Much to my regret a prior engagement with These New Puritans, Screaming Tea Party and the superbly named Kill The Dandies prevents me taking the train to Rugby on Saturday. Into every life a little rain must fall and while listening to a truckload of bands I’m obliged to miss what may be the inaugural meeting of the National Network of Progressive and Socialist Parties (NNPSP). Damn!
It says of itself:
“A variety of local and national community, progressive and socialist political Parties have been invited to an inaugural national meeting at Rugby’s United Railwaymen’s Club this Saturday, July 24th.
One of the organisers, Nick Long, a leading member of Lewisham People before Profit party, which stood 23 candidates in the local elections, gaining nearly 14,000 votes on May 6, was excited at the prospect of building unity. “Many of the locally registered political parties have expressed a wish to liaise much more closely with other socialist and progressive left organisations.
The Rugby meeting has been endorsed by the Alliance for Green Socialism, the Rugby Red Green Alliance, Coventry and Warwickshire Socialist Alliance, the Left Liaison Committee, the Wellingborough Socialists, the Socialist Alliance, the Barrow Socialist Peoples Party and Lewisham People before Profit. Other organisations already known to be attending include Wigan Community Action, Manchester Socialists, the Socialist Party, Tyne and Wear Left Unity, Kidderminster Health Concern, Northampton Save Our Services and Peoples Voice from Wales . We have invited over 30 organisations to send representatives – this meeting is an important part of linking the campaigns that are beginning to emerge to oppose the proposed massive cuts to local public services”
Fellow organiser, Socialist Alliance National Secretary Pete McLaren, explained the purpose of the meeting. “Across the country a variety and range of regional, local and borough political parties have been established in recent years to defend local services, support workers in struggle, defend the NHS or unite community campaigners to mount a challenge to the established mainstream political parties. The purpose of the meeting is to share good practice, network with each other and discuss the establishment of a national network body of regional and local parties with a representative from each affiliated organisation. A suggested working title is the National Network of Progressive and Socialist Parties (NNPSP).
We have also invited national left and green/left organisations that see the need for a left alternative to the Labour Party, and we feel an additional and important area in the coming period would be to feed into any discussions on the formation of a new party of the left.”
He concluded, “I have been committed to left unity since I left the Labour Party 25 years ago and was subsequently expelled, and I see this national meeting as a significant part of the process of building a left alternative. The organisers accept that a new Left Party will not be launched in Rugby on Saturday, but, if a national network is set up, they genuinely hope it will contribute towards its creation.”
The Meeting is by invite only although observers are welcome for a small fee (£2)
The Meeting starts at 1pm and ends at 4pm to allow for return travel
Liam redux 
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