Report from the launch of Camden Left Unity

People filling up the back room

Jim Jepps reports back from Camden Left Unity’s launch meeting.

In Camden we approached launching Left Unity a little nervously and had a couple of meetings with half a dozen of us getting together in front rooms before we decided to take the plunge. We knew if we didn’t take this step then it would remain a small circle of people who, mainly, already knew each other – and frankly what would be the point of that?

We were keen that we didn’t want the traditional top table, fifteen minute speech that somehow becomes twenty five minutes followed by set piece contributions so we decided to launch with the film that had inspired us coming together in the first place – Spirit of 45.

We produced good looking leaflets and posters and did a combination of leafletting the local area, postering lefty shops and cafes as well as focusing on the area we were having the screening (which definitely paid off). However, come the morning of the launch I woke in a cold sweat and prepared myself for two men and a dog, one of whom wouldn’t even be paying attention to the screen.

That night I arrived twenty minutes early and there were five people in the room before me. I thought, “Hello, this might go ok”. We had a room that holds 45 people and by the end we’d filled it. We literally could not have fitted any more in and, despite it being a free screening, we raised just under £100 covering our costs and giving me the confidence that we could pull off an event that brings in people from outside of our fairly small circle, including a good helping of local residents.

Of those who turned up a handful were from other groups (I counted four, but didn’t check political CVs so it could have been a couple more perhaps). I think that’s about the right ratio in terms of the audience for Left Unity. It’s great that people from Workers Power and the International Socialist Network are involved but 90% of the people we should be speaking to are not members of any organisation. If we simply create a home designed for those already in small revolutionary organisations we’re ignoring the wealth of talent, experience and passion that lies outside of those circles – and why would we want to do that?

Spirit of ’45 is definitely a great way of launching a local group. Its positive message, that even in dark times we can create something that generations will be proud of, is just what we need after decades of lowering our expectations of what we can achieve. The debates and discussions that followed the showing showed me just how rich and diverse a room full of lefties can be and that so many of us are looking for something that goes beyond a dry anti-cuts message. Let’s see if we can create that something.