(27 May 2014, 7:04 pm)aureolin wrote I can only echo this. Trade Unionism really educated me politically. In addition to the Durham Gala, I've been fortunate enough to visit many rallies around the country, the March for an Alternative in London, and also a handful of union conferences.
One other thing you could consider is Unite community membership. There's a lot of room for volunteering, and they really make an effort to involve people interested in politics and trade unionism.
Durham Big Meeting always turns into a mighty big piss up whenever I go, plus I am not the kind of person who listens to the speeches, I am sure the speakers are excellen, but I find I get bored too easy and struggle to concentrate on what is being said
(27 May 2014, 7:40 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Apart from being an FPF member and spokesman for the group, I am a trade union member and also took an active role in a well known campaign group 8/9 years ago.
Politics was never something that was discussed when I was a kid growing up - although there was one memory of my Dad telling me a story about my Grandad when he was a kid.
I didn't know the reasoning behind events until I was a lot older (and my political beliefs had already been established).
When my Grandad was a kid, he witnessed events during the General Strike. He witnessed police charging an assaulting miners, their wives and kids in the street - all under orders from none other than Winston Churchill.
Events over those few days, shaped the political beliefs of my Grandad and did for a while, rub off onto my Dad (he was a member of the Young Communists at one point - something I only found out fairly recently).
As a kid, my folks wouldn't discuss politics in front of me or my brothers - which was possibly difficult, as Thatcher was PM at the time.
The only time I ever remember him discussing it, was when I asked him one night, whether he wanted Heseltine, Major or Hurd to replace Thatcher.
He gave his answer as Heseltine, which on reflection now - summed up his beliefs at the time. Although he didn't give a reason. Not sure I asked for one to be honest.
Despite all of that, growing up under Thatcher has probably made me the person I am now.
My youngest brother (who grew up under the last throws of the Tory's and the start of New Labour) is at Uni and to my surprise, has joined up with all sorts of left wing groups. Going to rallies up and down the country.
My middle brother, well he is the total opposite. Always was a strange kid.
My mam just laughs at the three of us and my Dad during the rare times we get together - particularly as my Dad has started to agree with some of Thatcher's policies and is edging further to that side of the fence.
My old great granny once made me laugh...her opinion on Thatcher was 'I don't condone terrorism, but the IRA should have done a better job in blowing the horrible bitch to Kingdom come', but that women was very bigoted according to my granddad who told me she hated catholics, showed support for people like Enoch Powell was against immigration and thought nothing of using words like n****r or p**i.
My introduction to politics is pretty simple it has been drilled into me that my roots are with the Labour Movement, my ancestors voted Labour, so I naturally ended up following in the footsteps of my ancestors, also when I was 16 I met Arthur Scargill and that man put me off politics for years, he tried to get me to join the Young Socialists and pretty much talked down to me when I told I was not interested in politics at that time