Ben Edge, Northampton Socialist Party
Palestine protesters are disgusted to learn that local NLive Radio is not inviting any anti-war candidates to its upcoming hustings. Only Labour, Tory, Lib Dem, and Reform UK candidates have been invited to the live discussion.
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), the Green Party, and the Workers Party have all been snubbed. Instead, their input has been demoted to a prerecorded interview that the station will play after the event.
Palestine protests
NLive Radio is hiding behind the excuse that it is following Ofcom’s guidance. However, campaigners in Student Voices for Palestine wrote to NLive asking for a more inclusive debate, and a chance to hear from all candidates directly. Meanwhile, Socialist Party member Katie Simpson, who is standing for TUSC, and the Workers Party’s Khalid Razzaq have both spoken out at local Palestine protests against their exclusion.
NLive Radio is owned by the University of Northampton, via an enterprise subsidiary. In February, protesters marched across the campus, part of a national student walkout. They urged the university to cut ties with companies linked to the Israeli military.
The station broadcasts on campus from St. John’s Halls of Residence. In November, Socialist Students led a protest against sky-high rent and squalid conditions, winning a victory, focusing on St. John’s Halls.
