CHRIS FLOOD has been elected as a second Socialist Party councillor in the Telegraph Hill area of Lewisham, south London. He defeated New Labour in a local by-election.
“It’s fantastic” Chris told the socialist. “We won clearly by 100 votes, not only beating Labour but also beating another community campaign. The results show the solid support we built up locally through the work of Socialist Party councillor Ian Page “.
“At almost every door we knocked on the day of the election the answer was ‘Yes, I voted for Chris’ or ‘I’m voting Socialist'”, said Keith who was helping in the election campaign. “Our campaign and Ian’s record reached out to a new layer – the young people, including some first-time voters. At the other end of the age range pensioners, some previously lifelong Labour supporters, turned out for us.
“We have built up the kind of rock solid loyalty in this working-class community that the Labour Party used to have and took for granted”.
Lois, another campaigner told us: “Local issues were important, so was the war with Iraq. But many of the people I spoke to were clearly voting socialist.”
Chris added: “The significance of this vote is that we now have two Socialist Party councillors in the Telegraph Hill ward and Labour have none. This will have a big effect in Lewisham and lets us raise more widely ideas about building an alternative to the left of New Labour”.
