More join the Socialist Party in Yorkshire

The Socialist Party in Yorkshire started 2010 with a bang. The region saw a massive growth in party membership and activities during the first half of the year. The Socialist Party grew by one quarter in the Yorkshire region, with mainly young workers and college/sixth form students joining.

The fastest growing branch has been the re-invigorated Leeds branch, with 15 new members. Every person interested in joining the party has been contacted swiftly, usually by telephone and invited to the next meeting or to a one-to-one discussion if they prefer. There has been a meeting of 21 people discussing 'the socialist alternative to the budget', and 15 people were at the branch summer barbeque, with collections raising over £75 at both events.

The party has also launched new branches in Halifax, Rotherham and York, as well as initiating successful Youth Fight for Jobs marches in Leeds and Hull. A series of International Women's Day meetings took place around the region in March.

Many of the new members first met the party when the Socialist Party was campaigning outside their college against cuts, tuition fees and the far-right racist BNP.

A plan of action is being discussed to develop the party's work in the region, including a series of Marxist discussion groups. The first two topics are 'the case for socialism' and Leon Trotsky's ideas about the 'transitional programme'. There are also plans to develop the region's Socialist Party trade union, student, youth, LGBT and finance organisers' groups.

Meetings of new Socialist Party groups have taken place recently in Grimsby and Guiseley, near Leeds. We're also starting the ball rolling on trying to get the biggest ever Socialism weekend turnout from Yorkshire this year. The ideas of Marxism are on the march in Yorkshire!

Iain Dalton