Duncan Moore, Plymouth Socialist Party
“The workers united will never be defeated!” rang through the streets of Plymouth on 4 May, as trade unionists joined with Palestine solidarity protesters for a May Day demonstration.
Workers’ unity was the issue at hand in the discussion following the rally, addressed by acclaimed film director Ken Loach.
The need for a new workers’ party was widely acknowledged and discussed. Loach emphasised the need for left unity and a grassroots approach to building a working-class fightback at the general election, based on collaboration between local trade union branches, political parties and community groups.
Socialist Party member and National Education Union (NEU) Plymouth secretary Alex Moore spoke about how TUSC provides such a structure for the left to work together, and we collected 20 signatures for a meeting to agree a common strategy for contesting the general election.
Bakers’ union president Ian Hodson also spoke at the rally about the terrible onslaught on Gaza, calling for Israeli and Palestinian food industry workers to unite against war, to ensure food supplies get into Gaza to stop the famine.
