Former Liverpool 47 councillor to give socialist challenge for mayor

“If elected I would use all the powers at my disposal to fight for everyone suffering under this relentless assault masterminded by the Con-Dem government and unfortunately carried out by Labour and the Lib Dems in the council chamber. I will seek to take back in house the vital council services that have been handed out to the privateers.”

Tony Mulhearn, veteran socialist and trade unionist, former District Labour Party president, and one of the leaders of the 1983-87 socialist council, has entered the race to be Liverpool’s first elected mayor.

The elected mayor will hold greater powers than those held by the current council leader. Tony who is standing on a clear anti-cuts platform, on behalf of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), has said:

“There is no need for these cuts. There is a £120 billion tax gap of evaded, avoided and uncollected tax. The UK holds £850 billion in banking assets. There is some £731 billion lying in the banks uninvested by big business.

The bankers continue to gorge themselves with obscene bonuses. Then there is the latest smash-and-grab raid orchestrated by George Osborne against our pensioners to fund tax-cuts for his millionaire friends. The money is there and none of these cuts need to be made.

Liverpool’s public services face obliteration until we stand up to this government and demand they return the £120 million they have stolen from our city’s funding so far.

I will propose the immediate lifting of threats to services for our children and young people and some of the most vulnerable people in our city, contained in the latest council budget.

I will propose the reversal of all the cuts made so far.

I will seek to use any new funds coming into the city to support our young people at college who are suffering the loss of their Education Maintenance Allowance, and to create real jobs.

I will demand that Liverpool’s councillors abandon their policy of implementing the cuts demanded by the Con-Dem millionaires’ government which represents the bankers, hedge fund managers and others who leech on society.

I will call for a broad city-wide campaign to defend our libraries, our hospitals, nurses and the NHS now at grave risk from a government determined to open it up to private health companies whose first priority will be to maximise profits for its shareholders.”

Tony has invited the other mayoral candidates, including the current Labour council leader Joe Anderson, to have a public debate in April. TUSC is standing candidates for the council election, also on 3 May.

TUSC election campaign meeting: Wednesday 4 April, 7.15pm Liverpool Pub (upstairs), James Street, Liverpool