STUSC candidates speak

Scotland

STUSC candidates speak

At the TUSC launch in Dundee, Solidarity co-convenor and STUSC candidate for Glasgow South West, Tommy Sheridan said: “Whilst the bookies and the chattering classes speculate on who will win the next general election it is already clear who the losers will be.

“Pensioners, the sick, the unemployed, the poor and working class communities the length and breadth of the country will find themselves under increasing attack as the political consensus of the main parties scapegoats them for the financial crisis.

“The manifesto prepared by TUSC and STUSC shows that we are unequivocally on the side of those people who will suffer the most, whichever one of the three main parties wins the general election.”

Jim McFarlane, the STUSC candidate for Dundee West added: “We didn’t create this crisis. It was caused by the policies and actions of the bankers, the rich capitalists and their friends from the main political parties, who put greed and profits before the interests of ordinary working class people.

“A vote for STUSC is a vote to bring banks and financial institutions into genuine public ownership under democratic control, instead of giving huge handouts to the very capitalists who caused the crisis.”

Edinburgh East candidate Gary Clark is the assistant branch secretary of the Scotland No2 branch of the postal workers’ union the CWU.

Gary has played a leading role in many of the strikes the posties have been involved in over the last few years in defence of jobs, working conditions and the postal industry.

Gary said: “I am standing to make sure that there is a political voice in this election arguing to keep Royal Mail a publicly owned service, not a privatised cash cow”.

Brian Smith is the candidate for Glasgow South. Brian is the branch secretary of Glasgow city Unison and a leader of the Defend Glasgow’s Services campaign, which was set up by Glasgow Unison and community activists in response to the savage cuts planned by the city council.

Ray Gunnion is standing in Motherwell and Wishaw, backed by the RMT Council of Executives and the local RMT branch.

Rail workers’ leader Bob Crow said: “I am delighted to have Ray as part of our team of socialists and trade unionists fighting against the proposed cuts and attacks on offer from all the other parties.

“Ray has a tremendous track record of fighting for working class communities over many years and has played a key role in defending essential local services including the three A&E units across Lanarkshire.”