Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, addresses the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition rally in Doncaster, photo A Tice (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)
TUSC Mary4Mayor campaign launched in Doncaster
Alistair Tice, Yorkshire Socialist Party
Mary Jackson, photo Mary4Mayor
It was not the easiest week to start the Mary4Mayor election campaign with snow and freezing temperatures and the Easter holidays.
But Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) supporters have been busy in Doncaster promoting our socialist anti-cuts candidate Mary Jackson and the 2 April election launch rally, with RMT rail union leader Bob Crow and former ‘Liverpool 47’ councillor Tony Mulhearn speaking.
Doncaster RMT, who are enthusiastically backing Mary, and other local union branches of Unison, Prison Officers Association, Communication Workers Union, Unite ex-Tesco drivers and South Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union have publicised the meeting, without all necessarily yet indicating electoral support.
Staff at the council offices and Jobcentre have been leafleted, along with bin workers who took successful strike action last year.
TUSC supporters joined rail union members in leafleting against the McNulty cuts proposals and also spoke to CWU pickets on strike at the Crown Post Office.
Campaign stalls have been held in Doncaster town centre, as well as Thorne (where Mary has lived for 40 years), Mexborough and Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
There is real anger against the Bedroom Tax, rightly seen as victimising the poorest in society.
No evictions!
If elected, Mary has promised that there will be no evictions in Doncaster for bedroom tax arrears and that she will look into reclassifying council properties as not having ‘spare’ bedrooms.
The current mayor, Peter Davies, was elected four years ago as an English Democrat, but has just ‘discovered’ that they have been infiltrated by ex-BNP members and resigned to stand as an independent.
The English Democrats say they are mainly ex-Tories! There is likely to be at least four far-right candidates.
Countering this, Mary says: “Ordinary people need an alternative to the pro-cuts agenda of all three main parties, and of the racist far right who try to scapegoat immigrants instead of the greedy capitalists and bankers who got us in this mess.”
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is an electoral alliance that stands candidates against all cuts and privatisation.
It involves the RMT transport workers’ union, leading members of other trade unions including the PCS, FBU, NUT and POA, and socialist organisations including the Socialist Party.
www.tusc.org.uk
Added on 3rd April:
A successful meeting last night (April 2nd) launched Mary Jackson’s election campaign for Doncaster mayor. 60 attended including a lot of RMT rail union activists and the Lindholme prison POA branch secretary.
Great speeches were made by Joe Robinson – the 21 year old newly elected TUSC councillor in Maltby, Mary Jackson, Tony Mulhearn – one of the Liverpool 47 councillors who fought Thatcher in the 80s, and Bob Crow – RMT general secretary.
Over £250 was raised to help fund the campaign, and lots of offers to help were made.
