Corbyn and others to speak
● The World Transformed (TWT) has announced the programme for its sixth annual festival, and first in-person event since Keir Starmer was elected as Labour leader.
● From September 25th to 28th, activists from across the UK will come together in Brighton to discuss and plan the future of the post-Corbyn left.
● Speakers include former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn alongside numerous MPs, academics and activists, with the programme focusing on key issues such as the future of the Labour Party, the climate crisis and racial justice.
27 August 2021: The World Transformed (TWT) has announced the programme for its sixth festival, taking place in Brighton from September 25th – 28th. In its first in-person edition since Keir Starmer was elected leader of the Labour Party, the TWT festival is set to welcome participants to over 100 sessions which will address a suite of critical topics – from the future of the Labour Party to the response to the climate crisis.
After last year’s festival was held online due to the pandemic, this year TWT will once again welcome speakers from across the country to its 4-day event in Brighton, including Zarah Sultana MP, UCU General Secretary Jo Grady, First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford, Jeremy Corbyn MP, lawyer and human rights activist Shami Chakrabarti, journalist Ash Sarkar and many more (see Notes to Editors for a full list of confirmed speakers).
“Building Power from the Ground Up” is the title for this year’s festival. Organisers are seeking to channel the energy that emerged under Corbyn’s leadership, by creating a space for activists from across the trade union movement, Labour left and social movements such as Black Lives Matter, Kill The Bill and renter unions to share ideas and strategies. Organisers also intend for the festival to be a welcoming space for a new generation of young activists who supported Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, but are becoming increasingly alienated by Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.
With COP26 just around the corner, TWT21 will have a strong emphasis on tackling the climate emergency, with key debates on degrowth vs the Green New Deal, eco-facsism and the role trade unions can play in a just transition to a carbon-neutral society. And with Keir Starmer moving away from his leadership pledges, the festival will be an opportunity for activists to engage with key strategic debates such as ‘do socialists need their own party?’ and ‘how should the left engage with the Labour leadership?’.
Beyond this, organisers say the festival will be a place to imagine and organise for a world based on racial and social justice, that challenges the common sense around borders, prisons and policing. Within the context of the recent events in Afghanistan, the festival will see Jeremy Corbyn MP speak on a flagship session reflecting on 20 years of the “War on Terror”.
Amardeep Singh Dhillon, TWT staff member, said: “The British left has been facing no shortage of challenges since 2019. With COVID-19 exacerbating the very injustices we have been fighting against, we must re-emerge stronger than ever. From Black Lives Matter to the climate crisis, there is an appetite for radical politics that is honest about the change required. This is what we’re building, while others focus on attacking the unions and activists that make up our movement”.
Zarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South, said: “Whether it’s deepening inequalities, racial injustice or climate breakdown – the major issues facing our society and our world today require nothing less than bold, transformative solutions. Every year The World Transformed provides a crucial space for activists from across the UK and beyond to discuss and debate socialist ideas, learn new skills and collectively shape the future of our movement. I’m looking forward to being part of the conversation at this year’s festival.”
Mark Montegriffo, TWT volunteer, said: “Many on the left voted for Starmer after the 2019 election defeat due to a narrative of electability, and his ten pledges. Since then, his leadership has declined in the polls, he’s reneged on the policies many elected him for, and he’s launched attacks on socialists. At Labour Party Conference in September, Starmer will be in Brighton to attempt yet another ‘rebranding’. We will be in Brighton to organise the future of British politics”.
PLEASE SUPPORT US FOR JUST £2 A MONTH
