Roger Bannister, Liverpool Socialist Party
50 people attended the Merseyside Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) meeting to discuss standing left candidates in the municipal elections in May, and in the general election, whenever it comes.
Three speakers addressed the meeting. Dave Walsh on behalf of the Socialist Party, Sam Gorst, a member of the Community Independents group of councillors on Liverpool City Council, who had all been expelled from the Labour Party for refusing to vote for a cuts budget, and Dean Young from Socialist Students.
Sam Gorst has already announced his intention to stand against the right-wing Labour MP for Garston and Halewood, Maria Eagle.
Whilst there are no council elections in Liverpool this year, there will be elections in Sefton and Knowsley, and it is important that TUSC fields candidates in as many wards as possible.
One noticeable aspect of the meeting was the number of young people in attendance, mostly members of Socialist Students, indicating that young people will engage in politics if they see the real possibility of change based on an anti-cuts, anti-war basis.
There was a good discussion, with plenty of contributions from the floor, boding well for TUSC electoral challenges on Merseyside.
