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Regional secretary with the National Education Union
Rejuvenated roots can make Labour an irresistible force
A trip to Belgium for the Manifiesta fete gets NICK WRIGHT thinking about the similarities – and differences – between Britain’s Labour Party and the Belgian Workers Party
The Morning Star supporters' Pedal4Progress team make a point at Nato HQ on their way to Belgium's Manifiesta fete

BREDENE is a beach resort a short tram ride along the dunes from Ostend where the annual Manifiesta fete of the Belgian Workers Party — the PTB/PvdA — is sited. The fete attracts large crowds from across the country’s two linguistic communities.

The fete grounds are built around the marquees of the various French- and Dutch-speaking provinces where local food, excellent Belgian beer, entertainment and argument maintains a party atmosphere shot through with serious debates, comedy and music.

Last Saturday the Morning Star’s cycling equipe Pedal4Progress arrived at the Manifiesta after a solidarity ride that went from Maastricht, the site of the eponymous treaty that ushered in EU austerity, spending limits and private finance initiatives to the Brussels headquarters of the Nato war alliance. 

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