Hastings – we brought our socialist message
Damian Cosgrove, East Sussex Socialist Party
The Socialist Party had a core message at the Your Party meeting of 250 people. This an opportunity to muster an anti-austerity campaign, underpinned with a commitment that elected councillors will mobilise the working class in Hastings to fight back on any cuts that the central Labour government try to force through.
Particularly urgent for discussion are elections to the new local government authorities coming in 2026, including in Sussex. If Your Party councillors fight to improve the living standards of the working class on a local level, then it will help establish it as the political vehicle of the working.
It’s one thing to speak ‘left’. It’s another to stand up for the working class in the face of extreme pressure from the capitalist system, such as Liverpool’s socialist council did in the 1980s – led by Militant, now the Socialist Party.
Despite a fully booked event, with an expected turnout of around 500, there were less than half that in the room on 18 October.
It was easy to distribute our Socialist Party material to people. We could count on a single hand the number of attendees that refused our leaflet on budget cuts.
Our leaflet was one of the most widely distributed at the event, with enthusiasm about our upcoming public meeting. 18 people bought the Socialist paper, donating another £47 to the Socialist Party fighting fund on top. We met mainly younger people that wanted to join the Socialist Party.
The panel of union activists, local campaigners, and Jeremy Corbyn talked about NHS privatisation and damp housing in disrepair.
Corbyn made the case for the sortition (lottery) model of selecting conference ‘delegates’. He stated that it is more democratic, and engages broader sections of the movement, including those who may not consider themselves politically active.
However, Corbyn stressed that this was just a suggestion, and not yet a final decision. But it wasn’t said how we could challenge this undemocratic decision. We wouldn’t choose representatives to lead our unions by random lottery, and not by open debate and democratic elections!
At the Hastings meetings, discussion about trade union involvement was limited, with no mention of pushing for affiliation from mass workers’ organisation. And we were unable to put this message across in the just seven minutes given to questions from the floor.
The desire for a political voice for working-class people is growing louder. The Socialist Party will continue to be involved in the campaign to build Your Party into a working-class organisation to take power away from the bosses, and into our own hands.
Zarah Sultana and Dave Nellist address Coventry Your Party meeting
Vincent Moon, Coventry Socialist Party
A sense of quiet optimism built into the 400-strong Coventry Your Party meeting on 17 October. Coventry Socialist Party members worked hard to help build for the turnout. Leaflets were flying out of our hands to people queuing early for the rally. Several people came up to our Socialist Parrty stalls inside and outside to sign up and show active interest in building for an alternative that working-class people can rely on.
The meeting began with an impressive speech from Grace Lewis, a Coventry councillor who has resigned from Labour to support Your Party. She spoke about how work needs to be done now to build Your Party, with local campaigns against brutal austerity cuts that Coventry and other councils continue to make.
Then Matt Reid, Unite lead shop steward for the striking Birmingham bin workers, spoke. He described the brutal attack his members have faced from a Labour council, including the use of fire-and-rehire tactics. The Birmingham bin strike illustrates the need for the working class and trade unions to have their own political voice.
Hundreds of thousands have mobilised in protest against the genocidal slaughter in Gaza. Bali Akhtar, who has been a key organiser in Coventry, delivered an impassioned speech. She has organised those interested in going to 32 national demos and been involved many marches in the city. She raised the need for Your Party to stand firmly against war.
Dave Nellist, Socialist Party member and former socialist Labour MP in Coventry give a brilliant speech. He described how the wealthy have grown wealthier with greed and how Your Party can defeat Reform with the backing of the working class. Dave raised the challenge of retaining Grace’s council seat and standing 53 more candidates when every Coventry seat is up for election in May.
Contributing to the discussion from the floor, Socialist Party member Jim Hensman made the case for Your Party to fight for councils to set needs-based, no-cuts budgets.
Finally, Zarah Sultana, a Coventry MP who with Jeremy Corbyn launched Your Party, spoke about Coventry’s history of working-class struggle. She touched on how it is now more important than ever to build for an alternative with community organisations and trade unions.
What was clear from all speeches is the need for a new workers’ party with the proper backing of trade unions and the working class. This sentiment was certainly echoed in discussions after the meeting, where people were eager to know more of what’s to come. Lots of people brought copies of the Socialist, showed an interest in joining us at the Socialism 2025 event in London and in joining the Socialist Party.
Hackney – what will Your Party fight for?
Rob Thomas
There were speeches from Camden general election candidate Andrew Feinstein, and Taylan Sahbaz, from the local Turkish Kurdish organisation Day Mer. About 125 people attended on 15 October. But just 15 minutes were allocated to contributions from the floor.
Andrew Feinstein said that the Camden People’s Alliance, which he is part of, will stand candidates if Your Party doesn’t. He also said that Your Party representatives that win elections should return a proportion of their income back into the party or local movement. The Socialist Party calls for elected representatives to only accept the wage of an average skilled worker. Taylan Sahbaz said we need to reach out to the working class who are politically disenfranchised.
Socialist Party members spoke from the floor, raising the question of what programme Your Party will stand on. Will Your Party fight all cuts, and fight Westminster for the funds? That’s needed to convince wider layers of the working class.
Socialist Party members were also able to report back to the main room from the breakout groups, raising how Your Party can cut across Reform, and the role of trade unions in building Your Party.
