
The Socialist 14 May 2014
VOTE TUSC - For the millions not the billionaires

For the millions not the billionaires
Fight back at the ballot box on 22 May
Building Labour: when workers first formed own party
Southampton: Showing what's possible
Liverpool City Council 1983-87: "We had a choice"
Why we're standing as TUSC candidates
On the campaign trail with TUSC
Ukip - the establishment's 'anti-establishment' party
Housing evictions - main parties to blame
Gove robs education budget to fund 'Free Schools'
What's socialism got to do with fighting austerity?
South Africa: The ANC victory, WASP and the EFF
Capitalist politicians can't solve Boko Haram crisis
Ireland: Election campaigns "referendum on austerity"
Care UK strike: NHS workers v NHS privatisation
PCS: Re-election of a fighting, socialist leadership
Leadership challenged at Usdaw conference
Brighton: Determined to fight college cuts
Transport workers' international meeting
Fight together for pay rise - Come to NSSN conference
Freedom Riders- action brings victory
Building TUSC, building socialism
Donate to the election appeal!
Why I joined the Socialist Party
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Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/811/18594
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Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
VOTE TUSC
For the millions, not the billionaires
Dave Nellist, Chair, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and former Labour MP 1983-1992
Britain is said to be coming out of recession, but it doesn't feel like that for most people. Millions of families are just a pay-cheque away from losing their home. One million people rely on food banks, many because of benefit sanctions imposed, often for the pettiest of reasons.
Millions of workers are either unemployed or under employed - and desperate for work. 1,500 people queued in Shropshire recently for three hours for one job at an Aldi supermarket.
And, under plans shared by ALL the big parties, it won't get any better. A Local Government Association report predicts money available to provide services such as gyms, parks, libraries and youth centres could shrink by 66% by the end of the decade.
That will add to the 360,000 local government jobs already cut under the Coalition. That period includes all of the next Parliament - whoever is in charge. Ed Miliband has signed up to the Tory spending plans if he's the next prime minister.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Labour councils say they have no choice, but they do - they can stand up for the people who elected them and refuse to implement the cuts!
This is still a very rich country but that wealth is in the wrong hands. The Sunday Times annual Rich List showed the seriously rich are getting seriously richer!
Them and us
While the problems of millions got worse in the recession, both the numbers of billionaires in Britain and their average wealth rocketed.
Many billionaires pay little or no income tax because 'clever' accountants find ways round the rules. Their tax avoidance is part of over £120 billion uncollected in taxes each year, mainly from the super-rich and big business. That's plenty of money that could be invested in decent jobs, social housing, the NHS, and many other things that would massively improve our standard of living, without any cuts to essential local services.
So what can we do about it? On 22 May, in many parts of the country, you can vote for who runs your local council. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is standing 560 anti-cuts and anti-austerity candidates in 87 towns, cities and boroughs. That's the biggest left-of-Labour challenge for 60 years.
Three-quarters of our candidates are active trade unionists - including 50 from the transport union RMT and almost 140 from Labour's biggest union backer, Unite.
Anti-bedroom tax and anti-fracking activists, anti-cuts campaigners and even people who 'made a little bit of history' - like Liverpool's Roy Dixon, whose heckle kickstarted the process that led to the new Hillsborough inquests - all are standing for TUSC.
Vote TUSC and send a message to all the parties that you and your family won't pay for the gambling and speculation of the bankers that got us into this mess. Labour takes ordinary people for granted. TUSC won't.
TUSC stands for a democratic socialist society to rationally plan our wealthy society in the interests of the people, not the billionaires. Vote for that alternative. And join us in building a new political voice for working people.
- Fight back at the ballot box - see www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/811/18617
European elections: Vote No2EU - Yes To Workers' Rights

The Socialist Party supports No2EU - Yes To Workers' Rights in the 2014 European elections
While TUSC is standing in local elections, for the European elections the Socialist Party is supporting No2EU - Yes To Workers' Rights, which is led by the RMT union.
No2EU opposes the pro-privatisation, pro-profiteering, anti-worker policies of the European Union.
No2EU says:
- Yes to workers' rights
- Exit the EU on the basis of socialist policies
- Reject EU treaties and policies that privatise our public services
- No to public spending cuts whether they come from Brussels or Britain
- Repeal anti-trade union rulings by the European Court of Justice and the EU
- Yes to international solidarity of working people
In this issue
Vote Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
For the millions not the billionaires
Fight back at the ballot box on 22 May
Building Labour: when workers first formed own party
Southampton: Showing what's possible
Liverpool City Council 1983-87: "We had a choice"
Why we're standing as TUSC candidates
On the campaign trail with TUSC
Socialist Party news and analysis
Ukip - the establishment's 'anti-establishment' party
Housing evictions - main parties to blame
Gove robs education budget to fund 'Free Schools'
Socialist Party feature
What's socialism got to do with fighting austerity?
International socialist news and analysis
South Africa: The ANC victory, WASP and the EFF
Capitalist politicians can't solve Boko Haram crisis
Ireland: Election campaigns "referendum on austerity"
Socialist Party workplace news
Care UK strike: NHS workers v NHS privatisation
PCS: Re-election of a fighting, socialist leadership
Leadership challenged at Usdaw conference
Brighton: Determined to fight college cuts
Transport workers' international meeting
Fight together for pay rise - Come to NSSN conference
Readers' reviews
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Freedom Riders- action brings victory
Building TUSC, building socialism
Donate to the election appeal!
Why I joined the Socialist Party
Related links:
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition:
Labour surrenders to Tories in Devon
Why we need socialists in London city hall
President of 'big four' Labour-affiliated trade union joins TUSC committee
Preparing to build a working-class force for May's local elections
Launching a political alternative to cuts, poverty and job losses
President of 'big four' Labour-affiliated trade union joins TUSC committee
Keep the fighting fund rushing in for a TUSC stand in May
Scottish TUSC election campaign launch
Union fight to save musicians' livelihoods
Determined to smash the fighting fund target to fuel election challenge in May