Over the past decade, those who stand up against imperialism in Britain have faced an intensive campaign of demonisation, aimed at forcing them out of public life and debate.
Hostile media coverage, spurious allegations, and lawfare tactics have led to our best and brightest being excluded from public office, investigative journalists being attacked, and livelihoods being jeopardised.
In this ongoing war, many activists have fallen, or have succumbed to the pressures against them, often leading to serious reputational harm, personal financial ruin, and becoming ‘unpersons’ in mainstream political life.
Sadly, this campaign has largely been effective, and has resulted in a series of major setbacks. The organised left in Britain has been deprived of the tools and the institutions required to defend itself and to fight back.
Someone, or something, had to take on this juggernaut. Only the Left Legal Fighting Fund has answered that call.
The Fighting Fund’s mission is simple: we support activists, protesters, and whistleblowers who are under attack and in need of legal assistance, and we pioneer new methods to create wider legal change in the service of others.
Since December 2019, we’ve defended some of the leading lights of British socialism from lawfare tactics. We have stepped in to successfully support people facing ruinous libel action that could have seen their livelihoods and reputations destroyed. In the summer of 2020, we also supported Black Lives Matter protesters, arranging pro bono legal representation after they were harassed and targeted by the police.
We are distinct from a Citizens Advice Bureau or a legal clinic. Our work is wide-ranging, and we have enabled people to access services that are usually reserved for only the wealthiest and most privileged in society.
As a result of our refusal to compromise on the quality of our legal advice, we have had a high success rate, allowing us to create a virtuous circle where we can reuse our recovered funds to help others, passing on the goodwill and generosity of our donors.
This battle is not going away. We can let it overcome us, or we can fight to win. We want to turn the tables against those who are trying to destroy us, and to keep a space open for the leading lights of the British left to carry on fighting the good fight.
We are determined to institute a permanent, revolutionary model of activism on the left, in which activists can make strategic use of their legal rights not just to defend themselves but also to bring about wider, lasting changes for others.
Join the fightback by making a one-off or monthly donation.