I have to say the events this weekend were extraordinary. Morgan Tsvangirai was shouted down by Zimbabwean exiles in the Southwark Cathedral Zimbabwean community consultation meeting on Saturday.

About 3,000 were crammed into this 12th century medieval building in the heart of central London. adorned with a Zimbabwean painted icon and an artwork map of the country containing soil from each of the country's regions.

The day began peacefully enough with a Zimbabwean women,s church choir singing, with the Bishop giving the eulogy to Susan Tsvangirai and then leading the Lord's Prayer. There was then the singing of the national anthem before Morgan Tsvangirai came to the pulpit to rapturous applause. He was well received to begin with, outlining how difficult it was but that there was some hope at last in Zimbabwe. He mentioned the violence of Zanu PF in passing but said that the balance of forces in the GNU were neither Zanu PF being coopted or cooppting the MDC-T or vice versa - that it was a government of equals. He then said that hospitals, schools and businesses were now open - but that difficult decisions lay ahead still and that there was a need for national reconciliation.

However after 5 minutes his speech was interrupted to howls of NO and 'Mugabe Must Go' when he said it was time for Zimbabweans to return and that 'peace and stability' had returned to Zimbabwe. Many in the crowd obviously knew that people are still being arrested - and shouted as such back to him. For a full 5 minutes about a third of the crowd chanted 'Chinga' and “Mugabe Must Go” at him. He was forced to leave the stage and had to be rescued twice by the Deacon of Southwark, south London, appealing for calm in the audience and for people to listen to the Prime Ministers answers.

Much to the annoyance of the church authorities, several people carried banners and placards - one said "Morgan: Where is Tonderai?" referring to a kidnapped and missing political activists. Another said "Mugabe Must Go". Activists from ROHR (Human rights group)and Zimbabwe Peace Vigils in central London were present in force. Zimbabaweans from all over Britain were present.

Morgan was unable to complete his preapred speech so the there was then an extended question and answer session for 1 hour with a roving microphone, but the questions were very critical indeed. One woman said the hospitals, schools and shops are now open and shelves full of goods from South Africa, but as there are no jobs she said "where do we get the money to buy the things there or to pay the schools and health fees"? However the crowd was divided 50/50 between MDC loyalists and those very sceptical of the GNU. It is clear that many of them feel betrayed by the MDC going into government with Mugabe. As one questioner put it: "If Mugabe still holds power over the armed froces and the police - how can it be safe to go back?'

Another man said he was from the rural areas and fled for his life under Zanu PF and police assault. How can it be safe for him to return there if the same people were in power locally? Morgan's answers were bland, vague and under pressure he did not cope well..

The most revealing part of his speech was that the GNU was an 'evolutionary process.' He even said Zimbabweans have 'a choice between evolutionary or revolutionary change' advocating an 'evolutionary process' as the best way to harness the talents of all Zimbabweans.

It was clear that many in the UK diaspora audience have gone way beyond him and realise that a revolutionary overthrow of the Mugabe regime is both necessary and unavoidable.

What the people in Southwark were shown was the abject failure of leadership of Tsvangirai and the MDC to offer such a course of action. Being in government has made no difference to a regime that is still arresting and killing MDC and opposition supporters, most notably WOZA/MOZA demonstrators clubbed off the streets of Bulawayo by police just days before. A similar diaspora meeting in South Africa recently had the same vocally sceptical and critical response from an exiled community who know that it's neither safe nor economcially vaible to return home.

The mood of local MDC-UK leaders seemed very defensive and embarrassed at the clear disrespect shown for their Prime Minister and leader, but it was not personal it was political. The GNU's emergency economic programme, the STERP, introduced in March will only add further to the problems as it effectively completes the IMF-inspired privatisation of the main parstatals in the economy. This just at the point where protective state nationalisation is in vogue in Europe and America in response to the global economic crisis. The sado-monetarist market ideologues of the Zimbabwean middle and upper classes which dominates economic policy in the MDC-T are set on a counter-revolutionary course to inflict the full pain and suffering for the economic vandalism committed by Zanu PF dictatorship upon the working class and poor.

The MDC UK which has 4,000 members in Britain is facing severe pressure of the needs of its members and supporters - many of whom are facing potential forced repatriation as a result of Gordon Brown's racist asylum system. The fate of over 12,000 refused Zimbabwean asylum seekers hangs in the balance as Tsvangirai meets the British Prime Minister at Downing Street today. Some amongst them may have misplaced illusions in the possibility of UK or even US foreign military intervention to remove the Mugabe regime - though that is definitely not on the cards.

But sooner or later Zimbabweans abroad will have to start answering the political question of the day - because they have the freedom while abroad to do so. What kind of leadership is required to overthrow Robert Mugabe and the Zanu PF regime? That inevitably must be a socialist-led, anti-capitalist party of the working people and the poor of Zimbabwe.

It is now time for socialists in Britain to show real active solidarity for the only social movements currently mounting any real challenge to neo-liberalism in Zimbabwe - the International Socialist Organisation of Zimbabwe (ISO-Z); the Zimbabwe Social Forum and the Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise! (WOZA/MOZA) and the few ZCTU trade unions still left standing - the printers, teachers and health workers. Let us help spread the word of socialist solutions to Zimbabwe's crisis and help them build a new grassroots anti-capitalist movement. We must help our comrades by leading political discussions and organising public meetings with our friends in the MDC and the Zimbabwean exile communities.