EC Meeting Papers January 2019

The World Transformed:

Political Education 365 days a year

The Context:

The UK stands at a critical moment in its political history. The breakdown of the

neoliberal consensus provides the possibility for a radically new political settlement

based on social, environmental and economic justice. Meanwhile, a resurgent far right

in the UK and across the world is offering a very different political alternative based on

racist nationalism and scapegoating migrants. The stakes are high, and the

responsibility on the progressive movement is enormous.

The energy unleashed by Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership has led to the regrowth of the

Labour Party and the cohering of a wider movement for social and economic

transformation. It is now the biggest political party in Europe with over 500,000

members. However, winning elections can only be the beginning. In order to bring

about the change we need it is vital that a Labour government is backed up by

thousands of politically conscious activists. These activists will form the backbone of a

movement that is not only capable of sustaining such a government but also ensuring it

remains true to its principles and radical credentials. In lieu of a supportive media, only

a well informed and articulate grassroots can provide an antidote to fake news and

demoralisation. Building a strong culture of popular political education into our

movement is therefore essential.

Historically, institutions such as labour clubs, the Workers Education Association,

women’s consciousness raising groups, the Left Book Club, as well as the trade unions

and the Labour Party itself, have been central sites for working class self-education,

leading to the development, maturation and popularisation of radical politics. Decades

of neoliberal reforms have weakened, destroyed and, in some cases, co-opted these

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