SPGB Day School: Who wants to be a millionaire? (1986) (1986)

Party News from the November 1986 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (2011)

Party News from the September 2011 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (2010)

Party News from the September 2010 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (1966)

Party News from the March 1966 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (2001)

Party News from the February 2001 issue of the Socialist Standard

Think Globally, Act Globally

Why local actions are no match for International capitalism

Socialist Party Day School

London, Saturday 24 February

10.30am—4.30pm

10.30: Welcome. Tea and coffee

11.00: Are you feeling sick? Medicine under capitalism. 

Why it's normal to feel ill in capitalism. by Stuart Watkins.

12.30—1.30: Lunch.

1.30—3.00: No Logo—a new anti-capitalist manifesto?

Paul Bennett looks at Naomi Klein's book which sets out the ideas of the new wave of "anti-capitalist" protestors.

3—4.30: Greens ain't got no class.

Bill Martin explains how those who work for green reforms, even by direct action, fail to realise that they are up against an entrenched class system where the profits of the few must always come first.

Manchester public meeting:

Human Rights

Monday 26th February at 8.00pm

Speaker: Gary Jay

Venue: The Hare and Hounds, Shudehill, Manchester

SPGB Meetings (1991)

Party News from the December 1991 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (1995)

Party News from the December 1995 issue of the Socialist Standard

Autumn School (1967)

Party News from the December 1967 issue of the Socialist Standard 

There was a good response to the school on Saturday November 11th when Comrade McClatchie addressed the session. It is hoped that the next school will be arranged for a Saturday in March 1968.

SPGB Meetings (2007)

Party News from the November 2007 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (2009)

Party News from the September 2009 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (1989)

Party News from the September 1989 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (1978)

Party News from the September 1978 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB London Day School: 'Can You Buy Happiness?'

Day School

– Saturday, 25th September from 12.00 noon

Socialist Party premises,

52 Clapham High St, SW4 7UN

(nearest tube:Clapham North)

Happy Shopper

Ed Blewitt (Clinical Psychologist) will look how our understanding of happiness is closely related to consumerism. Ed’s talk on the ‘Happy shopper’ is taking a look at how the happiness industry developed in the 19th century in the form of the good life through to its modern guise of an ‘individual feeling’. This shift in the social perspective is compatible with the capitalist notion of an atomistic individual separated from society where the search for happiness is the individual’s goal in life.

Manhattan for a handful of beads

Peter Rigg (Analytical Psycho-therapist) He's titled his talk 'Manhattan for a handful of beads’ in a systematic approach which argues and illustrates how we’ve been sold consumerism in the form of cars, mobile phones, holidays, etc., in exchange for true democracy. Peter will be drawing a parallel between infantile functioning and consumer culture and between psychological maturity and democracy, besides touching on the illusion of being a sovereign consumer. In short, Peter will be putting consumerism on the couch!

The consumption of capitalism

Brian Johnson (retired Disability Counsellor) We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘Keeping up with Jones’ but rarely established how such phrases have impacted on the social relationships within the family and wider society. Brian will investigate the social drives that set consumerism in motion with a thorough analysis on how consumerism affects all classes. His talk on ‘The
consumption of capitalism’ delves into how consumerism is having an effect on our expectations and aspirations, lifestyles, perceptions of reality and much more.

Refreshments will be available during the talks. There will be a social in the evening with some light musical entertainment by Peter Rigg along with food and drink. All in all this half day school promises to be an event full of insight; engaging and entertaining.

Glasgow Day School (2010)

More information

Glasgow Branch website

Edinburgh Branch website

Socialist Meeting in Manchester: Capitalism in Crisis (2009)

A Socialist Party Day School
Organised by Manchester Branch
Saturday 12 September, 1pm - 5pm

Capitalism and the Crisis: the Latest Recession
Speaker: Adam Buick

Cassandras, Jeremiahs and Chicken-Lickens: Why it’s dangerous to hope for the worst.
Speaker: Paddy Shannon

Friends’ Meeting House
Mount Street
City Centre (next to Central Library and Manchester Town Hall)

*The first person to spot the deliberate typo in the poster gains free admission to the day school.

Glasgow May Day School (Saturday 9 May 1.00pm till 5.00pm) (2009)

May Dayschool 2009

Saturday 9 May 1.00pm till 5.00pm

Banks:Who needs them?

Community Central Hall 304 Maryhill Road Glasgow

Capitalism in Crisis:

1.00 - 2.15pm 2009: The Year of Economic Crisis.

Speaker Brian Gardner
Glasgow Branch.

This year has seen the collapse of banks, of building societies and the closure of factories and retail outlets. As millions of workers throughout the world face the re-possessions of their homes and the grow-ing fear of unemployment we ask why the economic bubble has burst. We look at the various "solutions" that are offered to alleviate the problems and analyse what can be learned from previous eco-nomic slumps. Previously abandoned by political econo-mists the old ideas of Keynes have made a startling come-back to the extent that many politicians are now espousing his ideas as a solution to the present economic woes. We look at the problem from a Marxist viewpoint and con-sider whether these ideas have value in today’s context.

2.15 - 3.30pm The Environment in Meltdown?

Speaker, John Cumming
Glasgow Branch

How serious is the threat to the global environment? Is the melting of the polar ice pack a product of global warming caused by natural causes or the over production of carbon gases? Is the growing water shortage as serious as depicted and is there any possible solution? Is man-made pollution the cause of the threat to the world's oceans and the possible destruction of the marine food chain? All these inter-related pollution problems are examined from a socialist analysis and some of the proposed solutions are examined.

3.30 - 3.45pm Tea break

3.45 - 5pm Can Socialism Solve the problems?

Speaker Paul Bennett
Manchester Branch

Modern society has produced immense social problems. We have millions of people existing on less than a $1 a day in-side a system that could produce enough food, clothing and shelter to satisfy all human needs. We have magnificent ad-vances in human knowledge but seem incapable of solving problems like world hunger, poverty and war. Wealth today takes the form of commodities - articles produced for sale with a view to making a profit. The Socialist Party is unique in that its only aim is world socialism - a society where everything is produced solely to satisfy need not make a profit. How would this new society based on common ownership operate? Could it solve the problems of capitalism?

Looking forward to seeing you all there.

For more information about the Glasgow Branch of the Socialist Party, please visit their Branch Website.

Capitalism in the 21st Century

Edinburgh - Glasgow Socialist Party Day School

Saturday 10 May, 1pm to 5pm

Community Central Hall, 304 Maryhill Road, Glasgow

Why Capitalism Can’t Go Green (1.00pm till 2.15 pm)
Speaker: Paul Bennett (Manchester Branch)

Capitalism is simply unable to run on green lines, as its motive force is expansion and domination, with no thought for the consequences for the people or the environment. In this talk Paul Bennett, Manchester Branch,will argue that capitalism is unable to cope with the ecological challenges that lie ahead, from global warming,to depletion of resources.

Some writing on this subject
Pepper Standard Bennett Eco-socialism

The Tyranny of copyright (2.15pm - 3.45 pm)
Speaker: Tristan Miller (Central London Branch)

Tristan Miller, Central London Branch looks at copyright laws and recent attempts to have ideas free to all by developments in the internet. The internet was devised as free for all to access but capitalism fears this development in the 21st century and has tried to restrict free access.

Some more writing on this subject
Chomsky Miller

Another Century of War (3.45pm till 5.00 pm)
Speaker: Gwynn Thomas (South London Branch)

The new century opened with the promise of a "peace dividend".Tensions between the Super-powers had relaxed and the risk of interstate war seemed to have receeded only to be replaced by an increasing number of wars within states.Wars in which 90% of the casualties are civilians and 80% of those are women and children. Of the 50 major conflicts fought during the 1990's small arms were the weapons of choice in 46 of them.

Gwynn Thomas, South London Branch, will argue that these are wars on the cheap.

Some writing on war
Orwell Thomas War

Each speaker will speak for 30 minutes. The rest of the session will be devoted to questions and discussion.

Free tea, coffee and light refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon.

Admission free, all welcome.

The Sick Society

Manchester Branch Day School

Saturday 19 April, 1pm to 5pm

Capitalism on The Couch

Speaker: Peter Rigg

Can Socialism Cure our Ills?

Speaker: Ed Blewitt

Friends Meeting House,
Mount Street,
City Centre
(next to Central Library and Manchester Town Hall)

Poles Apart: Capitalism and Socialism As The Planet Heats Up

Socialist Party of Great Britain London Day School

We are pleased to inform you that the Socialist Party will be holding a half-day school on the politics of Climate Change at the Conway Hall, Holborn (nearest Tube station is Holborn) on Saturday the 5th of April 1pm - 5 pm.

There will be a guest speaker followed by a speaker from the Socialist Party, plus plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion on this critically-important topic. We aim to make this event engaging, educational and thought provoking.

The guest speaker, Glenn Morris of Arctic Voice, is a frequent visitor to Greenland and during the last 20 years has stayed with the indigenous Inuit people as a guest and a valued friend of the community. Glenn confirmed it was possible for the Inuit to travel through the pack ice by kayak by completing himself a 2000 km journey through the North West passage from Inuvik to Greenland. During his visits to the Inuit he has witnessed the disappearance of their traditional culture and how the impact of consumerism and market forces is bringing about rapid social change between generations and even within families. His presentation will focus on how climate change influences social change, including having a profound impact on the Inuit concept of the common ownership of land and the natural resources of Greenland.

Brian Gardner from the Socialist Party will then look at how capitalism is coping with the political, social and economic challenges of a rapidly-warming planet. Is there a solution available within the market and money system? What sort of society would socialism have to be to address this global challenge? And will Climate Change threaten or assist the likelihood of a global socialist society being established.

During the evening there will be a social - with free food and refreshments and possible entertainment - at the Head Office of the Socialist Party: 52 Clapham High St. All we ask is that if possible you make a small contribution to cover the cost.

For further information contact:

The Socialist Party, 52 Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UN
Tel: 0207 622 3811
Email: spgb@worldsocialism.org
www.worldsocialism.org/spgb

The Labour Party and the Bomb - Part Four

Part one of the talk can be viewed here.
Part two of the talk can be viewed here.
Part three of the talk can be viewed here.