“Our real enemy is at home” is how George Galloway, leader of the Workers Party, summed up our situation in Britain.
George Galloway, a tireless anti-imperialist and working-class fighter chaired three meetings on Saturday addressed by some of the finest speakers from Britain and the United States. Together with the Socialist Labour Party, the Workers Party GB has collaborated closely with the US People’s Party and Libertarian Party in planning February’s anti-Nato events in Washington and London. We were pleased to welcome Nick Brana to our conference and he was joined by Dan Kovalik to give two powerful anti-imperialist voices from the USA.
In addition to George Galloway and Chris Williamson, our platform included musician Lowkey, former diplomats Craig Murray and Peter Ford, Aslef vice president Andy Hudd, academic David Miller, journalist Richard Medhurst, campaigner Audrey White, and No Cold War Britain activist Fiona Edwards. The conference received video address from MEP Clare Daly and others who were unable to make it on the day. All the footage and messages will be published in due course.
Despite attempts to stop our meeting going ahead, our party helped to ensure three separate meetings were held on Saturday 25th February, and we gave our support for a fourth meeting held in Glasgow.
The London meetings adopted the following resolution to found the new anti-imperialist unity organisation No2Nato. Hundreds joined on the spot and online registration is open:
“This gathering in London on February 25 2023 resolves:
To establish in the UK and Ireland a No2Nato campaigning organisation to carry the fight against imperialist wars to the widest possible audience.
To appoint an interim leadership of George Galloway Chris Williamson and Andy Hudd to direct the organisation’s work until a wider leadership can be elected.
To encourage throughout the world all efforts of similar organisations and to Co-ordinate with them in global action.”
No 2 Nato Conference, Saturday 25 February, London
I am a retired Headmaster and a former active member of the Orwell Society, devoted to maintaining the memory and importance of George Orwell’s huge contribution to English literature and to English politics. The Society has a constitution that maintains a non-party political position.
I resigned two weeks ago.
Why?
The last edition of the Orwell Society Journal, edited by a Russian emigre, included a lead article by the editor in strong support of the NATO actions in Ukraine and totally opposed to the Russian position in the current war.
I wrote an article supporting a different view. I am anti-war but I have followed events since 2013 in Ukraine very closely. I take an anti-NATO line on the current conflict.
My article was rejected by the editor.
I had discussions with Society members who I have known for many years.
I felt that I could no longer remain a member of the Orwell Society.
I thought that this might be of interest.
I am keen to join the NO To NATO campaign.
I have watched video of the conference held in London.
Thank you for organising that.
Hi John, I cam across you very interesting comment and thought that you might be interested in the International Ukraine Anti Fascist Solidarity Campaign, whose members have been calling on the UK government to end military and other support for the post-coup regime in Kiev. It has been a long and difficult campaign in the face of a monolithic media which has largely airbrushed the fascist groups in Ukraine – a bit like Orwell’s ‘1984’, with Eurasia replaced by Russia! We have a Facebook group established in 2020, and regular zoom meetings, please let me know if you’re interested at theorrussell@gmail.com. Regards, Theo Russell, London SW5.