Description

As a left-dominated Green Party wins increasing support, it’s more important than ever to learn from the rise and fall of “Corbynism”. Why was there such momentum behind Corbyn’s rise? Why did the labour left collapse just as suddenly in 2020? Why were the establishment so desperate to drive him out?

While the Green Party is very different to Labour, the opposition to a rising left party will be just as intense. Corbynism showed that it’s not enough to just present a popular platform – we must be ready to deal with hostility from all sides, and to build a party that’s ready for that struggle.

In this two-part series we’ll read and discuss two books:

In June we’ll talk about Corbyn: The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics. It’s an account of Corbyn’s election, the crises and coalitions that made it possible, and why it was so exciting – or terrifying – for everyone in Labour at the time.

Then in July we’ll look more broadly at the role of Parliament in our society, and how the left should engage with it without compromising on our principles and politics.

If you don’t have access to a copy of the books, let us know – we can share a physical copy or PDF with anyone who needs it.

What to expect

After a brief introduction, we will discuss the book as a group. Most of our events have somewhere between 10-30 attendees. We aim for every event to be accessible to everyone, regardless of any prior knowledge! We encourage everyone to give the book a go, but you’re still very welcome to join us if you haven’t finished it.

About Bristol Transformed

Bristol Transformed is a grassroots, volunteer-run, socialist education group. Bringing together activists, trade unionists, and everyone who wants to learn, we’re creating the space to discuss the most important issues facing us, equipping us with the skills and knowledge to transform Bristol and the world. We run an annual festival of politics, arts and culture in May, and weekly events throughout the rest of the year. See all our events here. Bristol Transformed is run by dozens of local people. Without new people coming in every year, we wouldn’t be able to maintain the same standard of political education events that you enjoy. If you’d be interested in joining us, sign up as a BT volunteer today and we’ll be in touch!