Confident London Socialist Party conference discusses key issues

London Socialist Party conference 2018 (Click to enlarge)

Keisha Taylor, North London Socialist Party

The London Socialist Party conference on 28 January was the scene of confident discussion, reports of excellent achievements across the city and focused plans for our next steps.

A key issue is the obscene cost of housing - while working class people live in extortionate, overcrowded and unsafe accommodation (with Grenfell a tragic example of this) and are increasingly pushed out of London, a huge number of luxury apartments sit empty.

The battleground of the local council elections in May will be hugely important to fight for issues such as an end to social cleansing and for needs-based, no-cuts budgets.

Building the Socialist Party and participation of new members is a priority - it is critical to harness the enthusiasm of new members, support their political development and ensure we can engage with as many issues as possible. The Young Socialists and Socialist Students commission, taking place at the same time as one on building in the trade unions, focused on ways to translate the huge enthusiasm for socialist ideas into getting active in party activities.

It was great to meet members from around London and hear about actions going on in other branches. It was really inspiring to be reminded that we can make a concrete difference to struggles being fought. As someone fairly new to the party, I have much to learn, but after this event, I'm even more inspired to do more reading and get even more involved.

Ł900 was taken between the fighting fund appeal, and sales of food, drink, and books which shows the determination of London members to build the party.

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to click here to donate to our Fighting Fund.