Thousands snap up issue 1000 of the Socialist

From Newcastle to Southampton and Swansea to London, Socialist Party members have been out in force giving as many people as possible the chance to join in the celebration of the 1000th issue of the Socialist by buying a copy. Extra sales have been planned across England and Wales, in town and city centres, train and tube stations, workplaces and estates.

We’ve even reached John McDonnell who bought two copies from our sellers in Hayes, west London. Some of the standout sales include 113 from two stalls in Waltham Forest, east London, over 100 sold in Sheffield, 95 in Swansea and 80 at the ‘Engage for Change’ festival in Hull.

But every event organised for the sale of the Socialist is vital. One of our members in east London sold six to his fellow bus workers and two members in the Coventry West branch sold four after the football on 24 June.

Chris Newby, the Socialist sales organiser

Mears housing workers

Mears housing workers in Manchester have taken out a subscription to the Socialist

Mears housing workers in Manchester have taken out a subscription to the Socialist   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

In recognition of our paper’s support for their 87-day strike Mears housing workers in Manchester saw issue 1000 as an opportunity to take out a subscription to the Socialist, and paid for three months in advance through a workplace collection.

Paul Gerrard

Brighton

Members of Brighton Socialist Party made a special effort to help sell copies of the Socialist at our campaign stall on 23 June. Our petition against cuts to local GP services drew a great deal of support. Our target of 30 extra sales of the 1000th issue of the Socialist was smashed as we sold out of the 60 we brought. The stall also marked the debut of our new card reader, which helped us raise more than £20 we may otherwise not have, helping us get over £60 in fighting fund donations.

Connor Rosoman

Swansea

Swansea and West Wales Socialist Party hit the road with a train station sale before our meeting on 21 June. We sold five copies of the Socialist.

The Friday city centre lunch sale on 22 June was a chance to test out our front page on ‘Save our NHS’. Raising the 70th anniversary of the NHS and ‘not trusting the Tories’ saw us sell an excellent 30 papers, with nine more sold at the station later.

Our Saturday stalls in Swansea and Llanelli achieved a further 25 and 26 respectively bringing our total so far to 95 with a target of 100 for the week and more sales planned.

Alec Thraves

East London

Selling the Socialist in Ilford, east London, photo Isai Priya

Selling the Socialist in Ilford, east London, photo Isai Priya   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Waltham Forest Socialist Party members campaigning to celebrate and defend the NHS on its 70th anniversary and the Socialist paper on its 1000th issue sold 113 copies on 23 June, an indication of the support for both. And the same day at a lunchtime campaign stall in Romford fighting NHS cuts, 37 people bought copies of Issue 1000 of the Socialist and four people gave their details as interested in joining the Socialist Party.

Cardiff and the Valleys

Selling the Socialist in Cardiff

Selling the Socialist in Cardiff   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

The 1000th edition of the Socialist has been flying off the stalls and our hands in Cardiff and the Valleys. We sold more than 100 papers in three stalls with 41 papers sold at Blackwood on 22 June, 36 sold on a stall in Canton, Cardiff and 25 sold in a lunchtime stall at Cardiff town centre on Monday.

João Félix

West and north Yorkshire

Selling Issue 1000 in Huddersfield, photo Matt Hirst

Selling Issue 1000 in Huddersfield, photo Matt Hirst   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

The Socialist has reached tens of extra readers across west and north Yorkshire as branches have run extra stalls campaigning against NHS wholly-owned subsidiaries proposed to be set up in Wakefield, York, Leeds and Bradford, while Huddersfield branch has launched a campaign against plans to close the town’s two post offices.

We decided to do flash stalls and set up for an hour each time and really push the issue and the paper.

In Huddersfield we’re already pushing 50 sales for the week, which has enabled us to reach our quarterly target for papers, and with two more stalls planned, two train station sales, and hopefully a leafleting session outside the local job centre to promote a yes vote in the national PCS ballot.

Branches have been selling the Socialist on other activities too, from leafletting PCS offices in support of their pay ballot to reinstated sales at train stations to commuting workers.

We’re getting an eager response from new buyers – one said: “The Socialist? I’ve been looking for something like that!”

Iain Dalton and Matt Hirst