The rise of the populist right has been both remarkable and rapid
A day of participative discussion exploring both the reasons for the rise and the ideas we need to reverse it.
The Resistible Rise of the Populist Right: Saturday 12 July couldn't be a more timely, and urgent, event.
The rapid growth for Reform UK, President Trump, the AfD breakthrough in Germany while elsewhere in Europe - Austria, France, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain - the populist right are either in government or leading the opposition.
The Resistible Rise of the Populist Right is a day to participate in gathering together an understanding of Far Right ideology, anti-immigration policies and nativist nationalism, that frame this rise in order to cause it to be defeated.
The day opens with a keynote talk by Jon Bloomfield and David Edgar the co-authors of one of the most important books of recent years on the day's theme The Little Black Book of the Populist Right
Jon and David's keynotes will be an unrivalled insight into the politics behind the populist right. Q&As with each give all participants the opportunity to quiz their analysis. Chairs Gill Short and Joy Mercer Lewes Labour event facilitators.
The afternoon is then divided into three parallel 90-minute small group discussions, each with a single speaker opening for 30 minutes to enable the maximum participation.
Nick Lowles Founder and Chief Executive of Hope not Hate which describes itself as a 'mission to work tirelessly to expose and oppose Far Right extremism.' Nick will provide an in-depth briefing on how Reform UK is both a product of and producer of the Far Right.
Eleanor Shearer Senior Research Fellow at the think tank Common Wealth and a researcher into the legacy of slavery, research that inspired her debut novel River Sing Me Home currently being turned into a film. Eleanor will outline the vital socio-economic context to the immigration debate too many would rather wasn’t heard.
Sunder Katwala Director of British Future which produces reports on immigration, integration and national identity and author How to be a Patriot: Why love of country can end our very British culture war. Sunder will explore how to construct a popular conversation of race and nation free of the division such an exchange often generates.
To close a roundtable of campaigners:
Annie Ralph from the Lewes Refugee Support Group joins Jovan Owusu-Nepaul Labour's 2024 General Election candidate against Nigel Farage and Val Ruston Director of the Culture Connect Project in Newhaven to respond to the day's discussions with their practical experience of working with refugees and asylum seekers, promoting the value of diversity in communities, combating islamophobia,encouraging ethnic minority representation in politics and more.
With our Lewes Labour pop-up bookshop, Keir Hardie Café and afters at the Lewes Arms.
Saturday 12 July 10am to 5pm.All welcome, our only entry qualification an open mind
Tickets £10 solidarity rate / £6 standard rate sold out. (the solidarity rate enables us to offer low-price standard rate tickets).
Presented by Lewes Constituency Labour Party in association with the Communication Workers Union South East Region.