The Year of the Paper - boosting the sales of the Socialist

Sarah Wrack, the Socialist national sales organiser

A new sales quarter for the Socialist has now begun. We reached 74% of the national target in the April to June quarter and had some good successes.

For example 200 copies were sold at Unison conference - that means 200 conference delegates read the Socialist Party's fighting programme for what the union needs to do to lead the battle against austerity.

To improve on this next time, this quarter will see the Year of the Paper really get going. This campaign was agreed at the Socialist Party's national congress in March and aims to significantly increase sales and subscriptions of the Socialist but also to make sure every member contributes to the paper.

Each local Socialist Party branch should have a meeting to discuss the Year of the Paper, elect a branch paper campaigner and set two or three targets for the campaign.

My own branch, Waltham Forest in east London, had our meeting recently. We have a good tradition of well-attended Saturday stalls, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

We agreed to have a 'paper buddy' system which pairs members up to arrange sales whenever both are free.

Hopefully this will mean we can do even more workplace and station sales than we do now. Our paper organiser, Lee, also pointed out that this will make it easier for newer members to take part in regular sales.

We agreed to try to incorporate the paper into our branch meetings more. We begin our meetings with a 'newsround' and decided to start including one item that is in the Socialist but not in the mainstream press.

As one of our members said in the meeting: "The best thing about the Socialist is that it tells the truth."

We will also make sure that there is time in each meeting for Lee to give a report on paper sales and what's needed to reach our target.

If your branch hasn't discussed the campaign or made plans yet, schedule in a discussion as soon as possible.

Get in touch if you would like one of the editors of the Socialist to come and speak at the meeting and keep us informed on what your branch's plans are.

[email protected]

020 8988 8777

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.