Yesterday's Mayday Rally at the Brian Clough statue organised by the Nottingham and Mansfield Trades Union Council recounted the gains of the Labour movement over the past year and spoke of current struggles against the Bedroom tax in particular. The rostrum almost shone with the hard work of the labour left in defeating the tory monster in the County.

However as soon as the march arrived it was clear a petition to the Trades Council from feminists about the speakers list had been completely ignored.

A disgraceful display of unity

A larger than usual Socialist Workers Party contingent had obviously turned out to defend overt support in the region - by self-identified SWP members - for their Central Committee's disgraceful dismissal of rape 'allegations' in the party. The Party's dealing with this in recent months has already resulted in many members leaving, and protests at conferences from those who did not leave.

But from the display yesterday it appears that denial was very much on the cards with at least one SWPer even suggesting the whole thing had been made up by the tabloids and that they did not believe rapes had even happened. Some much for past decades of feminist advancments where dismissing a women's experience became unacceptable. Moreover at the start of the speeches 'SWP women' were called to the front by one of the other Central Committee open letter signatories, who perhaps seemed fearful of a 'no platform' attempt. This did not arise, only boos and walkings-off when 'Richard B' came forward to speak. This behaviour smacks more of a cult who cannot believe their leader to be infalliable.

As for the Nottingham and Mansfield Trades Union Council, they appear to believe in unity at all costs. This is precisely the problem of a (still) male-dominated trade union movement that cannot allow a sliver of dissent and will happily side-line concerns from the wider activist community about a very serious gender issue - which means that a place we may wish to act can no longer be considered a 'safe space'.

So it was the usual self-congratulatory show that mostly repeated last year's fiasco where a Notts Labour MP who was mired in the expenses scandal was invited by Notts TUC inspite of protests by anarchists and other autonomous groups and individuals, who count among them long-standing union members. This year, the extent of denial about what has happened in the SWP, and those involved in the region with supporting their Central Committee's dismissal of rape 'allegations' within the Party, is serious, and demands a proper response.