Socialists’ city-wide challenge

Dave NellistIN THIS election, for the first time, Coventry Socialist Party will contest
all three of the city’s seats. Coventry produced some of the Left’s best
results at the 2001 general election.

So in 2005 Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist will again
contest Coventry North East, former councillor Rob Windsor will again
fight Coventry South and city primary school teacher Nicky Downes will
stand in Coventry North West.

Dave Nellist said:

"This election could have the lowest turnout ever. I predict that on 5 May,
less than 50% of Coventry’s population will vote – not because people are
apathetic, but because for so many there’s no one they want to vote for.

Even with very limited resources the Socialist Party hopes now to give a
socialist alternative to people in every area of the city."

Rob Windsor added:

"This election is too important to be left to the three establishment
parties alone.

The Tory Party, who started our hospitals’ decline by cuts and
privatisation especially in ancillary services, now say they want to clean up
hospitals!

"New Labour, who created the biggest-ever gap between the rich and the
rest, now say they stand for an equal society. The Liberals claim opposition
to the war on Iraq. But when it comes to votes, such as against the war in
Coventry’s council chamber, they were missing in action!"

Nicky Downes said:

"New Labour will probably win the election, though perhaps with a lower
majority. No one wants to go back to the days of the Tories, but a change of
government in 1997 didn’t give us a real change in policies. Voting for one of
the three big establishment parties won’t change anything this time, either.

"The best way to send that message is by voting for an anti-establishment
candidate from the Socialist Party."

Former MP Dave Nellist promised that a Socialist MP would be radically
different from Coventry’s current three Labour MPs.

"We need a socialist voice for Coventry – someone who’d be a thorn in the
government’s side, mobilising opposition to cuts and redundancies outside
Parliament as well as being a genuine voice for working people and their
families in Parliament.

"If any of our candidates were elected as MP they’d take only the wage of a
skilled worker out of the MP’s salary. They’d make it a priority to campaign
alongside trade unionists, socialists and people from the communities for a
new mass party as an alternative to the three establishment ‘Tory’ parties."