Birmingham: new Socialist Party branch

The new Birmingham South East branch is up and running. Based in Acocks Green, a working-class suburb of Birmingham , the new branch regularly held local Saturday stalls and established a foothold among local residents.

The new branch, which meets every Tuesday, was established after a successful local anti-bedroom tax meeting, attended by about 20 people.

Acocks Green has a diverse population and the branch members represent that mix and include some trade union activists. Already local support is growing which was evident in the elections. After a very successful local election campaign, Eamonn Flynn received 254 votes for TUSC. We have had new people attending the meetings, including some young people.

Issues such as the bedroom tax have drawn local people to our ideas, something which will only increase given the huge cuts the council are imposing.

Mark Andrews