Cost of Living Crisis: Enough is Enough Campaign

[brogdale]

I don’t think diversity is going to be an issue to be honest . The working class is mixed . It’s the middle class stuff that has the issue .
Anyway the thread on Twitter has made interesting half time reading during the Benfica game .

Fair enough; after all it's a start, maybe.

 

[The39thStep]

Fair enough; after all it's a start, maybe.

Hopefully , optimism of the will pessimism of the intellect etc . The fact that they can fill a venue and talk about class because workers are on strike is in my view an achievement in itself .

 

[brogdale]

Hopefully , optimism of the will pessimism of the intellect etc . The fact that they can fill a venue and talk about class because workers are on strike is in my view an achievement in itself .

Yeah, and i know I shouldn't judge a book by the cover etc....but it does, at face value, look like quite a white, metropolitan, middle class crowd...but maybe the reach will increase?

 

[chilango]

It may not mean much but I'm a touch disappointed that their Twitter account doesn't follow the Don't Pay account (but does follow a ton of celebs and, erm, Claire Fox).

 

[The39thStep]

It may not mean much but I'm a touch disappointed that their Twitter account doesn't follow the Don't Pay account (but does follow a ton of celebs and, erm, Claire Fox).

Im sure that that thought would have rippled through the audience

 

[chilango]

Im due that that thought would have rippled through the audience

Audience? I fear that's going to be a telling word.

But, seriously, over 100,000 people pledging to refuse to pay their energy bills and the initiative doesn't even get a follow on Twitter? You'd think they'd at least be interested...

 

[The39thStep]

Audience? I fear that's going to be a telling word.

But, seriously, over 100,000 people pledging to refuse to pay their energy bills and the initiative doesn't even get a follow on Twitter? You'd think they'd at least be interested...

The bloke who does the TShirts in South Manchester RMT follows them .

 

[SpookyFrank]

First rally tonight as well. Anyone going? Be interested in reports. They've announced Michael Rosen as a speaker, not exactly dynamic or finger on the pulse of youth.

Depends what you mean by youth. Eight year olds love him.

 

[chilango]

Relevent chapter from Danny Burns' book on the Poll Tax:

Chapter 2: Protest or Resistance?

libcom.org

 

[muscovyduck]

Audience? I fear that's going to be a telling word.

But, seriously, over 100,000 people pledging to refuse to pay their energy bills and the initiative doesn't even get a follow on Twitter? You'd think they'd at least be interested...

This is worrying imo. I work with marketing/comms types and this sort of thing is a serious warning sign for wider organisational issues.

People running the social media and so on have a lot more steering power for whoever/whatever it is they're representing than you'd think. Whoever set up this twitter with that follow list doesn't seem to be taking it seriously, and either hasn't received enough instruction/guidance, or has and is choosing to ignore it. I don't think the twitter snub is necessarily the problem in isolation, more in the context of who else they're following

 

[The39thStep]

This is worrying imo. I work with marketing/comms types and this sort of thing is a serious warning sign for wider organisational issues.

People running the social media and so on have a lot more steering power for whoever/whatever it is they're representing than you'd think. Whoever set up this twitter with that follow list doesn't seem to be taking it seriously, and either hasn't received enough instruction/guidance, or has and is choosing to ignore it. I don't think the twitter snub is necessarily the problem in isolation, more in the context of who else they're following

Jesus ,reminds me of those appalling and boring occasions when random people tell you that they have been unfollowed on Facebook by a relative before either getting angry or collapsing into tears

 

[Serge Forward]

I signed up to EIE to see what it was about. Heard nowt back apart from a call to connect on social media (which I don't do). So unless there's a fuck up with the comms, I'm so far not impressed. The don't pay campaign on the other hand gave all sorts of ways to get things going locally.

 

[campanula]

Depends what you mean by youth. Eight year olds love him.

Don't put mustard in the custard...

 

[8ball]

Good stuff, but the lack of diversity amongst the attendees might cause them to think about their SM/outreach etc?

The white vote is actually pretty big in this country.

 

[LDC]

I signed up to EIE to see what it was about. Heard nowt back apart from a call to connect on social media (which I don't do). So unless there's a fuck up with the comms, I'm so far not impressed. The don't pay campaign on the other hand gave all sorts of ways to get things going locally.

Yeah, this stuff can be done. Don't Pay has now got nearly 110,000 signed up with 250ish local postcode groups of organisers, all with Whatsapp groups you get sent a link to join. There's a day of action on 26th August and a call for areas to have general assemblies. It's very impressive, and all sorted by people not getting paid. With their backing EiE should be able to do much more really.

 

[LDC]

This is worrying imo. I work with marketing/comms types and this sort of thing is a serious warning sign for wider organisational issues.

People running the social media and so on have a lot more steering power for whoever/whatever it is they're representing than you'd think. Whoever set up this twitter with that follow list doesn't seem to be taking it seriously, and either hasn't received enough instruction/guidance, or has and is choosing to ignore it. I don't think the twitter snub is necessarily the problem in isolation, more in the context of who else they're following

Yeah EiE social media is shit. The design is just old lefties all over, and who the fuck decided to go with lilac and pale green as the main colours? Looks like something from a nursing home advert.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

It may not mean much but I'm a touch disappointed that their Twitter account doesn't follow the Don't Pay account (but does follow a ton of celebs and, erm, Claire Fox).

I agree it doesn’t mean much. If Twitter was the real world we’d still be in the EU, Corbyn would be PM and all of us would be enjoying lives where hilarious/profound things happen every 5 minutes with us at the centre of them.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

I don't want to say anything negative about EIE, I'll be getting involved in it and it's one of the few positive things to happen of late. The idea of linking union struggles to cost of of living and to communities is just what we need and precisely what hasn't been happening. So having said all that, in the context of being pleased and involved, my spidey senses are a bit twitchy. The local and community bit of it seems a bit murky at the moment and we've got union leaders and politicians up front for the first rally. We'll have to see, we need to get involved, but I'd just like to get a sense that those setting it up are happy to let it develop in whatever direction those on the ground want it to go. I say that equally keeping in mind the need to avoid vanguardists playing their pathetic games.

Anyway... great stuff, but let's keep it that way.

I agree with all of that. My view on the community aspect of it is that, correctly, it will be largely left to local groups to decide what works best where they are.

I’m surprised to hear criticism of the plan for local union stewards to act as local coordinators. Who better? Leave it to local groups to decide thereby inviting the cobweb left to turn it into an inwardly focussed project obsessed with manoeuvring to capturing positions? Not bothering with organisation and coordination? What?

 

[brogdale]

I agree it doesn’t mean much. If Twitter was the real world we’d still be in the EU, Corbyn would be PM and all of us would be enjoying lives where hilarious/profound things happen every 5 minutes with us at the centre of them.

Valid criticism of SM but, if it matters enough for EiE to use it, doing it well matters as well. Like it or not, it’s how many will first engage.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Valid criticism of SM but, if it matters enough for EiE to use it, doing it well matters as well. Like it or not, it’s how many will first engage.

It might just be me, but one of the metrics of the success of EiE should be the amount of people it can engage who don’t post/posture/perform on Twitter. Those reached door to door, street by street and via workplaces are the constituencies that I’m most interested in.

 

[brogdale]

It might just be me, but one of the metrics of the success of EiE should be the amount of people it can engage who don’t post/posture/perform on Twitter. Those reached door to door, street by street and via workplaces

Yeah, agree, but that’s probably not very realistic today; that’s why EiE are on Social Media. If they hope to recruit the young it’s obvious, really...so best if it’s done well.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

First rally tonight as well. Anyone going? Be interested in reports. They've announced Michael Rosen as a speaker, not exactly dynamic or finger on the pulse of youth.

I’ve got to admit that my heart did sink a bit when I heard Rosen was speaking. I was half expecting Owen Jones or Ash Sarkar next.

Rosen typifies the boring leftie type who will guarantee that an initiative becomes limited to other boring leftie types who prefer to talk to each other instead of normal people. But, it’s London, it’s the launch, it’s a rally and given that thousands turned up it does indicate that this is tapping in to a wider mood

 

[LDC]

I'm surprised to hear criticism of the plan for local union stewards to act as local coordinators. Who better? Leave it to local groups to decide thereby inviting the cobweb left to turn it into an inwardly focussed project obsessed with manoeuvring to capturing positions? Not bothering with organisation and coordination? What?

I think you're reading that wrong. There hasn't been criticism, it's just been pointed out. Though I think some concern about how much they'll push a line that comes from outside the local groups and down from the central organisation, and how they deal with different perspectives in a group is a fair one.

There are other ways of running groups, Don't Pay aren't sending cadre members to run the local groups for example. Also doesn't it have practical limits about where the reps are and the time they have, making it more limited to cities and large towns?

 

[Smokeandsteam]

I think you're reading that wrong. There hasn't been criticism, it's just been pointed out. Though I think some concern about how much they'll push a line that comes from outside the local groups and down from the central organisation, and how they deal with different perspectives in a group is a fair one.

There are other ways of running groups, Don't Pay aren't sending cadre members to run the local groups for example. Also doesn't it have practical limits about where the reps are and the time they have, making it more limited to cities and large towns?

Fair points. But I’d argue that having stewards (critically not full time officers or staff of unions: which I would oppose) coordinating is a welcome step. They are local, plugged in to local workplace networks and likely to live in the communities where community projects might be formed. I’m a steward and I’ll willingly get involved on that basis regardless of whether Unite nationally officially sanction EiE involvement or not. What are they going to do? Expel us for working with RMT and CWU Stewards and others which we do anyway? (Just an ETA on that: our branch is one of the biggest in Britain and I’ve put EiE on the agenda requesting that we formally write to the NEC).

The Don’t Pay approach sounds pretty similar, cadre members doing the coordinating. Agreed on the importance of not limiting this to towns and cities, very much so

 

[HoratioCuthbert]

Yeah, this stuff can be done. Don't Pay has now got nearly 110,000 signed up with 250ish local postcode groups of organisers, all with Whatsapp groups you get sent a link to join. There's a day of action on 26th August and a call for areas to have general assemblies. It's very impressive, and all sorted by people not getting paid. With their backing EiE should be able to do much more really.

That was handy to know as I hadn't engaged what with being on a prepayment meter and not able to organise much atm. The first thing that happens when you join is they tell you you can't take part in the bill strike(so despite the many moans on here they absolutely do deal with that issue, and sensitively enough too) but now I've ordered leaflets and hopefully they'll send me a link to a group somewhere, anywhere between here and Inverness. Do they take a while to send any links? I have filled it out twice now one with an Inverness postcode rather than here.

Fair points. But I’d argue that having stewards (critically not full time officers or staff of unions: which I would oppose) coordinating is a welcome step. They are local, plugged in to local workplace networks and likely to live in the communities where community projects might be formed. I’m a steward and I’ll willingly get involved on that basis regardless of whether Unite nationally officially sanction EiE involvement or not. What are they going to do? Expel us for working with RMT and CWU Stewards and others which we do anyway? (Just an ETA on that: our branch is one of the biggest in Britain and I’ve put EiE on the agenda requesting that we formally write to the NEC).

The Don’t Pay approach sounds pretty similar, cadre members doing the coordinating. Agreed on the importance of not limiting this to towns and cities, very much so

I read that wrong too, but they aren't sending Cadre members :-D

 

[LDC]

Don’t Pay approach sounds pretty similar, cadre members doing the coordinating. Agreed on the importance of not limiting this to towns and cities, very much so

Sure I said 'aren't' but on a phone at work, so might have fucked up typing!

 

[steeplejack]

Yeah EiE social media is shit. The design is just old lefties all over, and who the fuck decided to go with lilac and pale green as the main colours? Looks like something from a nursing home advert.

Those colours didn't do too badly for the Suffragettes.

 

[steeplejack]

I’ve got to admit that my heart did sink a bit when I heard Rosen was speaking. I was half expecting Owen Jones or Ash Sarkar next.

Rosen typifies the boring leftie type who will guarantee that an initiative becomes limited to other boring leftie types who prefer to talk to each other instead of normal people. But, it’s London, it’s the launch, it’s a rally and given that thousands turned up it does indicate that this is tapping in to a wider mood

I agree with the point but the "boring leftie" will be a demographic within the movement and Rosen is one of their less obnoxious possible representatives. He also (given his high profile near death dance with Covid) is a reasonable example of the withering / failure of state instiutions due to ideological funding cuts and the impact that has on indivdual people.

Take your point but not willing to lose heart until Rees and Lyndsey German turn up in leading roles.

 

[LDC]

Those colours didn't do too badly for the Suffragettes.

Bang up to date!

 

[Karl Masks]

Bang up to date!

The struggle for gender equality seems relevant today, as ever, sadly.