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From The Socialist newspaper, 9 May 2018
TUSC vote up in Waltham Forest but many voters stay away
Waltham Forest TUSC candidates, photo Waltham Forest Socialist Party (Click to enlarge)
Waltham Forest Socialist Party
While campaigning in Waltham Forest, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) campaigners encountered rage among people suffering under the right-wing Labour council.
It is a condemnation of these Blairites that there were life-long Labour voters considering voting Tory to punish them. TUSC stood 17 candidates to offer a socialist expression of this opposition to gentrification and austerity.
Nancy Taaffe stood against the leader of the council and got an increased vote. In fact, overall our per-candidate vote was slightly up on 2014 in the last London local elections.
Significantly it increased the most in the wards around the town square where we play a leading role in the campaign against the building of monster blocks of unaffordable flats on public space and trees.
As Nancy commented: "It looks like many people just chose to stay away to express their disgust at things.
"Let's see if this current crop of councillors look at the poor turnout and see it as a lesson that they can't just do what they want to us or whether they press ahead with the monster block, as well an intensification of austerity and all that that means for us.
"We will keep fighting the monster block and we call on the new planning committee to consider blocking full planning permission. We will be lobbying the first meeting of the new council on 24 May."
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In The Socialist 9 May 2018:
Local elections 2018
Local election results are a major warning sign for Labour
Southampton: Keith Morrell, anti-cuts councillor, re-elected
Haringey councillors need to fight austerity now
TUSC vote up in Waltham Forest but many voters stay away
TUSC stands against Birmingham council's cuts and attacks on workers
Strong TUSC result in Huddersfield
France '68
France '68: History's greatest general strike erupts
Socialist Party news and analysis
US president suggests gun control to blame for London knife deaths
Use TUC march as launch pad for action on pay
Breast cancer screening scandal
Israel/Palestine
Socialists fight for Palestinian liberation and workers' unity
Socialists in Israel-Palestine reject establishment antisemitism charge against Jeremy Corbyn
Obituaries
Roger Shrives, 5 April 1947 - 1 May 2018
Keith Pattenden 28 September 1955 - 1 May 2018
Obituary: Tony Byrne 1939 - 2018
Socialist Party workplace news
Hull Energy Works: Unofficial strike action reinstates victimised workers
Defend Hull FE College - defend our city!
Victory against academisation at Avenue Primary
Firefighters ballot for action
PCS: A fighting strategy to defeat the Tory pay cap
International socialist news and analysis
Teachers revolt in Trump country
China: Impressive, coordinated and daring crane drivers' strikes
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