Transform newsletter – 12th june 2024

 29th November 2024

Welcome to issue two of the Transform newsletter.

This week the newsletter dives deeper into the work that we’re doing around the General Election.

CANDIDATE PROFILE: Brian Agar

Brian is standing for Transform in Newton Aycliffe & Spennymoor. He says:

“I decided to stand because it’s something I’ve wanted to do for years but work took me away from home. Now that I’m semi-retired, I have the time to make a difference.

Labour and the Tories are merging into clones of each other, and right wing parties are getting unwarranted coverage from mainstream media.

I joined Transform because I share the vision of making a united left a reality. We need to stand up for disenfranchised, fragmented parts of our society that Tories and Reform want to demonise.”

You can help Brian’s campaign by donating to our fundraiser 

DONATE

Supporting independent left candidates

Transform’s aims are clear: we want to build a new mass party of the left. In this general election, however, a key activity for us is campaigning for independent candidates aligned with our politics.

For a more detailed look at some of the independent campaigns and what makes them deserving of Transform’s support, please read this article on our website.

The new movement of independent candidates is a response to two things: the anger and politicisation taking place in response to the Gaza genocide, and the splitting off from Labour of the left.

Twelve months ago, no one knew whether Corbyn would actually stand against Labour. There were no major political players like Jamie Driscoll organising people to vote against Labour. And importantly, over 100 Labour councillors have resigned the whip and gone independent since 7 October, with pro-Palestine independents winning seats from Blackburn to Bradford in the May local elections.

It’s notoriously difficult for independent candidates to win parliamentary seats. In 2019 the right-winger Frank Field, after 40 years as Labour MP for Birkenhead, stood as an independent and was defeated by over 17,000 votes by Labour’s Mick Whitley. Jeremy Corbyn may yet win, but if he does it will be against the odds, with just a few weeks to persuade residents to break with the voting habits of a lifetime.

On the other hand, there’s clearly no great popular enthusiasm for Labour candidates. We won’t know what’s possible unless we fight for every vote.

Campaigning for our Left List candidates

Transform’s Left List of endorsed candidates has been expanded again with the following additions:

If you live near any of these constituencies, we strongly encourage you to get involved in the campaigns. It’s for local branches to decide on what to prioritise, but the most pressing need across the board is for more volunteers to distribute leaflets and knock on doors. If everyone reading this were to commit to a couple of hours a week, that would be huge.

Coordination and cooperation on the left

The main focus of the new network Collective has been on securing agreement among left organisations not to stand against one another in the general election. Collective has its own core list of sixteen independent candidates that they are promoting.

Trade Union Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is also committed to trying to avoid standing against other left candidates. They’re not standing against any of the Collective candidates.

As regards the Labour Party, many shadow ministers face challenges from the left in this selection. Most left groups aren’t standing against the dwindling number of left-wing Labour MPs.

The Green Party aren’t standing aside for anyone in this election. No left organisations are standing against the Greens in their four target seats of Brighton Pavilion, Bristol Central, Waveney Valley and North Herefordshire (or against Jo Bird, the Green candidate for Birkenhead).

Finally, George Galloway’s Worker’s Party of Britain (WPB) are standing 153 candidates, and unfortunately a number of these will be standing against left wing and pro-Palestinian candidates, including Transform’s Brian Agar. WPB have, however, agreed not to stand against several other left candidates, including 13 of the Collective candidates.  

Campaigning skills training sessions

Transform’s candidates, and those on our Left List, need your help on the ground. To support our members getting involved in the general election, Transform will be delivering campaigning training every Tuesday evening, 6.00-7.00pm, in the run up to polling day on 4 July. The training will aim to cover:

• What Transform stands for
• Social media
• Bringing people together
• Street stalls
• Door knocking/canvassing
• Phone banking
• Polling day

Sign up using this registration link (the link will be the same for all the sessions).

Volunteers needed: will you be in London on Saturday 29 June?

The Transform Creative Campaigning Team are looking people who are willing to perform as characters in a mock wedding between Starmer and Sunak. The ‘wedding’ will take place on Saturday 29 June 2024 at 1.00pm at St Giles in the Fields Church in St Pancras, 60 St Giles High Street, London WC2H 8LG (nearest tube station Tottenham Court Road).

We will need people to act as Starmer, Sunak, Mandelson, Blair, Thatcher, Reeves, Rayner etc. Andrew Feinstein will be guest of honour. We would also welcome all nearby Transform members who can just be part of the crowd to give the lovely couple the reception they fully deserve. The event will be filmed and shared on social media just before the election.

If you are interested in taking part, contact Mandy Parry at mandyparrytraining@gmail.com.

Time to Assemble: Liverpool

Assemble are organising an all day event in Liverpool on Saturday 22nd June in collaboration with Collective. Though some speakers are advertised, it will be mainly workshop based. There is more information available here.

We want to hear from you

What did you think of our newsletter? Send your thoughts to us at info@transformpolitics.uk. We’d especially like to hear from you if you have a question for us, or a story of what you’ve been doing in your local area, that you think we should be reporting on.

In solidarity,

Transform Newsletter Team