Tolpuddle Rally 1996

This year’s Tolpuddle Rally, to remember six Dorset agricultural workers who in 1834 were transported to Australia for attempting to form a union in order to defend themselves against their bosses, was held on 21 July.

Whilst the number of socialists who attended the event this year was disappointing, several members from the Bournemouth group made an early start in order to reserve a space for our literature stall.

Events such as Tolpuddle are good for meeting fellow workers who have at least seen the need to organise to defend themselves against the effects of capitalism. Members of the Labour Party were there in, as usual, considerable numbers. Those who stopped at our stall had one thing in common, anger at what was going on the Labour Party. Democracy and New Labour seem to be incompatible. No debate on policy, cut down as much as possible on internal elections. Such things are seen as a threat to the only thing that matters to Blair and his shadow bandits, power to run British capitalism. Labour members seem to have little or no hope that a Blair government will do anything to let us know there has been a change of government.

From our point of view we had a good day. Discussed with many interested workers the case for socialism, sold socialist literature and distributed leaflets.

The main impression we came away with was that many workers were angry and disillusioned at the complete lack of alternative seemingly on offer at the forthcoming general election. We hope that the many workers who came into contact with socialist ideas at Tolpuddle this year will come to the conclusion that a viable alternative exists in the form of the socialist movement.
RAY CARR