Socialist Party election campaign launched
LAST WEEKEND the Socialist Green Unity Coalition officially
launched its general election campaign.
The coalition is an electoral agreement between different
socialist organisations to make sure we maximise the potential
socialist vote in the coming election.
Dave Nellist, the former Labour MP and now leader of the
Socialist Party group on Coventry city council, explained:
"We are standing to give voters a chance to elect
candidates who will represent the millions not millionaires.
"We believe that the New Labour party of Blair and Brown
has deprived the working class of political representation, and we
want to restore a workers' voice in politics.
"We believe MPs should earn the average wage of a skilled
worker and we are standing to give voters a chance to elect
representatives who will not profit personally from
election."
Socialist Green Unity Coalition will contest up to 30 seats. In
the Socialist Party we are standing in: Bootle, Brighton Kemptown,
Bristol North West, Cardiff South and Penarth, Coventry North East,
Coventry South, Leicester West, Lewisham Deptford, Newcastle East
and Wallsend, Sheffield Heeley, Stoke-on-Trent Central, Swansea
West, Wakefield, Walthamstow, Wythenshawe and Sale East.
In the last general election Dave Nellist received the highest
percentage votes of any left candidate in England and Wales (7.5%).
Dave explained why we will be able to build on that in 2005:
"In Coventry we have Labour MPs voting in favour of the
Bain report, which laid the foundation for cuts in the fire
service, and then locally campaigning when two fire engines are
taken off night service in Radford and Foleshill. They pose
locally as the champions of local services whilst nationally
they're taking decisions which lead to those cuts.
The same is true about post offices. We've had about eleven
post offices close in Coventry. Local Labour MPs have said they
support the campaign against those closures. But they supported
the Post Office nationally in its "network reinvention"
programme, which speaks of closing 3,000 post offices and getting
rid of 30,000 jobs.
The only way we're going to break through those lies at local
and national level is when working people have genuine political
representatives which really campaign and speak on their
behalf."
If you would like a copy of the Socialist Party election
manifesto, or would like to help us in any of our campaigns phone
020 8988 8777 or email [email protected]
