Bea Gardner, Socialist Party finance department
Just days after the Tories were booted out at the general election, the Socialist Party set itself the bold task of raising £25,000 to fund our campaigning activities this busy autumn – and we’ve done it! An incredible £30,414 has been donated, 122% of our target. This feat is even more impressive because with just two weeks to go we still had over £6,000 to raise.
Our members responded brilliantly by ramping up activities to make sure we hit our target. For example, we’ve had reports of branches organising extra campaign stalls and paper sales, including for ‘Super Saturday’ on 21 September where we pushed for longer stalls, with more members participating. The people we met were glad to see our party was out campaigning against the appalling cut to Winter Fuel Payments and wanted to back us, with hundreds signing our petition.
We’ve also organised events, including socials such as a BBQ in Tower Hamlets raising £145, and a day school in the East Midlands raising over £200. Members have fundraised through individual initiatives, for example, donating proceeds from sales of books, clothes and other personal items.
All of these efforts mean the party has the funds necessary to intervene in what is already set to be a very busy autumn. Escalation of war in the Middle East means we could see a new wave of demonstrations here in Britain, in which we are preparing to participate, putting forward the socialist solution to the misery and brutality of war.
We have already met hundreds of university students during freshers’ events and are preparing to build and lead student struggles against proposals for a rise in tuition fees. We are organising People’s Budget campaigns, bringing together trade unions and community campaigners to oppose further council cuts as well as any attacks against the working class proposed in Labour’s budget looming on 30 October. All of this is part of building the socialist opposition to Starmer’s government. Join us in our fight!
