The entry of Britain into the war of aggression against Iran demands the immediate strengthening and unity of anti-war forces.
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has politically excused and materially supported the genocide in Palestine but is now feigning concern for the oppressed in Iran and weapons of mass slaughter, similar to the lies we heard in 2003 when the butchers Blair and Bush attacked Iraq. We know the working class majority here at home, never fell for this lie and will not fall for it this time either.
We recognise that the world situation has changed and that the goals of the Zionist state supported by the United States is to break apart Iran to remove an impediment to the regional aspirations of Israel and US-led imperialism. That the war has undermined the struggle of the Iranian masses to deal with their own ruling class, as under bombardment, seeing their family and neighbours maimed and murdered the priority has become survival and defence. The need for shelters, rationing based on need, the confiscation of hoarded wealth, nationalisation of private enterprises and the general arming of the people has become urgent.
The position of socialists in Britain must be clear, it must be for the defeat of the imperialist onslaught and that the struggle against the war is also a struggle for the dissolution of the British imperialist state. That is we take a defeatist position, which means we fight against the war, call for agitation among those workers in uniform at home and deployed abroad and seek to take Britain out of the equation through political struggle. For the other side in this war, that is Iran, we recognise that the struggle within Iran against the status-quo is ongoing, the working class and the oppressed masses are who we extend our solidarity to, especially worker and socialist organisations. It is for the Iranian masses to deal with the theocratic state, not the United States, Israel or Britain.
This new reality requires unity and an end to the weakening of our new party and with it the anti-war movement through bureaucratic stifling and the banning of members who are organised in other socialist groups.
To this end we appeal to the newly elected leadership of Your Party to take the following steps:
- Organise a national party campaign against imperialism, arms production and the war against Iran, giving party members the resources and political direction to take the arguments into our communities, workplaces and across society.
- Announce that all socialists, whatever their current or previous affiliation are welcome to participate as full members in the party and the struggle against the war.
- Organise and prepare for the transformation of existing and formation of new party branches within the next 30 days. Ensuring that they are fully resourced and able to carry out the necessary campaigning and organising against the war.
- End all internecine use of courts and capitalist media to resolve political differences and to remove any individual that debases our party by using such methods.
Executive Committee, DSYP
7 March 2026