your party – devizine.com

Following the excitement and success of the first meeting of ‘Your Party’ in Swindon, a second meeting has been arranged for 18th September 7.30 – 9.30pm at Broadgreen Community Centre…..

Almost double the expected amount of people attended the first meeting. There was so much to discuss and the organisers ensured that everyone had an opportunity to share their thoughts. This resulted in the last session on the agenda being pushed over to the next meeting.

Ed Colton, one of the organisers said “We ran out of time because so many people had so much to say! For anyone who missed the first meeting, we’ll be giving a short presentation of what happened, what people’s main concerns were, and what local issues were most pressing. Then we’ll continue where we left off. This next session is all about filling roles, deciding on local actions and discovering the skills, experience and connections people have, to build ‘Your Party’ and become part of the landscape in our communities.”

At the first meeting, cards of welcome were signed for asylum seekers in Swindon, which were delivered the week after. This act of humanity, solidarity and friendship has prompted the group to organise a collection of sweets and fruit for them. Please bring a small gift along to the meeting if you are able.

The excitement and hope generated by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana announcing a new political party has reached Swindon…..

A broad range of people have been keenly messaging and talking to each other and have decided to work together with everyone who supports this new party, to have a marked and positive presence in the Swindon community.

Local activists, charity workers, union members and individuals have announced a meeting to be held at Broadgreen Community Centre on Thursday 28th August 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

Jamie, a local charity worker said ‘We are building a movement embedded in our community. We want to hear from everyone; what are your main concerns, do you want our NHS to be properly funded, do you want energy, mail, rail, water, and other infrastructure nationalised, do you want to see council houses being built? Come along to our meeting, where everyone will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas.’

Nationally, over 700,000 people have signed up to the party with no name! At present, the working name is ‘Your Party’ but the permanent name will be decided by people at the inaugural conference later in the year.

A statement on the Your Party website says, ‘It’s time for a new kind of political party. One that belongs to you. The system is rigged. The system is rigged when 4.5 million children live in poverty in the sixth richest country in the world. The system is rigged when giant corporations make a fortune from rising bills. The system is rigged when this government says there is no money for the poor, but billions for war. We cannot accept these injustices – and neither should you. We will only fix the crises in our society with mass redistribution of wealth and power. That means taxing the very richest in our society. That means an NHS free of privatisation and bringing energy, water, rail and mail into public ownership. That means investing in a massive council-house building programme. That means standing up to fossil fuel giants putting their profits before our planet. Meanwhile, millions of people are horrified by the government’s shameful complicity in genocide. We believe in the radical idea that all human life has equal value. That is why we defend the right to protest for Palestine. That is why we demand an end to all arms sales to Israel. And that is why we will carry on campaigning for the only path to peace: a free and independent Palestine.’

In an interview with Tribune Magazine, Jeremy Corbyn said, ‘By the end of the year we want to come together at an inaugural conference to decide the direction of our party and what it stands for, but this conference will not come out of the blue. It will be the product of a series of deliberative meetings up and down the country. More than just rallies, these meetings will be an opportunity for communities, social movements, and trade unions to come together to discuss the key questions facing the future of our party and our country. These meetings will generate fierce debates, I’m sure, and that’s good. That’s what democracy is for.’

Jamie said, ‘Let’s reignite the hope, energy and socialist dialogue that we had in 2017 when thousands of people, especially young people, flocked to hear Jeremy Corbyn speak about the things that really matter to us! After all, it’s predominantly the younger generation who are suffering from the catastrophic decisions made by politicians for years, although people with disabilities, pensioners, WASPI women, asylum seekers, migrants and minority groups are feeling the brunt too. If you’re interested in getting involved, want to help build this community movement that addresses our day to day concerns, and make a positive difference to so many people, come along to the meeting, join our Facebook and WhatsApp groups. Meet others who are interested and have your say!’