TUSC’s election broadcast – “at last – a left wing alternative”


On the evening of Friday 17 April the TUSC party political broadcast aired on all five terrestrial TV channels. It can be seen on YouTube (“Vote TUSC against CUTS – TUSC election broadcast”). Here are just some of the responses from viewers.

@HodgkinsTara

@Trews @rustyrockets just seen an ad on this new TUSC party. What d’you reckon on them? I’ve never voted either but are these the ones for us?

@flowerchucker

Discovered TUSC today. At last, a left wing alternative. Considering switching my vote #tusc15 #GE2015

@perfecttruth

@LincolnTUSC @TUSCoalition i never heard of TUSC before your ad on channel 4! Wow you have my vote.

@jonainscough

“Richest five families own more than the poorest 12 million in UK”, these guys seem a genuine alternative #TUSC @TUSCoalition

@LDubSimon

@TUSCoalition An excellent PPB! What the Labour Party should be about if they had any guts! Glad to see a #TUSC candidate in my constituency

@wmichallat

At last a party to vote for #getin #TUSC #TradeUnionandSocialistCoalition

@spinningthedisc

I should look into TUSC party…sound – getting rid of anti-trade union laws

@jonainscough

Why have I only just heard of #tusc? That party election broadcast was like music to my ears #ELECTION2015


I turned the TV on after tea on Friday evening trying to find something to watch – something that didn’t involve listening to short-sighted and bankrupt political posturing – when I saw a familiar face.

“That’s Tony Mulhearn”, I shouted at the TV screen. Then there was Nancy Taaffe and Dave Nellist and this whole array of people putting over a clear and simple political message about not accepting austerity measures.

I have never felt so proud in all my life as I was sat there listening to that TUSC message for the election.

I spent many years with the Socialist Party and Militant (its forerunner) but to be honest I had lost a little faith in the last few years. However, that broadcast gave it all back to me. Well done TUSC and keep up the fight.

Greg Moran

One of our TUSC candidates, a Unite shop steward, told us his daughter had rung him after watching the broadcast to say how proud she was of him for being part of TUSC.

A woman in Jarrow constituency who is displaying our TUSC poster in her window had a knock at her door from her postman – he wanted to know more about TUSC!

Elaine Brunskill

Following the broadcast, TUSC supporters around the country were out on the streets campaigning louder and pinker than ever! Here are just some of the reports.

Cardiff

We held a protest against the latest cuts planned for the youth service in Cardiff. 140 youth workers were sacked by the Labour council last April, but that’s just the beginning. In July, street-based youth-workers will have their hours slashed. In six months’ time, once the election is safely out of the way, the Labour council plans to close half of youth centres completely.

We are losing our youth service because we do not have representatives who are willing to stand up and fight the cuts.

The reason these parties are either openly embracing austerity or opposing it in words until the slightest pressure is put on them is because none of them are rooted in the communities and organisations of ordinary working-class people – those who are at the sharp end of the cuts. We can’t trust the existing mass parties to act for us – we’ve got to do the job ourselves and build a new party.

Ross Saunders

East Lancashire

Supporters were out in Rawtenstall for my campaign as TUSC parliamentary candidate for Rossendale and Darwen and promoting our petition for a £10 an hour minimum wage and to scrap zero hour contracts.

The bus drivers, who are paid as little as £7.20 an hour, were particularly keen. One took my entire stock of ‘£10 an hour’ leaflets to distribute on his bus!

Simon Thomas

Derby

Seven TUSC supporters were out in Derby for four hours. One Unite member said he has contacted Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, and told him to stop funding the Labour Party.

Charlie Taylor

Huddersfield

One eight year old was telling his dad TUSC had been on telly when he saw our banners. We ran two stalls with 15 people, half of them new to campaigning. It went really well and all of our supporters are delighted!

Mike Forster

Hull

If there is one thing clear from the streets of Hull on Saturday it’s what would be possible if TUSC had the constant media publicity of the establishment parties.

A Teaching Assistant said that she had been thinking of voting Ukip as an alternative but the more she found out, the less she liked them. Now she had “found” TUSC, which is the real alternative she had been looking for.

One Unite activist had invited other stewards and activists to come round and watch the broadcast in his house. He kept repeating how brilliant the broadcast was and made a donation to the campaign.

Mike Whale

Manchester

We held a TUSC campaign stall in the city centre. We talked to lots of people who wanted to support TUSC, including one PCS member who took a large bunch of leaflets for their workmates. Later TUSC candidates joined the 38 Degrees anti-TTIP day of action photo-shoot.

Hugh Caffrey

Medway

Brilliant weekend! Three stalls in the Medway towns with around 20 activists, plus a rally in Chatham.

Chas Berry

Milton Keynes

A great response in Milton Keynes! We spoke to quite a lot of young people who were a lot more interested and knowledgeable than the main parties would have you believe! One has his 18th birthday a week after the election and is gutted he can’t vote TUSC.

Katie Simpson

Salford

As Saturday was a global day of action against TTIP TUSC did a protest early on Saturday morning (before doing two hustings and a stall) outside our local hospital Salford Royal, to protest about the threat to the NHS from TTIP.

We discussed the broadcast as we’d all seen it the night before. Best comment from a TUSC and NHS activist, Chris Hadfield: “refreshingly uncompromising and absolutely f*ing reasonable”

Paul Gerrard

Tower Hamlets

We had fun on the TUSC stall in Chrisp St market. The broadcast really made a difference. As we were setting up one man stopped and said: “Was that you on the TV last night? Can I take some info for my wife?” Just before we packed up the last comment was: “Some common sense at last!”

Naomi Byron

Waltham Forest

16 supporters took part in a stall on Walthamstow market campaigning for rent control and in defence of our local hospital, Whipps Cross, which has been put into special measures and is facing cuts.

One woman excitedly approached the stall saying: “we were in a dilemma, didn’t know who to vote for. Then we saw you on the TV, all those different people talking about the things that matter. And we thought, that’s the one! TUSC is the one!”

Sarah Wrack