Amirah Abrahams, West London Socialist Party
I was about to turn 30, setting up a new life, taking a mental health break from being a physiotherapist, and considering a career pivot. It was 2024.
I had finally moved back to the UK, after spending two decades in South Africa, where I’m from. On top of all that, the world watched as a genocide unfolded, every day worse than the one before.
I was often a fence-sitter around serious topics, feeling like I didn’t know enough to have an opinion. But what happened after 7 October left me passionate enough to stand for something – fighting against the displacement and blatant murder of Palestinians.
Next big demo
Having been to a few protests against the Palestinian genocide when in South Africa, I was feeling guilty about not attending one since I had moved. I decided to go to the next large demo that came up, even if it meant going alone.
As soon as I entered the crowd, I accepted a placard and agreed to give a donation to the Socialist Party. I was completely unaware of us at the time.
That’s when I got asked a question I had never been asked before: “Would you consider yourself a socialist?” I panicked, because I had never even given it a thought. “I guess so.”
But really I didn’t know enough to give a truthful answer. I had never had a political identity.
But, if these were people fighting for exactly the same thing as me, we must have the same values and views of the world. So I filled out a ‘find out more about the Socialist Party’ card, thinking I would not commit to anything.
But that’s not the way it went. The Socialist Party members in west London contacted me.
I couldn’t make the Thursday branch meetings. But they were kind and convincing enough that I joined a reading group for new Socialist Party members, and people thinking about joining. It was hosted by an older member.
I may have felt very out of my depth. But the group was filled with young people like me that I could easily relate to.
Tea and biscuits
We chatted about socialism, which I was slowly learning about, and also feminism, health, colonialism, AI, and everything in between, over cups of tea and biscuits.
It took a few months, multiple occasions leafleting with other Socialist Party members, attending Socialism 2025, loads more reading, and continuous welcoming from the west London members, which eventually convinced me to join. I’m so glad I did.
I have tons more to learn, and we may be a long way away from smashing the capitalist system, but I definitely plan on staying for the fight. And I hope so many new, young members join us too.
