Organisers’ school – an opportunity to educate and discuss

Socialist Party organisers can play a key role in working class struggle, photo by Corinthia Ward

Socialist Party organisers can play a key role in working class struggle, photo by Corinthia Ward   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

On 10 and 17 June Socialist Party branch organisers’ schools were held in Leeds and Cardiff. Sofia Wiking of Leicester West Socialist Party reports on the Leeds event.

“The Tories are only able to stagger on until they’re not.” Hannah Sell, Socialist Party deputy general secretary, opened the national branch organisers’ meeting. The opening session in Cardiff was introduced by Socialist Party general secretary Peter Taaffe.

The political scene could change at any time. We should be prepared for another snap general election within this year.

Over 50 people attended, with 73 in Cardiff the following week. Some were current branch organisers but many were newer members wanting to take on more responsibility within their branches.

Throughout the day, there were discussions on topics such as ‘how to intervene in and lead a local campaign’ and ‘the role of the revolutionary party today’. Events like this are giving branch organisers an opportunity to educate themselves and discuss with one another.

It is important to sometimes step back from the day-to-day activities of campaigns we are involved in to have a look at the bigger picture, and improve our understanding of the fundamentals of what our party believes in.

With this new understanding we should then go back to these campaigns reinforced in our understanding of what needs to be done, and how to take things forward.

It is essential to have schools like this in order to build our party both in numbers, but particularly in strength, by making sure our members are preparing themselves to be ready to lead when mass struggle breaks out.

Ask your regional Socialist Party organiser for details of the next meeting in this series.