Laura Fretwell, Bradford
The Life and Ideas of Leon Trotsky day school, bringing together Socialist Party members from branches in Leeds, West Yorkshire and Liverpool, was a very informative and enjoyable event.
The first session involved a discussion on who Trotsky was and what he stood for. After lunch, there were two workshops available to attend, one on the Transitional Programme, and the other on the theory of Permanent Revolution.
In the Permanent Revolution workshop, we had various discussions on Stalinism, the Cold War, capitalism, and revolutions during the 20th Century. It was a very engaging workshop where everyone contributed various questions and points of view.
After a quick break, we had the option to discuss either “Stalinism – was it inevitable?” or “What is fascism and how to fight it?”
I attended the workshop on fascism and we discussed how fascism developed in Germany and Italy, and the difference between fascism, right-wing populism and Bonapartism.
Everyone was very engaged during discussions, and, having never been to an event like this before, it was inspiring to be in a room with so many like-minded and passionate people.
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