This is just a brief reminder that tomorrow night we have our monthly branch meeting. We will be discussing the chilling question:
Can capitalism save the planet?
Last week it was announced that CO2 levels in the atmosphere had reached
their highest ever, putting us well on the way to 2 degree warming and
which will take thousands of years to reduce. At the same time it was
announced that renewable energy had shown a huge increase over the last
year, with capacity now overtaking coal for the the first time. So is
capitalism averting the disaster it has created? Can it?
Branch meeting - climate change: can capitalism save the planet?
Unite the Resistance national conference
Report from Stand Up To Racism national conference
Branch Meeting
The
SWP is a party of activists who know that we need to understand the
world to be effective in our actions. Our meetings have a discussion
about key issues: economic, political, historical and cultural; as well
as planning for events and activities.
This month, our guest speaker Martin Empson will introduce the topic: climate change: can capitalism save the planet?
We have another exciting guest speaker this
month! Martin Empson is a prominent activist in the environmental
movement and is the author of Land and Labour and Marxism, Ecology and
Human History. He is also treasurer of the Campaign Against Climate
Change Trade Union Group.
Climate change is being caused by
capitalism - can the system find a way to stop it? The stakes are high,
time is short and effective action is urgently needed. Join us for what
is sure to be an informative and lively public meeting and debate!
Thursday 3rd November
7 pm
West End Community Centre on Mackworth Road (next to Britannia Mill).
United Front work
As well as being a party of revolutionaries, we recognise that it is vital to work alongside others in areas where we share common ground. As well as solidarity with striking workers such as the teachers, junior doctors and teaching assistants, the SWP has a proud tradition of broad united front work within organisations such as the Anti-Nazi League, the Stop the War Coalition, the People's Assembly and many more.
Unite the Resistance national conference
Unite the Resistance is a national organisation of trades unionists who want to be part of a serious fightback against austerity.
Its annual conferences have been an amazing place to be, with trades unionists sharing their experiences of successful action against employers, trades union leaders giving their perspectives on the state of the struggle and political leaders such as shadow chancellor John McDonnell. It's a really lively event with a huge range of discussions and debates going on and some really inspiring stories.
This year is no different and the impressive line-up includes:
If you want to see a serious fightback to austerity that can win, Unite The Resistance is a good place to start! For more information email branchsec@derbyswp.org.uk
Stand Up to Racism national conference
Jeremy Corbyn MP and Diane Abbott MP addresses plenary session of SUTR conference
The conference on 8th October was a huge success, with 1600 anti-racist delegates from a huge range of organisations and none attending on the day. In the wake of a spike in racist attacks following the Brexit vote, it was a great event that anti-racists should use to help build the Stand Up To Racism campaign in communities across the country.
Derby Stand Up To Racism group has some big ideas to help build on the broad, inclusive conference and make sure that racism cannot gain ground in Derby. For more information check out the Derby Stand Up To Racism Facebook page or email derbysutr@gmail.com
Can't make our meetings?
If you want to find out more about us, meet some of our comrades, sign up
to any of our petitions, find out about campaigns we are involved in,
buy our paper or get hold of some of our other literature, why not come
along to the campaign stall on Saturdays?
50,000 people marched in London last Sunday in the largest march demanding immediate and significant action to prevent 2 degree climate warming that has been seen in Britain.
Recently it was announced that the Earth has warmed by 1 degree since the industrial revolution began, and that the rate of warming is rapidly increasing. We are already experiencing the effects of climate change, but the scientific consensus is that if we are to avoid runaway climate change, where the climate will begin to warm more and more rapidly, we must act now.
At this year's Marxism festival there were some great talks on climate change, but this one by Suzanne Jeffrey was particularly pertinent:
Unite The Resistance pamphlets are available from us - come to our branch meetings or find us on St Peter's St at our campaign stalls Saturdays from 12 pm!
Report back by Kieran, branch secretary.
This Saturday was the annual conference of Unite The Resistance (UTR). UTR is a united front organisation that aims to bring together trades union activists to fight austerity and the divisive, bullying Tory government. The conference shares success stories, perspectives on the Tory attacks on the working class and how to fight it.
I always look forward immensely to the UTR conference. There are lots of organisations which oppose austerity, and which we as a party are proud to be a part of, such as the People's Assembly and TUSC. What makes UTR special is that it offers us not only a concrete and powerful way to build an effective fightback, being based where our class has power - in the workplaces, but also welcome success stories. It can be easy to believe, if you rely on the mainstream media coverage for your news, that strikes are rare and ineffective, but in fact there have been some fantastic examples of solidarity and victories from across the various sectors of the economy. UTR is also a great way to learn about ongoing fights and how to support them.
Morning Session
Yesterday we heard from Candy Unwin and Sandy Nicholl, victimised reps who won reinstatement because of solid support from their members. Candy was one of the leaders of the fantastic strike at the National Gallery, which won significant victories in their battle with management against privatisation, and Sandy's colleagues took unauthorised strike action that had their management at SOAS backtracking almost immediately. Conference also sent support to Andrew Mootoo, victimised rep at Royal Mail in Bridgwater, whose managers again are frantically retreating after wildcat action when they attempted to sack him.
Speakers were from across the trades union movement, but there were also comrades from campaigning organisations such as DPAC (Disabled People Against the Cuts) (amazing speech - IDS should be very afraid of DPAC!) and political parties (most notably Natalie Bennett, the Green Party leader, who gave an excellent speech).
John Burgess, candidate for UNISON General Secretary, was brilliant about the need to fight the bill and break the law collectively.
Of course, the horrific events of Friday in Paris cast a pall over proceedings. Conference began with a statement of solidarity with the victims and many speakers also offered statements of support, particularly Natalie Bennett of the Green Party. The Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, who is a longtime supporter of UTR and was scheduled to speak was unable to attend as the Shadow Cabinet were in session following the attacks. The SWP has put out an excellent statement in response to the murders, which you can read here. After the initial session I and some other local comrades attended a session which we thought was especially relevant that day: Don't let them divide us.
This session included speakers on the Prevent agenda and the Justice for Cleaners campaign as well as the general drive by the Tories and other elements within the ruling class, particularly the right wing media, to use racist bile against Muslims and migrants to divide our class wherever they can.
I was struck by the Justice for Cleaners campaigner, who spoke of the ways that bosses try to divide migrant workers, trying to pit 'documented' against 'undocumented' and Spanish against Latin American. This is the kind of hatred upon which the bosses thrive.
Repeatedly speakers emphasised the need to unite now to prevent the right from trying to capitalise on the murders in Paris to promote their racist, Islamophobic agenda. UTR is about sharing ideas and success stories, not just listening to speakers, and there were some fantastic contributions from the floor. One point which was made more than once is that the right will attempt to use the murders to attack migrants, and we need to continue to say that migrants are people fleeing exactly the sort of horror which the people of Paris experienced. One practical thing which we will need to do is continue to defend migrants and promote the Stand Up To Racism campaign to welcome refugees, especially as winter approaches and thousands are in danger from the cold in makeshift camps in Calais and elsewhere. Find out more about Stand Up To Racism and donate to the Calais winter appeal here.
Afternoon Session
In the final session we heard from speakers on the environment and climate (or as David Cameron calls it: 'green crap') and the People's March for Climate, Justice and Jobs on the 29th November in London. From Derby there will be at least one coach going to this vital demonstration - come if you can!
For me there were two particular highlights of the afternoon session. The first was the speaker from the BMA who spoke very well on the dispute between junior doctors and the Department for Health.
He got a well-deserved standing ovation in his call for solidarity and his promise of solidarity in return.
Finally, Ian Hodson of the bakers' union BFAWU, who I always look forward to. He is a passionate and animated speaker, and I will remember particularly two lines. The first from the fallout when he compared Cameron's policies towards trades unions to Hitler's: "if you don't want to be compared to a fascist dictator, don't use policies out of Mein Kampf!" The second was one of my favourites, and I know one of his (it's not the first time he's used it :) ) and it's from Nye Bevan, architect of the NHS:
Hello everyone,
Welcome to weekly update 53, Derby SWP's brief guide to the political week ahead!
Branch Meetings
This Thursday there will be no branch meeting as many comrades will be attending the community meeting in support of striking teachers at Merrill Academy (see below for details).
Our next branch meeting will be on Thursday 12th February, watch this space for more details!
Successful first Stand Up To UKIP and Hope Not Hate event!
Several comrades attended the first joint Stand Up To UKIP / Hope Not Hate event on Saturday. Literature from both organisations was distributed widely and there was a positive mood throughout the event. With such a brilliant start we hope that the campaign can continue to build as strong an opposition to UKIP as possible, especially in this election year!
Support striking teachers at Merrill
A community meeting to gain support for striking teachers at Merrill Academy next Thursday. The staff there have been on strike for 6 days so far and have committed to another 6 if management at the school does not back down over its implementation of impossible targets for staff. Show your support on Thursday evening at 6 pm, Boulton Lane Baptist Church, Boulton Lane, Alvaston DE24 0AY
Time to Act on Climate demonstration
On March 7th there will be a national demonstration demanding immediate action on climate change - a catastrophe which the current government has done even less to ameliorate than the last one. There will be a coach going from Derby - tickets can be obtained here:
On March 21st there will be a national demonstration marking the UN's anti-racism day. Last year a coach load of anti-racists from Derby joined the 10,000 who demonstrated across the country in a powerful, vibrant and positive display of unity with people from all of the races, ethnicities, nations and cultures which make British society today such an exciting and dynamic mix.
Here are some of the photos from last year's demonstration!
This year we want to send that message of unity again - and make it even bigger! We are supporting the Rage Against Racism demonstration in London and hope that there will be at least one coach going down to the big city on the day.
Contact us at derbyswp@gmail.com if you would like to come.
Can't make our meetings?
If
you want to find out more about us, meet some of our comrades, sign up
to any of our petitions, find out about campaigns we are involved in,
buy our paper or get hold of some of our other literature, why not come
along to the campaign stall on Saturdays?
The guest speaker who came to give his talk on fracking and the environment a few weeks ago was kind enough to record his fantastic speech and our discussion.
This comrade was also kind enough to upload the MP3 (click here to hear it) of the meeting to t'interwebs, where you can now hear it for yourselves! So if you've never been to one of our small but lively meetings, this is your chance to experience it vicariously.
And once you've done that, why not come down and meet us, as the kids say, IRL?
.png)