Stand Up to Racism unites against the far-right at AGM
On 8 November 2025, Stand Up to Racism held its annual general meeting (AGM). At the heart of the gathering were activists, trade-union representatives, local branch delegates, and anti-racist campaigners from across the UK, all gathering to reflect on a turbulent year, assess where the movement stands, and set a course for the months ahead. The meeting came at a time when the far-right was mounting new challenges, local communities felt under pressure, and anti-racist organising needed both renewal and expansion.
The venue brimmed with energy: banners of local branches, union badges, and worksheets spread across tables for motions, discussions, and planned actions. The national office had circulated a detailed agenda in advance, and delegates arrived ready to share their work, learn from others, and vote on priorities for 2026. The meeting followed the organisation’s usual timetable of reports, regional updates, motions and elections — but in 2025 the tone was noticeably more urgent.
A year of stakes rising
This year, more than ever, the broader context made the AGM far more than a routine event. In its “anti-racist/anti-fascist round-up” covering 3–10 November 2025, Stand Up to Racism highlighted how far-right activity has grown. Branches reported increased numbers at anti-racist counter-actions, but also new recruitment efforts by far-right groups.
Simultaneously, trade-unions are wrestling with cost-of-living struggles, public-service cuts, and staffing pressures. These material pressures create fertile ground for far-right narratives — narratives which Stand Up to Racism is determined to counter. The AGM’s timing, just after a wave of local actions and ahead of mobilisations in the coming year, meant the meeting was a strategic pivot point rather than just an annual formality.
Gathering of delegates and branches
Delegates from hundreds of branches, affiliate trade-union bodies, and community groups attended. Each affiliate was able to send up to three voting delegates if they had registered by the deadline. The meeting began with regional reports: Scotland, Wales, Northern England, Southern England, and London each presented what they had done over the past year. These included campaign stalls, postcards to MPs, anti-racist training sessions, local marches, and youth forums.
The national coordinating team then presented a full national report: membership growth statistics, number of branch-events held, union-affiliated campaigns, and the budget. While some numbers showed positive trends, the tone emphasised that the pace needed to quicken.
Why now matters
In Britain today, racism continues not only as individual prejudice but as structural reality: in housing, employment, public services, and policing. Organisations like Stand Up to Racism argue that the struggle is both moral and strategic: when racism goes unchecked, it damages cohesion, drags down public services, and weakens the solidarity of working-class communities. With the deepening cost-of-living crisis, pressure on public services and a media environment where far-right voices gain visibility, the moment demands collective response.
At the AGM, much attention was paid to how economic hardship and social insecurity feed into scapegoating and division. The meeting highlighted that anti-racist organising must link to these economic issues — ensuring that those most affected by cuts and job insecurity are not drawn into far-right narratives. The strategy going forward is not to chase every threat reactively but to build long-term capacity: strong branches, informed communities, union activism, and youth involvement.
The wider movement and environment
The AGM recognised that the anti-racist movement in the UK does not exist in isolation. Its work intersects with trade-union struggles, community organising, migrant rights, faith networks, and local government activism. The meeting took stock of the fact that the far-right is not only mobilising on race but increasingly on economic grievance, identity politics, and local service-provision issues.
The AGM signalled that Stand Up to Racism must adapt: develop sharper responses, link anti-racism with economic justice, and make sure that the movement is not distant from the daily concerns of workers, migrants, and young people. The presence of union stewards at the meeting, voices from migrant-led organisations and community activists underlined that the agenda is broad: far beyond slogans, the focus is on practical alliances and sustained organising.
What happened on the day
The day’s schedule started with regional reports and a keynote speech by the national chair. After a short break, delegates moved into workshops, and lunch provided informal networking opportunities. After lunch, motions were debated and voted on, followed by elections for the national steering committee. The final hour was dedicated to a “community forum” where newly established local branches shared quick-fire updates: what they had done, challenges, and next steps.
Delegate feedback was positive: many said they felt more connected to the national movement, energised by hearing what others were doing, and clearer about where to focus in 2026.