Sheffield – support, sun and socialism
Boris Johnson’s resignation left us expectant of the public’s reaction as we set up our Socialist Party campaign stall on 9 July. And we weren’t disappointed.
“Johnson’s a gonna, now get all the Tories out,” put a smile on people’s faces as they walked past or stopped to sign our petitions. Everyone was glad to see the back of Boris and are enjoying the Tories tearing themselves apart.
Nobody disagreed when we said: “Keir Starmer is rubbish too, we need somebody to stand up for working-class people” – which is why “support the rail strikes, we all need a pay rise” drew more solidarity responses as well. Everyone is in the same boat – prices through the roof, no wage rise and can’t afford to live.
The RMT strikes have transformed the mood. The Tory crisis shows we can win.
A guy in a James Connolly t-shirt bought a Socialist paper, as did a Swedish women’s football fan whose father is a railworker, a group of young lads, a couple of young women and an ex-shop steward.
25 people bought the Socialist in two hours, our best Socialist Party stall for weeks. And we collected £50 in Fighting Fund donations.
A young midwifery student described how staff shortages were damaging the NHS, and filled in a card to join the Socialist Party. As did two other young people. Support, sun and socialism put smiles on our faces too.
Alistair Tice
Leeds: “Has he actually gone?”
On our Socialist Party campaign stall, we found lots of anger. People want a pay rise.
People came over to talk about strikes, and how workers can fight back. One of our first was a friend of striking Arriva bus workers. They wanted to say how effective strike action had been.
No one was sad to see Boris Johnson go. But people asked: “Has anything changed?” The replacements will be just as bad, and wouldn’t help with the cost-of-living crisis.
People told us that Boris Johnson is not unique. “Too many MPs are the same, only there for what they can get, we need to make them accountable to their constituents”.
Another said that workers should be able to get rid of MPs if they’re not representing them, and that Labour is just as bad and doesn’t have any solutions.
Lots of suspicion about Johnson leaving, with several people asking: “Has he actually gone?” Others could only express their feelings about Johnson by swearing.
People donated over £40 to help our campaigns to get all the Tories out.
Michael Johnson
