After May - what now for working-class political representation?
Monday, 8th June, 18:30 on Zoom
Tickets for a small donation from https://tinyurl.com/yc8hzepx
The May 7th election results again showed a sharp fall in support and seats for the Labour Party, alongside a commensurate rise for Reform UK.
Right-wing populism is thriving because the capitalist market economy is failing to deliver decent wages, jobs, housing, and public services. Rather than addressing a system run for corporate profit and billionaire wealth, Farage’s right-wing scapegoating falsely blames the most recent arrivals to these shores for these systemic failures.
But the spread of these ideas is not inevitable; Reform UK’s bubble can be burst. With six and a half million members, the trade union movement has the numbers, resources, and reach into working-class communities to undermine the right with a clear message: “Pay, Jobs, and Homes for All, not Racism.”
A union campaign on this theme must be actively promoted throughout 2026 and ahead of the May 2027 local elections to prevent Reform UK from cementing its position. This should include a TUC-led national Saturday demonstration in London, with full mobilisation across the movement to maximise numbers. If the TUC refuses to act, we must build a “coalition of the willing” among trade unions prepared to counter Reform with class-based policies and campaigns.
Crucially, this requires trade unions to challenge their support for the political status quo. We must urgently discuss - both within and across unions - a new political party rooted in working-class organisations and communities, committed to an economy run for the needs of all working people, alongside a serious drive to achieve it.
I’m calling a Zoom meeting on Monday, 8th June at 6:30 pm to update trade union reps and activists and to hear from past and present NEC-level members in unions where TU4NP supporters are already driving the debate on political direction, including disaffiliation from Labour. There will also be ample opportunity for general questions and discussion.
You would be welcome.
In solidarity,
Dave Nellist