Mark Perryman reflects on the development of Lewes Labour festival of ideas

I’m the ‘Political Education Officer’ of Lewes Constituency Labour Party

Except I’m not. ‘Political Education Officer ‘ sounds like something out of a 1930s rule book of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Presumably my role when the leadership changes, from Jeremy to Keir, is less ‘education’ and more ‘re-education.’

In a broad social democratic party, and in Labour’s case where different ‘wings’ of the Party have an inbuilt unwillingness to listen and learn from one another, I see my role as precisely to provide, nurture and develop a listening-to-each-other space. A space that is almost entirely absent in this most conservative of organisational cultures. An absence all the more bizarre when the one feature all Labour Party members have in common is an interest in politics from a broadly social democratic / democratic socialist point of view.

This was the starting point of the Lewes Labour festival of ideas events which began in 2018. ‘Building Blocs: A day of ideas to dismantle the Blue Wall’ was our latest. It was modelled on a literary festival style, showcasing thinking and debate, to enable us all to learn through difference and dialogue – in the process developing ideas ‘from below’, participating as organic intellectuals.

The event is neither outside of the Labour Party, such as The World Transformed or Progressive Britain event , nor is it factional, a platform for the cause of Momentum or Labour to Win. Instead it is organised by, and accountable to, the local Labour Party, Lewes, yet at the same time is open to members of other opposition parties, or none.

How did we do? Our participants survey suggests pretty well.

90% of respondents judged the day ‘great value for money’.

88% considered the content ‘brilliant’.

They voted the top six highlights: Jonathan Freedland, Tim Bale, John Denham, Clive Lewis MP, Mathew Lawrence, plus networking with other individuals and groups. A real breadth of appreciation.

More came from Lewes Labour than anywhere else, but added to the mix, experiences and exchanges, were groups of members from all three Brighton Constituency Labour parties, across East and West Sussex, Surrey, Kent and further afield too. Significant groups of Liberal Democrats and Green Party Party members joined us, as well as members of no party. The entire day was free of rancour: speakers and participants.

Too often events of this sort are amateurish in execution, an absence of professionalism blamed on few if any resources. Our events in contrast make every effort to be as professional as we possibly can, to take the art of good organisation every bit as seriously as the politics, the two entirely entwined. Over and over again this was commented on favourably, during the day, and since. These comments are much appreciated too.

A product of this is attention to the bottom line, aka profit and loss, or as I prefer it ‘surplus value’. This also fits awkwardly with left culture, but why should an event of this sort make a loss? Ours is entirely self-funding, and then some, generating much-needed, and considerable, funds for local campaigning.

The focus of the day, ‘ ideas to dismantle the blue wall’ was in large part electoral. Yet apart from learning through differences of ideas, we also facilitated learning through different experiences. A presentation from Malling food bank, ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, and our unique Ideas Market full of anti-racist, democracy and environmental campaigns.

The core of all this is politics as pleasure, that if it is simply a ‘duty’ politics becomes for the few, not the many. The scrumptious fare and sitting area of our Keir Hardie Café, fantastic backdrop, brilliant design, lovely tote bags complete with notebook and pen, book bargains from our pop-up bookshop, incredible Steve Bell raffle prize to be won, the ‘afters’ at The Lewes Arms, helpful crew on hand – big shout out to Brighton and Hove Young Labour for all their help.

Last Saturday was just part of this project. We run a November ‘ideas festival’ and in July a ‘day of participative discussion’ using small groups and much increased participation to foster learning together around a single theme. The next is Saturday 8th July 2023 ‘From Red to Green: Labour Politics in the Age of a Climate Emergency’. We are looking at other formats to develop too.

Did we get everything right? Almost certainly not. But I hope we got more right than we got wrong.

 Mark Perryman organises events for Lewes CLP. His latest book Corbynism from Below is available here