Anti-racism demo, June 2020 (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)
I want a party that fights for equality and economic justice
I grew up in a stereotypical working-class background, where we didn’t have the privilege to spend money frivolously, and usually judged each month by the pay cheque.
Despite this, I was surrounded by a passionate community that shared the burden of years of austerity. Being part of this community, I realised how catastrophic the 2008 crash was to people’s livelihood.
The working class was being consistently punished by capitalism’s failures. The 1% was able to profit – the richest six people in the UK now own more wealth than 13 million people at the bottom.
It became clear to me that those in power were dishearteningly out of touch with the public, and that genuine change was necessary to alter this. Barefaced injustices pushed me towards wanting to find a system and a party that genuinely worked for everyone.
Real freedom cannot occur without freedom from economic restraints, and therefore I wanted to seek out a party that actually represented these views of equality and economic justice that I hold.
I wanted to actively use my voice to ensure a socialist alternative was available to combat the incompatibility of the only thing offered to the public – capitalism. Like many people, I felt unrepresented by the two parties – they are indifferent to my needs, and therefore I never felt my vote could bring about change.
The Socialist Party fights to fundamentally transform the current system. It offers the chance to remove capitalism’s oligarchical system and in its place construct a workers’ run democratic socialist society here and internationally.
Siena Clingham, Bristol South Socialist Party
Build a workers’ voice for socialism
I don’t want to say that I joined the Socialist Party in response to the election of Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour party. It is so much more than that.
For four years, my ideological home was unequivocally Labour and I am one of the many who joined to support the cause of socialism under a socialist leader. Socialism hasn’t gone away from the Labour Party, and many good socialists remain.
Labour has never been entirely socialist, however, and from as far back as the days of Aneurin Bevan, the right wing of the Labour Party have sought to destroy the ideals it was founded upon. Capitulating to the right wing of the party has continually lost the party all of its major gains.
It is very clear that as socialists there can be no compromise with the right. With Keir Starmer’s election as leader of the Labour Party, and his cabinet appointments, it is clear to me that compromise with the right is the order of the moment.
As a left movement we must remain united to obtain the just reward for our labour, and the Socialist Party is the primary voice for socialism in England and Wales. It is our best chance for a united and organised workers’ party in the current political landscape.
I believe in supporting socialist policies and candidates wherever they might be, and encourage support for candidates that give us the greatest chance to deliver a workers’ government built on socialism.
The struggle continues.
