Joe McCluskey

The drive to war – it’s always the working class who pay! There is a growing push by the British establishment towards more militarism, through increased military spending. The government talk about ‘warfighting readiness’, and broader conversations about ‘sacrifice’ and conscription stoke notions of an impending threat-that we have to be prepared for war. Working class people have the most to lose from this establishment narrative taking hold. It makes way for the justification of cuts to services and social security, more military spending and makes war sound like an inevitability rather than a choice. Harry Patch (one of the last living Tommy’s from WW1) said it best when he said: “I felt then, as I feel now, that the politicians who took us to war should have been given the guns and told to settle their differences themselves, instead of organising nothing better than legalised mass murder” Rise resolutely opposes increased military spending, conscription and the drive to war. We won’t see our kids and our class butchered for the profits and interests of the rich and powerful.

Rise Political School July 2027🌱 We are so looking forward to developing this into an amazing experience next year. In the lead up to the incredible Durham Miners Gala, Rise will hold a two day political school at the historic and newly renovated Redhills.

Racist violence on the streets last month showed the urgency of building strong, working-class anti-racist politics - but our anti-racism cannot be reactive, we must build in our communities and workplaces for a genuine, working-class alternative: risemovement.co.uk/posts/aga…

🚨📬 The latest issue of Rise’s newsletter, The Spark, has been sent to members and supporters today - please check your spam folder to make sure you don’t miss out on it ✊

If you're around Manchester this weekend - get along and support the Kimpton Clocktower Workers - please also ask your own union branch, or local group, to support them via their crowdfunder here: tinyurl.com/yczfsvvu - up the workers ✊

On the eve of the Gala, Rise is hosting a discussion on the past, present, and future of class struggle. Class shapes every part of our lives. So how do we come together as a class today? How do we rebuild our power? Join us. Tickets in comments 🎟️

Great to meet with @peter_mertens and other comrades from the Belgian Workers Party (PTB) recently, to discuss their experiences in building a mass working class party, and lessons we can learn for Rise.