Campaigns and comments: Stop the slaughter of Tamils (27) Workplace and TU campaigns (2346) Related websites |
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Leah Jones at Socialist Party congress 2008, photo Paul Mattsson Lincoln demonstration against invasion of Gaza, photo Lincoln Socialist Party The Socialist Party has a long and proud record of struggling to defend working-class people. We are involved in many campaigns throughout the UK. We support workers in industrial disputes. Socialist Party members played leading roles in important disputes in 2009, such as the successful Lindsey Oil Refinery strike in Yorkshire, the Visteon struggle in London and Belfast, and the dispute at Swansea Linamar car parts plant. We fight against student tuition fees and against privatisation of our services. We campaign for better pay, to stop council house sell-offs and for free education. We campaign against the war and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and fight for a socialist world free of war and terror. We campaign to stop the destruction and pollution of our planet and its environment. The MIlitant newspaper, now The Socialist We led Liverpool City council's battle for decent housing, jobs and services, and later defeated Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's poll tax which forced her to resign. Today we campaign for a new mass party that can draw together workers, environmental and community campaigners, anti-capitalist, anti-war and other protesters to represent and fight for the interests of ordinary people. You can join us by clicking here. No2EU candidates and supporters, including many Socialist Party members, launch the No2EU manifesto, photo D Carr Between 1983 and 1992, when we were part of the Labour Party, we had three socialist MPs - Dave Nellist, Terry Fields and Pat Wall - who lived on the average wage of the workers they were representing. No2EU candidates Dave Nellist (2nd left) and Bob Crow (right) with supporters launch the No2EU manifesto, photo D Carr They never forgot their working class roots, or the problems of those workers that elected them - unlike many political and trade union leaders who live on inflated salaries. We organise with other campaigning organisations to get councillors elected to represent the working class. The Socialist Party currently has two councillors in Coventry, two in Lewisham in London, and in Huddersfield, Socialist Party member Dr Jackie Grunsell, standing as a 'Save Huddersfield’s NHS' candidate, received 2,176 votes, a majority of over 700, on a turnout of over 49%. (See local elections below) Cecile, a student activist from Gauche Revolutionnaire (CWI in France), photo Paul Mattsson Our sister sections in the Committee for a Workers' International in places such as Australia, Ireland, Germany, Sri Lanka and Sweden also have elected councillors. Joe Higgins was a Socialist Party MP in Ireland, where he was known as the only honest man in the Irish parliament, and is now the Irish Socialist Party's MEP - a member of the European parliament, elected in 2009. Joe has only ever taken the wages of the average skilled worker in his constituency, donating the rest to fund the strugles of the working class. The CWI's German section has six councillors, while Lucy Redler has gained national prominence by helping lead a struggle against cuts in Berlin. The CWI's Swedish party has eight councillors. The Socialist Party has more than twenty members elected onto the major trade union national executives. We describe some of our campaigns briefly below. We usually report on our latest campaigns on our home page. If you want to find out more or get involved click here. Youth Fight For Jobs march 2 April 2009, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge) Jobs are being cut left, right and centre and young people are among the first to be thrown on the scrapheap. More than one million young people will be unemployed by the end of 2009. Even when the economy was growing, young people face low paid, insecure jobs. Youth Fight For jobs says: "The government has bailed out the bankers to the tune of £550 billion - we demand a bailout for the rest of us!" Youth Fight For Jobs march 2 April 2009, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge) Make Socialism Our Future: ISR / CWI banner on the Anti-G8 demonstration in 2005, photo Paul Mattsson Initiated by the Socialist Party, ISR is a democratic, broad organisation fighting for a socialist alternative to capitalism. For more details write to: ISR, PO Box 858, London, E11 1YG. Tel: 020 8558 7947. Email: againstcapitalism@hotmail.com Website: www.anticapitalism.org.uk Cambridge Socialist Students protest Socialist Students campaigns against tuition and top-up fees, for the restoration of a living grant and against the war and occupation of Iraq to name but a few. Anti-War demonstration 19 March 2005, photo Paul Mattsson The Socialist Party always opposed the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and has consistently called for the withdrawal of troops. We are part of the Stop the war coalition. Calling for a national demonstration in 2006, photo Paul Mattsson The Socialist carries many reports on healthworkers fighting low pay and privatisation, some led by Socialist Party members, such as at Whipps Cross. We have been in the leadership of many disputes and strikes and are always on hand to offer support and advice based on past experience, and to help develop struggles and solidarity from other workers. We have won representation on a number of union executives. The Socialist consistently reports on the developments in the trade union movement and battles for example against low pay and privatisation. Caution wet floor - flooding in the centre of Gloucester, photo Chris Moore For example, we have assisted local residents in Sheffield in a successful campaign to get a toxic waste disposal centre closed. The Press Officer of the campaign said of local Socialist Party members: "[The Socialist Party] for the last two years stood side by side with us as we battled against this huge multinational… [They] showed us how to protest, how to sustain it over all the time of the campaign... Now our campaign has become a blue print to what can be achieved by ordinary people against these big chemical companies." Monique at Youth Fight For Jobs Conference 2009, photo Paul Mattsson In 2009 our campaigning was focussed on issues such as the disasterous war in Sri Lanka and building the www.tamilsolidarity.org campaign and in the campaign against racism and fascism. (See also our elections pages) Jackie Grunsell, GP and councuillor, speaks at a Save Huddersfield NHS demonstration, photo Huddersfield SP Dave Nellist on the Unite Jobs demo , photo Harry Smith Coventry Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist, formerly a workers' MP on a worker's wage in Coventry, was lead candidate on the No2EU list for the West Midlands and is chair of the Campaign for a New Workers Party (CNWP). We have socialist councillors in Lewisham, Coventry and Huddersfield. As the Socialist Party grows we will get many more candidates elected. Any Socialist Party member elected will only accept the average wage of the workers they represent, so that they remain in touch with the working class communities they represent. In Lewisham, London, our Lewisham Socialist Party councillors led a campaign, along with local tenants, to convince the community not to vote for privatisation. Despite the New Labour council spending a fortune – they sent a video to every home – the campaign was successful -- and we won a second councillor in Lewisham! Fighting for Women - Rights and Socialism The CADV now has the support of 5 trade unions and hundreds of other groups. CADV website YRE logo When the Nazi nail bomber struck in London we initiated demos in Tower Hamlets and Brixton and participated in action in Soho. The Socialist Party works both independently and with other groups to fight racism, prejudice and discrimination. Would you like to find out more about the Socialist Party? Why not Contact or Join the Socialist Party? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
