FOUR years have passed since the 2019 general election and the grief feels almost as raw as it did on that December night.
 
Since then, a huge political vacuum has opened up as a result of Keir Starmer moving Labour to the right, with the leadership opposing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, failing to support strikes, and refusing to defend refugees, or even scrap the two-child benefit cap.
 
Disillusionment with party politics has grown, with activists instead putting their passion and energies into trade unions, community campaigns and the climate and racial justice movements.
 
In the midst of the multiple crises that our society and planet faces, calls for a new party have grown stronger.
 
Polling shows that 61 per cent of the public wants an entirely new party to challenge Labour and the Conservatives — and we think it’s time to build it.
 
Four months ago, we at the Breakthrough Party, along with Left Unity and the Liverpool Community Independents, set up Transform, a call for a new left party, with support from individuals from across the labour movement including Ian Hodson, the national president of BFAWU, and former Labour MP Thelma Walker.
 
Our call gained support from thousands of people, and in late November, Transform’s founding conference was held in Nottingham.
 
The conference opened with a rousing speech from former member of Labour women’s committee and Momentum’s National co-ordinating Group Solma Ahmed, describing the horrors in Gaza and calling for a party to represent those calling for a permanent ceasefire.
 
After two hours of impassioned debate, we agreed on a core constitution, allowing us to officially launch the party and open it up for membership. We are now in the process of registering with the Electoral Commission, with plans to stand candidates in the local elections and general election in 2024.
 
In the afternoon, Romayne Phoenix, former co-chair of the People’s Assembly, spoke about the challenges we face as a movement and the threat posed by corporations and the super-rich.

Nerea Fernandez Cordero, spokesperson of United Left in Spain and a member of the executive board of the European Left, welcomed the creation of a new left party to break the Westminster duopoly.

In our afternoon workshop, attendees discussed five topics: climate and environment, democracy, the economy, Gaza and workers’ rights. The resulting work will act as a starting point for democratic policy development, to begin in the new year.
 
The left faces an uphill battle to make an electoral breakthrough. Unlike the right, we don’t have the luxury of millions of pounds and a whole media ecosystem at our disposal.

Different electoral strategies were discussed, but a consistent theme was the real desire from Transform activists to organise and campaign locally, and build trust within communities.
 
Parliamentary success on the left outside of Labour has been limited, but in the next general election, there is a real possibility that this could change.
 
The war in Gaza has seen dozens of councillors leave the Labour Party. As a result, Labour has lost control of three councils: Burnley, Norwich and Oxford, with the party also facing losses in Blackburn and Haringey.
 
As we’ve already seen in Liverpool, Newham and Tower Hamlets, community-based and socialist independents can win and if they were to stand in a general election they could well make an impact.
 
Jamie Driscoll’s independent campaign for North East Mayor will prove a much tougher test, but with the support he has so far received he has a real chance.
 
And who knows what the seven socialist MPs who have either had the whip removed or been blocked from standing for Labour will decide to do come the general election.
 
All supporters of left, green and socialist politics need to unite around a message of hope and start co-ordinating to deliver it.
 
Transform wants to be a part of that.
 
As I said at the conference, we cannot continue to sit by and hope that someone else comes and saves us. We have to do it ourselves.
 
To anyone who wants to be a part of this and help shape what we do, I urge you to join us and be part of the change that you want to see.
 
Alex Mays is a member of Transform’s steering committee — www.transformpolitics.uk.