Tony Mulhearn has entered the race to be Liverpool’s first elected mayor. The veteran socialist and trade unionist, former District Labour Party president and one of the leaders of the socialist council in 1983-87, has announced he is seeking nomination to stand.
Tony said:
I intend to provide the real anti-cuts alternative to council leader Joe Anderson’s vision of savage cuts today and pie-in-the-sky promises for the distant future.
Tony is standing on a clear anti-cuts platform, as part of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC).
TUSC is backed by union leaders such as Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union and Chris Baugh, assistant general secretary of the PCS. It is also backed by the Socialist Party of which Tony is a member.
Tony explained:
There is no need for these cuts. There is a £120 billion tax gap of evaded, avoided and uncollected tax.
The UK holds £850 billion in banking assets. There is some £170 billion lying in the banks uninvested.
The bankers continue to gorge themselves with obscene bonuses. Then there is the latest smash-and-grab raid orchestrated by George Osborne against our pensioners to fund tax cuts for his millionaire friends.
The money is there and none of these cuts need to be made. Liverpool’s public services face obliteration unless and until we stand up to this government and demand they return the £120 million they have stolen from our city’s funding so far.
The elected mayor will hold greater powers than currently held by the council leader.
Tony added:
If elected I would use all the powers at my disposal to fight for everyone suffering under this relentless assault masterminded by the Con-Dem government and unfortunately carried out by my Labour and Lib Dem opponents and their associates in the council chamber.
- I will seek to take back in-house the vital council services that have been handed out to the privateers.
- I will propose the immediate lifting of threats to services for our children and young people and some of the most vulnerable people in our city, contained in the latest council budget.
- I will propose the reversal of all the cuts made.
- I will seek to use any new funds coming into the city to support our young people at college who are suffering the loss of their Education Maintenance Allowance, and to create real jobs.
- I will demand that Liverpool’s councillors abandon their policy of implementing the cuts demanded by the Con-Dem millionaires’ government which represents the bankers, hedge fund managers and others who leach on society.
- I will call for a broad city-wide campaign to defend our libraries, our hospitals, nurses etc. The NHS is now at grave risk from a government determined to open it up to private health companies whose first priority will be to maximise profits for shareholders.
Tony is not standing alone. Candidates from TUSC are seeking nomination for council.
Tony said:
I am proud to urge support for trade unionists, young people and socialists who intend standing for the council as part of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.
All the parties in the council chamber have shamefully voted to carry out eye-watering cuts decided in Whitehall and Westminster by the bankers’ best friends.
I and my colleagues in the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition say the bankers brought on this crisis, let them pay for it!
Finally, Tony issued a challenge to his former Labour colleague Joe Anderson and the other candidates:
Let us debate the issues in front of the public, in April, in a city centre venue open to all and free of charge.
To all those who can get involved in Tony’s election campaign, you are invited to a campaign meeting to be held in the Liverpool pub (upstairs), James Street, Liverpool on Wednesday, 4 april 2012 at 7.15pm
Tony Mulhearn can be contacted for comment on 07939 098 455, or via his campaign team Alec 07411 362 448 and Dave 07969 511 796
