Do not give up on Student Political Societies.

We are both proud to be chairs of student political societies at Cambridge University. Our societies, the Cambridge University Liberal Association (CULA) and the Cambridge University Labour Club (CULC), have a strong history of being at the heart of progressive politics in Cambridge for 125 years and counting. They have a track record of progressive activism which can serve as a model for our respective affiliate national parties too. It is the continuation of these political societies, and not further fragmentation, that will ensure students do not just believe in progressive politics, but also that they actively fight for it.

The staple of our societies is dialogue, giving students a voice and listening to others. ‘Spirited Discussions’ and ‘Pints and Policy’ are both events that are vital reminders of the need to grapple with sometimes conflicting ideas about how to bring about meaningful change and being open to perspectives that we may not otherwise have considered. They are, in other words, a laboratory, a thought-provoking source of inspiration, and evidence of societies rooted entirely in student interests and the causes we hold dearest.

These fun events do not just help us to expand appeal from the self-professed political junkies among us to the merely curious, but they also give us a springboard for action. Our societies have been involved in food bank volunteering sessions, fundraising events for charities and canvassing in our surrounding communities. They have a track record of action and activism, which we want to foster and protect, rather than risking splintering and division.

Unlike other political societies in Cambridge, they are also home to a diverse range of opinions and perspectives about how we can best bring about progressive change. This is rooted in having regularly elected committees, with people eager to stand up for different issues important to students, such as recently rallying in support of the creation of the Cambridge YIMBY organisation, a lobby group for more housebuilding in and around Cambridge.

Being loosely affiliated to national party structures gives the advantages of both retaining the freedom to disagree with national level policies, whilst also giving us a stake to shape the future of parties. As a result, rather than playing capture the flag with youth votes, politicians actually listen to youth causes and concerns.

This gives us an opportunity to call for changes which we as students all want to see in the places where they can truly be delivered: more homes, more action on climate change, more job security, more equality of opportunity. Through this connection to our national parties, students can be empowered and empower those in positions of responsibility to fight for progressive politics.

This connection matters because, ultimately, meaningful change in society happens through political parties. History shows us this truth repeatedly.

Same-sex marriage, the Human Rights Act, the NHS, free childcare hours, the Minimum Wage.

These weren’t achieved through well-meaning independent movements alone, but through organised political parties with the power to turn ideas into law. While campaigns can shift public opinion, only parties can build the coalitions, win the elections, and navigate the machinery of government needed to deliver lasting reform.

Political parties are imperfect, frustratingly so at times. They require compromise, patience, and the difficult work of building consensus across different constituencies. But this is precisely what makes them effective. Real progress requires more than preaching to the converted; it demands persuading the unconvinced, coalition-building across communities, and the pragmatic translation of ideals into deliverable policy.

Progressive politics faces genuine challenges: climate crisis, inequality, housing shortages, threats to democracy itself. Meeting these challenges requires more than passion, it requires power.

We firmly believe in the importance of a student voice being heard in debates and discussions happening in these parties.

In our democratic system, power comes through parties that can win elections, form governments, and implement policy. So, as societies providing a student voice within our respective political parties, it has never been more important that rather than just shouting from the sidelines, we stand up for the causes we care about in the places that people can actually do something about them.

Edited by Charlie Windle