Working Class Activist Network

14/02/2022

Little update on the site from me - Labour Women who haven’t yet submitted a motion or rule change for Women’s Conference 2022 you’ve got till 12 noon on 21st Feb. You can ask for a Special Meeting if necessary to get this done. Here’s one proposed model motion on how the disability assessment system lets women as mothers and carers (and those they care for down.

MOTION: Women and Disability – For A Fair and Appropriate DWP Response Women perform far more of the cognitive, emotional and physical tasks of parenting than men and undertake the lion’s share of unpaid care. For example, women are eight or nine times more likely to be diagnosed with

26/11/2021

I’m amazed how the number of likes on this page has kept growing even though I’ve not updated the site or posted owt for a busy few months. I started with maybe 200 friends and contacts liking it and another 500 have joined us. Thanks for your support and for sharing this around as a resource! I will get onto some more content very soon ❤️

01/10/2021

Now I'm an Oxford student am I still working class?

Click through to a summary of elite university life from a working class perspective. From 2018 but timeless and relevant to any working class person in any elite or middle class-dominated space.

Not a new theme by any means, but very well articulated.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/oct/02/now-im-an-oxford-student-am-i-still-working-class

15/07/2021

Disability Rights volunteer Dave Southall gives a talk at 'For The Many Mondays' in Chester, on Benefits, Advocacy, Autism and Me', which covers some of the key stages and processes involved in supporting someone through the benefits application system, including tips for navigating these.
Have just posted this video on our site, under the Poverty Emergency section :-)
https://youtu.be/RMy8mBT0Dlk

A former Disability Officer, David Southall, Chester CLP, will give a talk entitled, “Benefits, Advocacy, Autism and Me”

14/07/2021

I am beyond excited to be able to offer this latest edition of Praxis TV where I get to Interview Alice McLarnon, about working class women, doing amazing things for working class agency, income and hope in a world that is stacked against all of those things. https://youtu.be/Qd7T7nVsgOU via
Alice McLarnon Trademark Belfast Joe Guinan Lara S Mith Paul O Connell Stiofán Ó Nualláin

The COVID crisis and austerity prior to that have impacted most heavily on those within society that already had the least to begin with. Working class peop...

08/07/2021

Had such a great chat with James Shannon (Jim Shannon) - an inspiring local community activist from Ellesmere Port who has recently applied to go through the selection process to become a local councillor. Thanks Jim!

Praxis TV is a series of interviews with a number of people researching and exploring class in contemporary society. Each interview helps to counteract the lack of working-class representation in traditional media, address the frequent stereotyping of the working-classes, and help people to better

08/07/2021

New words here from two fantastic writers, James Shannon and Warren Hawkins

Poetry by Warren Hawkins "The lives of many are ruled by few. We, the many, we can force change" Modern Day Slavery

06/07/2021

Why class and classism are fundamental to equality and diversity and not merely another form of ‘identity politics’.

Why narratives around class and poverty matter and how casual use of terms like ‘Chav’ and use of sneering humour matter.
.. O'Neill said that there are real-life dangers that could result from the perpetuation of these class stereotypes on TikTok. "We are living at a time when the welfare state is being rolled back and more cuts to public services are on the way. If we stigmatize the people who rely on those services and construct that reliance as morally reprehensible, it becomes easier to justify the cuts to the welfare budget," she said.

'Chav' TikTok videos are showing up on the feeds of millions of young people, and experts worry it's contributing to pervasive class prejudice.

04/07/2021

Here is an amazing discussion with an amazing activist, founder of Britain Has Class, Chris Fairley.
Having taken the model for LGBT+ inclusion in his university as a blueprint for improving inclusion for young working class people, Chris tells us about a whole range of pioneering projects that have stemmed from his personal experiences and his commitment to tackling social justice issues and classism. Hope you enjoy! Give this video and our website a like and share if so :-)

Mandy Clare and Chris Fairley discuss where things are up to with , a youth and class-focussed organisation Chris founded as a student at Lon...

02/06/2021

has this great project discussing what constitutes working classness today! I really enjoyed our discussion 🙂🙂👍

https://twitter.com/whatisyourwork1/status/1400094750485757958?s=21

“Check out the latest episode with where we talk about working-classness and the labour party and the Class Activist website https://t.co/fZ4OpSKxze”

26/05/2021

Brilliant to interview Paul Sng about film-making, class, race, how politics has failed us and more.

Mandy Clare chats with Paul Sng, writer and film-maker (Sleaford Mods - Invisible Britain, Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle, Social Housing, ...

26/05/2021

This really is a master class in how to deliver political education to politically alienated people in a digestible form. I’m loving his lockdown bike rides around London too. He is a genius and walking, living example of the hope and power politicised working class people and perspectives hold.

An episode by The Alexei Sayle Podcast

26/05/2021

Check out our new interview uploads, including this awesome discussion with working class actor, writer, journalist and producer the fab Osman Baig.

https://youtu.be/mh_kGShGHuM

Actor, writer, journalist and producer Osman Baig discusses with Mandy Clare some of the rocks in the road for working class people with talent and skill, ho...

24/05/2021

Here is a new interview about social class, how media works behind the scenes and why it matters for politics and socialism, with fab Unity News founder Lizzie Fletcher. Thanks Lizzie! x
https://youtu.be/ZcQDkxM1urM

Mandy Clare and Unity News founder, Lizzie Fletcher take a look behind the scenes of journalism and the UK's mainstream media, reflect on what the UK's outlo...

23/05/2021

COPIED IN FROM:- Working Class History:
On this day, 20 May 1873, 16 women from Ascott-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire, England, were sent to prison for their role in forming the Agricultural Workers Union and became known as the Ascott martyrs.
Local farm workers had joined the union, so the landowner sacked them and instead hired workers from the nearby village of Ramsden. The women approached the replacement workers, stop them from working and tried to encourage them to join the union.
They were subsequently arrested and charged with obstructing and coercing two men to leave their employment.
Two local vicars working as magistrates oversaw their trial. Despite the women not having legal representation, they were convicted the same day and sentenced to hard labour for periods of seven to 10 days.
Upon hearing the verdict, an enraged crowd of around 1000 people attacked the court, attempting to free the women. In this endeavour they were unsuccessful so instead they destroyed property for two hours until police reinforcements arrived from Oxford.
During their imprisonment, the women's children were looked after by neighbours and union officials. Meanwhile protests against the verdict continued, and a personal appeal was sent to Queen Victoria. The Queen issued pardons for the women, also giving them a red-flannel petticoat and 5 shillings each.
The action was particularly significant as it eventually led to the law being changed to allow picketing, as well as restrictions on the use of clergy members as magistrates.

13/05/2021

Very excited to share this new interview with Jon Trickett MP, discussing the lack of working class representation within politics and why that is important to him. Jon shares experiences of being a working class MP for approaching three decades and some of the challenges in achieving his long-term commitment to improving working class belonging and visibility within the Labour Party. Jon's assistant joined us on the call, hence the empty box on the screen. I'm so glad to have met him and been able to have had a proper good discussion about this. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/AIfcickzU48

Former builder and plumber who earned a below-average wage up until becoming the MP for Hemsworth in Yorkshire at the age of 46, Jon Trickett here discusses ...

11/05/2021

This Network is not politically affiliated but as a member of the Labour Party I do campaign for better working class representation and would encourage all political activists, especially those on the left, also to. Here’s a new article:

https://labouroutlook.org/2021/05/11/promoting-working-class-activism-cllr-mandy-clare-grassroots-labour-women-candidate-for-labours-new-womens-committee/

“Upwards of 30 per cent of the population fall into the broad group of occupational backgrounds almost entirely missing from our Parliamentary Labour Party.”

26/04/2021

Excited to be able to share this latest Praxis TV in-depth interview with Professor Diane Reay with you!
I aimed to get this out on St George's Day, but it will be worth the wait I promise.
I can't say enough good things about this woman and the fury and intelligence she brings to her analysis of class and her work to improve the education system for working class kids and to raise the flag for tackling inadequate incomes as the first stop in tackling inequality.
I am so grateful to be able to meet the amazing people I get to meet through this project. I hope you enjoy this and if you do, pass it on. Thanks.
https://youtu.be/m3oOTgbfTp4

Mandy Clare interviews Professor Diane Reay for Praxis TV (Working Class Activist Network Productions).The daughter of a coal miner and one of eight children...

01/04/2021

Really excited to share my interview with working class sister and comrade Pamela Fitzpatrick on class inequality, women, migrants and access to justice, multicultural working class consciousness, performance politics and community charity, class 'chunterers' and why class can not be airbrushed from socialist discourse.
for Labour Women's Committee. Socialist women please support the Grassroots Labour Women team by electing solid socialists at CLP to attend Women's Conference as your delegates. Thank you!

Mandy Clare interviews Pamela Fitzpatrick for Praxis TV (Working Class Activist Network Production) on class inequality, women, migrants and access to justic...

25/03/2021

New interview (Pamela Fitzpatrick) coming soon.
Below is the second interview I did, with Allison Fewtrell which was thoroughly enjoyable (they all are). We spoke about connections and class cushions, that Grocer's Daughter, renting and Manchester Tenants Union, redundancy, work, capital, political education and class. I really love the model of supportive partnership activism she describes in this chat. Thanks Allison!

https://youtu.be/5LI-JD9ZU24

Mandy Clare interviews Allison Fewtrell for Praxis TV (Working Class Activist Network Productions) about connections and class cushions, that Grocer's Daught...

20/03/2021

Some fantastic discussion of how social class intersects with feminism and being female here from a working class perspective - well worth a listen.

19/03/2021

Does social class still matter? Does it still determine things like our opportunities, political voice, confidence and how some sections of society are represented culturally on the telly?
If you are working class, have a go at our survey and check out our new dedicated website...

https://form.jotform.com/210725503229045

Please click the link to complete this form.

13/03/2021

Praxis TV Advance Notice !

We have an interview scheduled with Cambridge Professor of Education, Diane Reay, coalminer's daughter from a council estate background. Through her research, Professor Reay provides valuable insights into the many ways the education system stacks opportunity heavily in favour of the middle class. Although the government and national narrative around social mobility and aspiration implies that the English state system provides roughly the same education for all, on closer examination, significant class-based inequalities mean that it still doesn’t and that the expansion of the marketisation of education through academies and free schools only intensifies existing class inequalities.
Author of Miseducation: Inequality, education and the working classes, Professor Reay points out that “Even within a comprehensive school, when they’re all in the same building, the working classes are still getting less education than the middle classes, just as they had when my dad was at school at the beginning of the 20th century”. Class matters and we have dragons to slay.
This interview will be available on 23rd April, St George’s Day, to commemorate centuries of neglected and normalised class inequality.

New Website: https://classactivist.com/

12/03/2021

New video up on Praxis TV - Dean and I discuss what a left of Labour movement might look like, political alienation, the vacuum and the Far Fight, practicalities and tangibles at community level, good business, the Uber boom and the chasm between Labour and the Precariat, Community Wealth Building, class, environmentalism and capitalism 🙂

Working class teacher and activist Dean Kavanagh discusses with Mandy Clare what a 'left of Labour' alternative might look like, political alienation, the va...

28/02/2021

New release from VVOLVES - Well-Loved Tales. Bandcamp link: https://vvolves.bandcamp.com/album/well-loved-tales

2 track album

28/02/2021

Congratulations to the Editorial Team on the launch of The Journal of Class and Culture

A brand new journal launched in 2020, The Journal of Class and Culture recognizes that class as an analytical category has fallen out of favour within many areas of academia while the material impact of class continues to affect the lives of the working class who are strategically excluded from the public sphere. Questions of class do not correspond to single theories or practices nor are they geographically confined, and the journal recognizes questions of class as international, national, and regional.
Drawing on a wide and diverse range of academics and non-academics, encompassing various methodological and epistemological approaches the aim of the journal is to shape this field of research rather than follow it and in the process develop new theoretical perspectives and new methods of enquiry.
https://sites.google.com/d/1TKfBwhmXUBoX-reD-bAcAloJ-9hdOxeP/p/15zRatePbStCffCDzK_5HGFfPS16XzCOn/edit

28/02/2021

Socialist Sunday School at 3! Set your alarm 🚨 and see you in class ✊

https://twitter.com/politicaledproj/status/1365636612919611396?s=21

“📨 The email has landed with the zoom link for tomorrow's School. ⏰Set your alarm and be there at 3pm 🚨 Don't miss out, there's still time to register at https://t.co/RGZR8oN4cE ”

28/02/2021

Some new updates on the site including a really interesting piece bout the status and future of Left and Right. New poetry uploaded and several new articles, updates and opinion pieces. New resources added in the media section and update on the new Labour Women’s Committee grassroots slate. New Praxis TV interview coming soon!

www.classactivist.com

A coming together of working class activists, workers, citizens, artists, politicians and thinkers.

25/02/2021

www.classactivist.com
We published on February 20th 2021, World Social Justice Day. This site has been created for anyone who is tired of not being able to talk openly about class barriers, even within politically Left spaces. The intention is for this site to be curated and contributed to by volunteers who share that concern and a determination to get social class discrimination firmly back on the national agenda. Please help us to build content by sending us relevant articles, writing, songs, paintings, poetry, opinion pieces and by telling us about your class activism. In solidarity.

25/02/2021

Dr Lisa McKenzie was my fourth guest on new show Praxis TV. We discussed the truth about working class women during the miner's strike, the taboo status of unfair and unearned privilege, working class kids having too much aspiration, what it really feels like to be poor, working class motherhood and much more.

Mandy Clare interviews Dr Lisa McKenzie for Praxis TV (Working Class Activist Network Production) in which Lisa reveals the truth about working class women d...

25/02/2021