TODAY, hundreds are gathering in central London for the the ¡No Pasaran! conference — to confront the rise of the far right and plan for co-operation and co-ordinated action to meet the threats we face.

There is no doubt the issue is taken seriously in our movement: Esther Lynch, confederal secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation is joining us, alongside trade unionists, activists and politicians from across the continent, together with our shadow home secretary Diane Abbott MP, film maker Ken Loach and author and activist Tariq Ali. Dozens of organisations and campaigns are supporting the day’s events.

The urgency of this issue is growing. The far right has had a real boost with the election of Trump to the White House; they are increasingly internationalised, well-funded and well-organised. Sometimes their victories come through the ballot box, but the ongoing economic and political attacks on Venezuela are another example of how aggressive and resurgent far-right politics operate — and military intervention to hammer that home may not be far away. The victory of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil has already extended this wave into Latin America — and Trump’s eyes are also on Cuba and Nicaragua. What is happening in Latin America requires close scrutiny because this could be the shape of things to come elsewhere if we don’t get organised.