Mila Hughes, Coventry Socialist Party
I met the Socialist Party at a Saturday campaign stall in the middle of Coventry town centre. I’ve been in the party a little over a year now.
During that time, we’ve seen the consciousness of the working class grow. From millions of trade union members striking for a pay rise, to young people talking more and more about a general strike. It’s a great time to be a part of the party.
Since I started getting involved, I’ve hardly missed one of our Saturday stalls campaigning against hospital parking charges.
There are so many young people out there that might think the same as I did when I approached it. I had little trust in the system, as well as how this and many other countries are run.
It’s easy to see the problems in the system, but not the solution. Getting involved in politics felt so beyond me. It felt like something that I didn’t ‘qualify’ for.
After attending a few branch meetings, and reading the Socialist Party’s ‘What we stand for’, it all just clicked. I joined in summer 2022, after years of thinking that Labour is just not doing enough.
Building for socialism can involve lots of small and big steps. Everyone can get involved, wherever they’re at. As more people look for a working-class alternative, any activity we do for the growing hunger for socialist ideas is so important.
How Socialist Party members encourage each other feels refreshing. The wealth of knowledge that the party holds from young and older members’ experience is overwhelming. You can ask the other Socialist Party members around you the daunting questions that are on your mind.
I felt energised after Socialism 2022 (see page 11). There I learnt more about some of the Socialist Party’s key concepts and approaches to historical events. Seeing real democracy in local and national Socialist Party events shows how serious we are.
Being at the first walkout of Coventry Amazon workers, courageously fighting against pay injustice and their working conditions, felt electrifying. Showing solidarity firsthand to workers on picket lines, and learning about the complexities of their disputes, strengthened my link to how we can put forward socialist solutions day-to-day.
I’ve also met other youth that feel demoralised by the capitalist system, campaigning with Socialist Students.
