Socialist party eastern region conference

I’ve just returned from an excellent regional conference of the socialist party in eastern region. Held in the centre of Cambridge 15 comrades from across the region got together in a little café to discuss the perspectives for Britain and in the second session our regional perspectives. In the morning we had Steve Score who is a full timer from the East Midlands come to speak and I was very impressed with his contribution a well put across points figures and convincing argument for socialist ideas. Steve touched on TUSC and the recent by elections we contested and lamented the difficulty we face in getting a public profile and to do as well as we did at this stage was a good marker for future struggles as I’ve previously outlined in this blog too. The wider global economic crisis could not be over looked and Steve and other comrades linked the struggles in Britain into the wider crisis in Europe and beyond. The discussion was excellent with many comrades discussing the role of the LabourParty left celebrities such as Owen Jones and their downfalls. Many comrades were aware we are just at the start of a movement and workers in Britain will return to struggle in the coming period despite the setbacks and the sell out’s of various right wing trade union leaders in the last year or so. The afternoon’s session after a lovely lunch was focused more on regional matters the development of TUSC and the 2013 county council elections will be key in the development of building a profile for TUSC in the coming period. As for the socialist party we heard reports of an excellent year for the eastern region anyway with a net growth of 65 odd new comrades we have since lost some due to some leaving the region to go to university moving away or fallen inactive for whatever reason. The regional committee which has been recently restablished after years of low activity is looking to build up a presence and develop the leadership in the eastern region as we look to build the party further still. We have gone from 4 and a bit branches to 9 now and we will look to increase that further in 2013. As Marxists we must patiently explain the alternative arguments and an alterative system to this rotten capitalist system. The number of young comrades joining us in the region is up and also we have a terrific record on ethnic groups joining our party with many Indian/tamal comrades now which can only bode well for our interventions in communities. The youth are a key component with our student work taking off major in the last year with the biggest up take of socialist ideas in our societies across the region for many years. There is plenty of potential for our rapid growth if we in bed the ideas of socialism, democratic Marxism and look to take our newer members with us and always approach new people with a friendly open comradely fashion I think we have big potential. Of course we are in a minority and probably will be for a very long time but we are starting to have an impact across the region in terms of numbers and influence. I can only see the socialist party in the East of England going from strength to strength.

tories block disability rights march

I follow various people and sources on twitter and recently found out about a march going on in Birmingham to protest at the Conservative party annual conference on the 3rd of October. This is to protest against the proposed reduction of DLA and other such benifits disabled people, such as myself will feel in the coming years as welfare cuts take affect.

This is a protest i wanted to attend to voice my anger to the tories for treating disabled people in this way and stand up for our rights. THis email below is a email i recieved from the campaign and it looks as though the tories are preventing one of the most crucial human rights, the right to protest.

take a read of this.

ONCE AGAIN DISABLED PEOPLE DENIED THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS Protest at Tory Party Conference update


We have amended our original leaflets which are attached to advise people to meet at Chamberlain Square since following a lengthy meeting with the police last week we are still not in any position to arrange anything beyond that. Originally the police had agreed that we could rally at and march past the conference centre.



We are now being refused permission to march past the Tory Conference by the Tory controlled Birmingham City council and West Midlands police. Last week we were told that the march would have to start from outside the city centre and would take some obscure route through a suburb of the city. It would have been impossible for disabled people to get to this.



There was a suggestion from one of the council’s employees there that we could travel via an inaccessible rail station, obviously also ignoring the fact that anyone who needs assistance to travel by train has to book at least 24 hours in advance and only one wheelchair per train is allowed even if the train is accessible .



We then managed to get agreement that the route would be based in the centre and that we would be assembling at Chamberlain Square. Other than this after 2 hours we were no further forward.



We have a legal, democratic right to protest against these cuts which we know have already resulted in the deaths of a number of disabled people and which if not stopped will lead to further deaths. We want to be able to exercise our rights and disabled people from all over the UK are planning to attend this march.



If we are prevented from protesting outside the conference this will deny us of our rights under the UNCRPD article 29 - Participation in political and public life “ States parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others…” and article 5 - Equality and non-discrimination “states parties recognize that all persons are equal before and under the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection and equal benefit of the law.”



We are asking individual disabled people and especially our DPOs to email to insist that we are allowed to rally and march past the Tory Party Conference on October 3rd.



Leader of Birmingham City Council - Mike Whitby -mike.Whitby@birmingham.gov.uk

Copy to cabinet member for Equalities and HR – Alan Rudge – alan.rudge@birmingham.gov.uk



West Midlands police- for attention of Inspector Matt Ward

contactus@westmidlands.pnn.police.co.uk

or directly onto internet form at

http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/contact-us/email-us/index.asp



Please copy any emails to any press and Disability Now to increase their interest in this event



Local press in Birmingham.



Birmingham Mail news editor – Andy Richards andy.Richards@birminghammail.net



Editor Disability Now – ian.macrae@disabilitynow.org.uk



Able magazine – editorial1@cravenpublishing.co.uk









You may also want to ask our Lords and Ladies to support us and if so

email



Baroness Jane Campbell – campbelljs@parliament.uk



Baroness Rosalie Wilkins – wilkinsrc@parliament.uk



Baroness Grey-Thompson – greythompson@parliament.uk



Lords Morris and Rix have no email contact details but can be written to at

House of Lords. London, SW1A 0PW





The road past the conference centre and into Centenary Square will not be totally sealed off and there will be footpath access anyhow for the general public.