On Saturday 5 July, more than 60 people attended an event – Leicester’s Assembly of Resistance – to discuss the establishment of a new left party.
By Francesco Sani
This event was part of a broader series of community rallies that are being carried out across the country now Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn have formally announced that plans are under way for the launching of a new party.
Members of the Leicester branch of Socialist Alternative worked alongside Transform members and others across the movement in organising this event. As the first of a series to come, this assembly gave a small glimpse into the way a new left party should be organised to really serve the interests of the working class and become a party of struggle.
The event was introduced by speeches by local figures on the left, including Leicester South Independent MP Shockat Adam, former Labour MP Claudia Webbe, alongside UNISON NEC (personal capacity) and Socialist Alternative member Tom Barker. Webbe stated during her speech:
“The establishment will tremble. The billionaires will howl, but the people will have hope. The Labour leadership under Keir Starmer has become the willing executioner of austerity, the silent partner in genocide, the betrayal of the working class. Their hands are stained with the suffering of millions. Their legacy is one of betrayal. But we will not forget. We will not forgive. We will build a party that history demands, and we will tear down the system that profits from our pain.”
The strong support for the calls in her speech shows the extent of people’s disillusionment with Starmer’s Labour and the genuine desire for a real socialist alternative, which this event will be a prelude to alongside the many others that are taking place across the country.
In his speech, Tom Barker said:
“We will face many detractors. We all saw what happened to Jeremy Corbyn during his leadership of the Labour Party from 2015-2019. During this time, he was smeared and maligned by the capitalist media and the Blairites in his own party. In my opinion, the principal lesson to draw from this is that there can be no compromise with the interests of big business.
Our opponents are steadfast in their support for the capitalist system and they will do anything to stop us. We must, therefore, be equally steadfast in our pursuit of solidarity, democracy, and socialism. We don’t need to convince the millionaires and their system. We need to convince the millions.”
The Leicester Assembly of Resistance is proof of the enormous potential for a new left party of struggle. Socialist Alternative commits to support the development of the new party and make sure that it will translate into a party of, by and for the working class. Join our fight today!
