘discussion group’, seem much more active than CUCA. They have often taken motions forward to CUSU and ran students for CUSU positions – most notably ‘Marxist Mo’ Paechter who ran for CUSU’s NUS delegate last year, proposing free accommodation and scrapping tuition fees for all.
The Marxists are also quick to point out that they campaigned alongside Cambridge Mexico Solidarity for the release of 43 students and will shortly elect delegates to attend the Marxist Student Federation conference to represent Cambridge. The group is not a unique, single entity, but part of a nationwide group of student Marxists.
Whilst CUCA vainly court new recruits with glitzy drinks events, whose attendance never quite translates into membership, the Marxists are far from a closed group, actively recruiting with success, if their weekly discussions of Marxist literature are any indication.”
Onwards and upwards for the Cambridge Marxists!
