A reader writes: why you should join Counterfire

We repost excerpts from an email sent by a Counterfire member to friends and colleagues

Dear friend,

Following the election defeat, I really think we need a serious strategy for mobilising the millions of people who are utterly sick of Tory policies across the country. While I think that exerting maximum influence within the Labour Party will still be important, I also think that the result, and the manner in which Jeremy Corbyn has been attacked by many within the Party itself, points to the need to mobilise within – and across – the wider, left-oriented movements.

I’ve been a Counterfire member for 5 years or so now, and I’m pleased to say that they are providing exactly what’s needed in focusing on the grassroots in communities, workplaces and universities; in strengthening the unions; and in organising campaigns and protests up and down the country. Counterfire's vital analysis and regular communication (frequent, high-quality articles shared via the website and a monthly freesheet newspaper) is helping to popularise socialist ideas among the hundreds of thousands of activists who want to keep fighting. It also helps me to make sense of what's going on in the world - from Westminster to Bolivia, and from Syria to China - through their rigorous, class-based analysis. 

Counterfire backed Corbyn to the hilt and played an important role in the anti-austerity movement and anti-war movement that helped generate Corbynism. In fact, those movements are how I first became actively involved in politics. We want to continue to build solidarity and support for every strike and protest around the country, and there has been an encouraging recent surge in membership. But we need even more people to join to build a thriving group here, and to be able to attract high-profile speakers to help spark the discussions and action that is so badly needed...

So please think about joining Counterfire today, or, if you think that’s a bit premature, you could consider becoming a supporter.

Absolutely no pressure, of course; I realise it might not feel like the right thing to do. But if you did join I think it would make a real difference.

Cheers, and thanks for listening

Steve