Last weekend saw community groups from across the country come together, for networking and focused workshops, to arm themselves with the tools and resources they will need to ensure bottom-up, community politics have a stake in the new socialist Your Party we are building.
Transform event: grassroots gather to push Your Party forward
Groups in attendance spanned the entirety of the UK, from Enfield, Islington, Brighton and Hove to Huddersfield, York and Glasgow. Diversity and inclusion were on full display at the Transform convention in Birmingham. Five representatives from each group were invited to attend so that each group could immerse themselves in the workshops and networking groups on offer, maximising the rich value of the resources and discussions shared.
It was also the first time that Zarah Sultana and a member of the Independent Alliance other than Jeremy Corbyn, have shared a stage, signaling that leadership was healing the open wounds made visible in the last couple of weeks. Ayoub Khan, MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, joined Zarah in speaking to all the activists in attendance about what we are building and how we will break through in our hometowns.
Salma Yaqoob, a prominent local voice in Birmingham and a proud NHS worker, spoke about the importance of the threats the left are fighting against: the rise of fascism and hate in our communities and the fear that is being felt by minoritised people. Drawing comparison to social movements in the past, Yaqoob reminded those in attendance of the victories won by previous civil rights movements and the historic nature of the grassroots organisation across the country.
Enfranchising people is what democracy should be all about
Ayoub Khan delivered a strong speech providing a sense of stability. Khan spoke of how he was able to secure his majority, by making sure that every voter knew that their vote mattered, regardless of the media narrative and any sense of futility in a vote for anyone other than an establishment party. Khan argued that his assertion to every voter, that all he cared about was that he had their vote, was what broke through the mentality that only an establishment MP can win in a first-past-the-post electoral system. This speaks to the inherent principle in the Your Party movement that we need to enfranchise people back into our democracy, and ensure that they recognise that their voice and vote matters.
Zarah Sultana spoke last, giving a rallying, energising speech, stressing the vital importance of grassroots groups in holding leadership accountable, demanding transparency and true change with a seat at the table for communities across the country. Sultana argued that this party should not be “led by MP’s in Westminster”, but instead, be led by its members in a one-member, one-vote system, urging members to maintain pressure on the leadership and executive.
This suggests that the concerns raised nearly two-weeks ago about a threat to the nature of the party we are building, the pursuit of a truly democratic party representing the interests of the majority, likely remain.
A real party of the masses
Finally, Anwarul Khan, national organiser for Transform, detailed the itinerary for the day and the objectives for those in attendance. Specifically, these were listening to each other to learn from each group and to share strengths and weaknesses to better empower the much-needed influence of grassroots socialist groups in the formation of Your Party.
Speaking after the event, Anwarul said:
Wow, what a day! Given the events of the last few weeks, whether it was the fallout in Your Party or the far-right marches, the flags, the rape of a young woman by racists or the shooting of a 9-year old with pellet guns for being ‘brown’; the convention has been a welcome recharge…… We saw hundreds from all over the UK, coming together from dozens of groups representing thousands of activists and members. I was determined that this would be a peer to peer event, where we the people on the ground that are actually doing the work, got to talk, and importantly be heard. We managed to be there at the right time and I feel it’s given the movement and party the pep it needed to get going again. I have already had numerous other groups contacting me to get involved in the network of local groups we have been developing. Now representing approximately 20-25% of the constituencies in the UK, this really feels like what Your Party is; a Party of the Masses.
Transform organised a number of workshops for activists and members to attend, with focused topics. These included increasing voter turnout, how to be an elections agent or organiser, analysing electoral data, community outreach strategies, and fundraising. These also delved into the weaponisation of antisemitism, engaging with the Muslim community, best practice for communicating with the news media, and effectively using social media for local engagement. There was also a network meeting for groups organising for Your Party, strengthening the connections made across the country.
Community democracy ‘has to be at the heart’ of Your Party
After speeches, I asked Zarah Sultana directly as to the perceived importance of the work that grassroots groups are doing, the permission given to the leadership, and how vital local organising will look on the road ahead:
Community democracy has to be at the heart of what we are building, otherwise it will look, or operate functionally, like any other party. Unless we have democracy, how can we honestly say it’s not a ‘Labour 2.0’… it cannot be a top-down model where the power of the party is concentrated in the hands of 5,6 MP’s. As people who organise locally, we know the knowledge, experience and skillset that our communities have, they should have the power. We have to be a vehicle for that. People might feel better because there’s a new party, but eventually the cracks will show that democracy isn’t at the heart of this, and people will be very angry. That’s why it’s important to address these issues now, as annoying and frustrating as it is, you can’t redo member democracy further down the line. It’s really important we are honest about that, and that we get it right.
Ayoub Khan was also asked about the importance of community level organising and importance of transparency:
I think from my perspective, and many residents here in Birmingham, the enthusiasm is around making sure this ship is on track and seeing that journey through, that is priority number one. Where you have issues and teething problems, and because there is this drive for local elections, those problems need to be dealt with in parallel and that journey is key.
Transparency is paramount. I am a firm believer, as are the other Independent Alliance MP’s, that honesty, integrity, and especially transparency, is very important if you want buy-in from communities. I think the public at large are so disenfranchised by the old politics, where decisions are made behind closed doors, and the people are not truly participating in that democratic process. We hope in the coming weeks and months that will become very obvious.”
With groups across the country reporting feeling sidelined and “instrumentalised” in the rollout of regional assemblies and the lack of access to local membership data, it is clear that there is a renewed focus and importance on protecting the interests of local communities, ensuring that those who do the graft actually get a seat at the table, redistributing power from the few to the many, once and for all.
Featured image via the Canary
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