Poole, Dorset – Tory record, not Starmer’s policies, will defeat government
From our Socialist Party campaign stall, the topics very much on people’s minds were the strikes by rail workers and doctors, and the deterioration of the NHS.
People also have a clear understanding of who Keir Starmer and his Labour Party represent. The one person we spoke to, who is a Labour Party member, identified Starmer as just another Tory.
There was also an understanding that no party represents ordinary working people, and agreement that a new party is required to fight for the working class.
Starmer will no doubt defeat the rotten Tories at the polls. But, from today’s conversations, more and more people are aware that it will be lost due to the abysmal Tories’ record, rather than won because of Starmer’s policies.
Mark Richards
Swansea – angry at Tories in Westminster and Labour in Wales
It is a couple of months since I took on the role as organiser for the Socialist paper in Swansea. So far, our weekly sales of the Socialist have increased week on week. Including, most recently, with 60 people in Swansea buying a Socialist paper in a week.
Campaigning on the NHS has allowed the Socialist Party to discuss directly with the public, who are very unhappy and disillusioned with both the Tory government in Westminster and the Labour government in Wales.
It gives us the opportunity to promote our socialist perspective, and promote the need for a new mass workers’ party.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve run a mid-week stall along with our regular Saturday stall. And our younger members have also been participating too. Last week we ran two stalls in the town centre.
As with most town centres, they are no longer the bustling hub of the town. So we have also tried new locations, and this has proved very successful.
It has been good to be able to support the Socialist Party, whilst talking to the public. And my enthusiasm has grown week on week.
John Morrissey
Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire – our station hit by ticket office closure
The Socialist Party was campaigning saying: “No ticket office closures. Nationalise rail. Tories out”. People were angry at these plans to save money for bosses and shareholders by cutting jobs and services.
The local train station is one that is affected by these cuts. So local people stopped at our stall, spoke with us, and signed our petition. And some had already signed the online petition to save the ticket offices.
People were concerned about how they, and other rail users, were going to be able to get correct ticket advice, train accessibility and station safety, if these closures go through. On top of the loss of rail workers’ jobs.
John Dolan
