Members of Resist vote in favour of forming a political Party

Members of Resist have voted in favour of registering as a political party.

Resist have been building steadily over the last 20 months despite the setback of the pandemic disrupting its initial momentum. It has become one of the many Left wing organisations filling the vacuum created by disillusioned Labour Party members and supporters.

Earlier this year Resist was proscribed by the Labour Party along with Labour against the witchhunt, Labour In Exile and Socialist Appeal. Once the political arm of the working class and Unions the Labour Party is now seen as a hostile environment for Socialist and Left wing supporters alike.

Former Labour MP, Chris Williamson, who helped to found Resist said: “The Labour Party no longer represents the interests of working class communities.  It is in the pockets of global corporations which are responsible for chronic inequality and potential climate catastrophe.

“We, therefore, need to build a meaningful alternative to the broken political system.  Our aim will be to help galvanise political and civil opposition to the existing dysfunctional status quo.  So we will continue to encourage collaboration with other socialist parties and with civil society too.  

“We will retain our seat on the TUSC (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) and continue to work closely with the Workers Party.

“We know that changing the political status quo won’t be easy, but believe we have an obligation to future generations to try.

“I would urge anyone interested in creating a good society to join us as we embark on this epic journey.  People can join Resist at resistmovement.org.uk”
 
These are Resist’s core policies.

1. HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE: 
Publicly owned health and social care service, free at the point of delivery, including free dental and ophthalmic treatment. 

 
2. PUBLIC SERVICES: 
Reverse all previous privatisations of public services, including health, education services, prisons and utilities, to ensure they are properly resourced.

3. EDUCATION: 
Provide free cradle to grave access to education and write off outstanding student debts.

4. HOUSING: 
Build and acquire new council housing to address shortages and homelessness, applying stringent eco and space standards; regulate private sector housing; expand cooperative housing for sale and rent.  

5. ECONOMY: 
Utilise powers available to a currency-issuing nation to create a strong economy that works in the interests of the many, not the few; introduce a genuinely progressive tax system; introduce a job guarantee scheme; Standardise a four-day working week; raise the minimum wage to a genuine living wage; make trade union representation a right in all workplaces and repeal anti-trade union laws.

6. ACCESS TO JUSTICE:
Overhaul the Justice system to ensure legal equality through access to legal aid for all; focus on community rather than custodial sentences and prioritise rehabilitation rather than punishment; decriminalise substance misuse and treat it as a public health not a criminal justice issue.

7. COMPREHENSIVE GREEN NEW DEAL:
Invest in renewable technologies; insulate all residential and commercial premises to reduce the carbon footprint and end fuel poverty; introduce a climate change adaptation programme, including reforesting the uplands; end factory farming and increase sustainable arable food production.

8. NATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAMME FOR A SAFER AND PEACEFUL WORLD:
Scrap Trident programme; withdraw from NATO; use position as a permanent member of UN Security Council to promote peace and disarmament; demand a democratic UN; diversify arms industries into socially useful eco production. 

9. SOCIAL SECURITY:
Reduce state retirement age for men and women to 60; re-establish universal principle for social security entitlements; extend paid parental leave to 18 months.

10. CONSTITUTION:
Replace the Monarchy with a democratically elected head of state; scrap the House of Lords and remove all feudal privileges; decentralise power to local regions; ban paid lobbying; make elected representatives accountable through participatory democracy.

Prophetic warnings of Tony Benn

It seems there is little choice for those wanting real change and real opposition to the Tories other than to create that opposition themselves.

We are at the point of Tony Benn’s prophet-like prediction, his stark warning of what would happen once the Labour Party was able to expel its Left-wingers becoming the reality of British politics.

Benn stated: “If the Labour Party could be bullied or persuaded to denounce its Marxists, the media – having tasted blood – would demand next that it expelled all its Socialist and reunited the remaining Labour Party with the SDP to form a harmless alternative to the Conservatives, which could then be allowed to take office now and then when the Conservatives fell out of favour with the public. Thus British Capitalism, it is argued, will be made safe forever, and socialism would be squeezed off the National agenda. But if such a strategy were to succeed… it would in fact profoundly endanger British society. For it would open up the danger of a swing to the far-right, as we have seen in Europe over the last 50 years.” ― Tony Benn

To join Resist or learn more follow the LINK