Members of North Devon Socialist Party met in Barnstaple for the fortnightly branch, at a time when the branch is very busy campaigning. Before planning future activities, there was a discussion on immigration, introduced by JL. Anti-immigration attitudes played a big part in the election of two BNP MEPs at the recent European Election, and in the introduction (which can be found in the 'downloads' section of this site) and the debate that followed, the importance of class and class issues was emphasised.
While it is important to address misconceptions and myths about immigration, the potential drawbacks for workers must be acknowledged also. Even this is not enough, and must be accompanies by arguments stressing the root causes of immigration and campaigning to unite local and immigrant workers either industrially or as part of a fight for more resources for public services and housing.
After this, the forthcoming PCS elections and Barnstaple Trades Council meeting was discussed, and the latest reports were given about the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign and Devon Residents Against Incinerators (DRAIN). Aside from these activities, and the usual branch meetings and stalls, the latest branch newsletter is being prepared, with door-to-door leafletting to take place in September with a DRAIN leaflet. Summer is usually a time of lowered activity, but there is unlikely to be much of a lull in the activities in North Devon!
It is now some six months since the DRAIN campaign was set up, an alliance which North Devon Socialist Party has been heavily involved with from the very beginning. While some campaigns concentrate on lobbying Government agencies with technical arguments, we have always emphasised building popular opposition to the scheme to build a waste incinerator on a flood plain in the middle of Barnstaple. 
The topic on discussion at this fortnight's meeting was 'revolutionaries and elections', introduced by DL. The introduction given by DL, which is available for download in the downloads section of this website, ranged from our view as Marxists towards the institutions of Parliament and local authorities to how we would approach elections and election campaigns. 
