Dora Polenta

I want to stand for the Labour National Policy Forum because I believe socialism is not merely an aspiration but a living practice, forged through collective struggle and democratic participation. Throughout my political life, I have worked to connect grassroots organising with formal political structures, understanding that transformative change emerges from the dialogue and tension between movements and institutions. Labour must be rooted in solidarity, internationalism and anti-imperialism, with an uncompromising commitment to anti-racism, intersectional feminism and trans rights. The NPF is a critical space where that political direction must be shaped and defended.

As a borough councillor and activist, I have helped develop policies grounded in care, mutual aid and community power, informed by lived experience rather than managerial abstraction. My political practice has been embedded in social movements, mutual aid networks and local government, where I have seen communities organise collectively, particularly during the pandemic, when solidarity filled the gaps left by austerity and state retreat.

I want to bring this organising experience to the NPF to ensure members’ voices drive bold, redistributive and democratic policy: defending public goods, expanding sanctuary for refugees, confronting inequality and imperial violence, and building a green, caring economy rooted in social justice.