We are happy to announce that New Socialist are facilitating a discussion at this year’s The World Transformed event. Please see below for more information, and click here to see the details in the TWT programme.

A Kinder, Gentler Politics? Building better discussion on the left.

Corbynism has seen a remarkable flowering of political discussion, as many people have felt for the first time that they can make themselves heard within the political system. At the same time, these discussions, even when between comrades, can often be fraught or antagonistic. Socialism involves transforming not only our economic system, but the ways we relate to one another—the kinder, gentler politics that Corbyn himself called for in his first Conference speech as leader. Four years on, we are still falling short of this in our handling of conflict.

This collaborative discussion, facilitated by New Socialist, offers a space to explore how we handle contradictions as socialists. Why has it been so hard to do this well? Where do competitive capitalist attitudes persist within our movements, and how do they limit our ability to learn from one another? How can we handle contradictions more gently? And when do commitments to equality and inclusive socialist discussion mean that some perspectives need to be excluded?

There will be plenty of opportunities to contribute and share your experiences and ideas. Reflecting the need to build an inclusive and truly comradely movement, trans-antagonistic, anti-sex worker, homophobic, misogynistic, and racist speech will not be tolerated.

Recommended reading

This page will be updated with relevant reading & other information closer to the time.

Facilitators

Tom Gann is an editor at New Socialist whose book (co-authored with Tom Blackburn) on Corbynism beyond Corbyn is forthcoming from Repeater Books.

Tom Williams is co-organiser of Southampton Transformed, a festival of ideas, art, and music working to build power, solidarity and joy in Southampton. Tom worked as a primary school teacher for ten years, and currently works as a tutor in trade union studies. He is political education officer for Southampton and Romsey CLP.

josie sparrow is a philosophy scholar and a contributing editor at New Socialist.