Wakefield Reform cuts school uniform grants
John Vasey, Wakefield Socialist Party
We held a campaign stall in the town centre to protest Wakefield’s newly elected Reform council withdrawing the grant for school uniforms.
Despite Reform’s sweeping victory in May, we enjoyed encouraging support from those who backed our demand to reinstate the grant, keen to express outrage against the attack. A senior citizen related how her generation, in the past, had relied on some of the benefits that had been won by struggle, and how the school uniform grant was a continuation of this.
A party aiming to answer the needs of ordinary working people is not one expounding Reform-type bigotry, targeting gains made by the working class, or scapegoating a particular section of it. A workers’ party is one that unites all of our class to get the wealth that has been taken by the exploiters.
Cardiff opposes data centre scrapping ‘park and ride’
John Williams, Cardiff Socialist Party
Big business and Labour-run Cardiff Council are seriously thinking about putting a data centre in Pentwyn, scrapping the east Cardiff ‘park and ride’.
We got out campaigning on the issue. The response was amazing.
People immediately started approaching us, angry at what was being proposed. Everyone has heard about it.
Countless people said they use the ‘park and ride’, including NHS workers. Some people were unsure what to think.
We explained that, in principle, we aren’t against data centres if they’re needed. But the issue is who makes the decision on where to put them?
At the moment, big business does – while ripping up a vital service in Cardiff. It’s not ordinary working-class people who get to decide where it goes. That argument convinced every person who was unsure.
We raised £110, with people donating to support our campaigning, including 24 people buying the Socialist paper. And met two more people interested in the Socialist Party.
Cardiff Socialist Party is very happy to support this campaign. We put forward our demand for a socialist alternative to Labour, so we have parties in power fighting for us, and for nationalisation of the data centre companies, so the working class can decide where they’re put and how they’re used.
Croydon cuts worsen knife crime
Ben Goldstone, Croydon and Sutton Socialist Party
We met a local parent who was interested in the Socialist Party on our campaign stall. He was drawn in by our youth knife crime poster and petition.
He agreed wholly that austerity and cuts to youth services were a major cause of the problem, saying how much had changed and been stripped back whilst he has lived here.
We also had interest from passers-by in our Socialism 2026 flyer.
