The "European Social Forum London bid" has been rolling ahead over the last two months: venues have been provisionally booked, bank accounts opened, the group's legal status investigated, website providers looked into, and decisions as to program group process been advanced and discussed.

Yet not without criticism. So far the process has been accused of including progressively smaller and harder to attend committees being formulated, who then attempted to declare defunct the existing programme workgroup and start a new one (minutes - 5th and 8th Feb); "rights of exclusion" being enacted (minutes - 12th & 13th Feb) - after people were excluded from a meeting - that are directed specifically towards journalists; suggestions by the Greater London Authority (GLA) that the entire event may have to be postponed for a year (report), ironic considering that grassroots groups originally suggested exactly that last year; and a Brazilian-based WSF organiser pointing out that the driving of the UK ESF process by the Labour-affiliated GLA is against World Social Forum principles (see Item 8).

The UK ESF Organising Committee will meet on Sunday 29 February at the GLA, 12-4 pm. [Tube: London Bridge]. The purpose of the meeting will be to agree to the proposal that is to be presented to the European preparatory meeting. The European Assembly will take place on March 6, 10am-5pm and March 7 10am-1pm at the GLA, Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA [Tube: London Bridge].

Reports: Bulldozer to the ESF | WSF2ESF: report back from India | ESF2004.net - un'official'/independent site | Balanced and Objective ESF 2004 Report | ESF Wiki | Machievelli and the ESF ... and more appearing on the ESF topic newswire all the time.