FAST FORWARD to next May. England has just elected city councils. Wales has elected a new Senedd. Scotland a new Parliament. When you wake up and see the results, what would make you happy?  

Giving Starmer a bloody nose? The warm, dark schadenfreude of him being booted out by his own MPs?

Perhaps you dream of stopping Reform UK dead in their tracks? Someone has to. Although despite their concerted efforts at self-sabotage, their propaganda is well-funded and enabled by the mainstream media.  

But is replacing one neoliberal party with another enough? Utility bills are rising. Housing costs unaffordable. Social care channels people’s modest life savings to private equity firms. Are there any youth clubs near you? The idea of public luxury is a distant dream.    

We must take state power ourselves. Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn’s new party announcements have fired the starting gun. Note their wording. They “will co-lead the founding of a new party, with other Independent MPs, campaigners and activists across the country.” That tells you two things.  

One, it’s not yet ready for launch. You can’t just order a new party off Amazon on next-day delivery. And two, this will not be a two-person show. We need layers of leaders at every level. Yet if we want to win next May, we must start now.  

Majority is already established. Our founding conference was in Newcastle last September. We’ve grown, and have members from Aberdeen to the south coast, from the Welsh Valleys to the Durham coalfield.  

We’re a social movement, so you can have dual membership with a party. Whether you’re in Labour, the Greens, or the Communists, you can join Majority for as little as £1. So long as you agree that Britain should be run in the interests of the people who do the work, including those in unpaid work, those unable to work, or those retired from a lifetime of work.

We have better membership software than I ever saw in Labour. We have bespoke doorstep apps — no more wet paper sheets when campaigning. We have the electoral data and the marked registers.  

We’ve run huge assemblies to shape our manifestos. With food poverty campaigners, transport user groups, disability rights and anti-racist, trade unionists and Palestinian solidarity groups. Their front-line experience brings a concrete reality to what’s needed. Its authenticity resonates with the public.  

We network with independent socialist councillors and community groups across the country. We train people — in campaign skills, in public speaking and preparing for public office. Political education is the heart of our movement.  

Dragging the Establishment to the left is not the aim. We intend to replace them with people who don’t need lobbying to put working-class people ahead of corporate interests.  

Power matters. Nothing inspires belief like victory. Imagine if next May you wake up to see we have taken control of a major British city. And not just to hold office, but to break the mould. No more handwringing and managing decline.  

When Labour blocked me one journalist said: “The reason they’re so terrified of you is you showed socialist policies can work.” We built eco-homes, created thousands of jobs on trade union terms and conditions, and recycled millions of pounds with community wealthbuilding. It proved socialists are not just nice people. We are capable of running the country well.

A radical programme of community wealthbuilding can transform lives. When you run up against central government, campaign hard. Before I was a councillor, Newcastle Labour cut the school patrol crossings. Inside the chamber, they blamed the Tories. Outside, they did nothing. I said at least put a 40-foot banner down the side of the Civic Centre. And all get on a bus, dressed as lollipop men and women, and hold up the traffic outside Parliament.  

Your electorate know you can’t win every battle, but they respect you if you stand and fight for them. Actions speak louder than words.  

In Newcastle in 2024, I got 25,000 votes across the city. Labour got 26,000. They know they’re going to lose this time. Either we fill the void, or Reform UK will. Majority’s subtitle is “500 leaders.” That’s what it takes to win a region. Five hundred people who between them can speak with confidence. Who can listen to the public and articulate their concerns. Who can use a membership system or design an eyecatching graphic for social media. Who can make a new member feel welcome. Is that you? If not, every leader needs a support team. Even if that’s just paying your subs and “liking” on social media.  

We don’t have the billionaire press on our side. Our strength is grassroots campaigning. Whatever shape a new party of the left takes, it will be democratically chosen. Democracy takes time, and I’m working with Zarah and Jeremy on that. In the meanwhile, Majority is cracking on.  

Let’s stop dreaming of the Establishment’s failure, and start building for our success. Join Majority today.  

Jamie Driscoll was the elected North of Tyne metro mayor, and is elected leader of Majority (MajorityUK.org).