All Organisations subcategories:
Committee for a Workers International
Nationalist and National Liberation
Pro capitalist and Imperialist
Left and radical keywords:
International Socialist Resistance (54)
Revolutionary Communist League (1)
Socialist Peoples Party (Denmark) (1)
Green
Highlight keywords |
Print this article
Search site for keywords: Lewisham - London - Socialist - Socialist Party - Labour - Green - Chris Flood - Ian Page
Lewisham: socialists will be at forefront of struggle
Ian Page, Chris Flood and Jess Leech won our best votes ever in the council elections for the Telegraph Hill ward of Lewisham, south London. But this increased support for socialist candidates, and the fantastic support we have received during the campaign, was not enough to overcome national factors.
Chris Newby, London Socialist Party
The three Labour candidates won, reflecting the fear of what a returning Tory government would mean, rather than any support for the attacks of the Labour government and the minority Labour council in Lewisham.
This mood was best summed up by one voter who had gone into the polling booth with the intention of voting for the Socialist Party candidates yet, at the last minute, succumbed to the fear of the Tories getting in and rubbed out the crosses next to the Socialist Party candidates and voted Labour instead.
The fact that this election was held at the same time as the general election resulted in increased votes for some of the parties with a national profile. In Telegraph Hill the Liberal Democrat vote increased by over 300% on the 2006 result.
The Green Party had made the Lewisham Deptford constituency one of its three main target seats in the general election under their "target to win" strategy. The Telegraph Hill ward is a part of this constituency. Partly as a result of their national profile and this extra concentration on the area, the Green vote in Telegraph Hill more than doubled from 2006.
The Socialist Party has repeatedly made attempts to come to an agreement locally with the Greens in an attempt to maximise the vote against the three main parties. Yet the Green Party has consistently rebuffed these approaches. Sue Luxton, a recently defeated Green councillor in Lewisham, commented in 2008 that there was no way in hell she would support a decision not to stand in Telegraph Hill in 2010 ie against the Socialist Party!
Yet the Greens also suffered from the prevailing national mood losing five of their six Lewisham council seats to Labour that now has a big majority on Lewisham council. The elections in 2006 produced a hung council with Labour being the largest party. Labour now has no-one to hide behind when it implements savage cuts.
Lewisham People before Profit, a local coalition in which the Socialist Party participates, stood in every ward in Lewisham with the exception of Telegraph Hill and gained some creditable votes.
A fighting record
In spite of this defeat in the election Lewisham Socialist Party will not be going away. As Chris Flood said in our election meeting, we have a record, which is second to none, of standing up and fighting in the interests of the working class in Lewisham. During the election campaign we were often contacted by those who had received our leaflets and agreed with us. We met many people who are interested in finding out more about and joining the Socialist Party, including someone who works at the Ford plant in Dagenham, east London.
Our message throughout this campaign was that there are big attacks on services in Lewisham coming, both from the government and Lewisham council.
While Labour will attempt to use its council majority to push through a cuts package of £50 to £60 million, we will make sure that we are in the forefront of the struggles to oppose these cuts alongside workers in Lewisham.
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
LATEST POSTS
12 May Stop Israeli state brutality
 |
9 May Post-election meetings
15 May Birmingham Socialist Party: How can we fight for socialist change and a new workers' party?
17 May Oxfordshire & Aylesbury Socialist Party: The role of the state
18 May Bristol North Socialist Party: Liverpool - history of socialist struggle
CONTACT US
Phone our national office on 020 8988 8777
Email: [email protected]
Locate your nearest Socialist Party branch Text your name and postcode to 07761 818 206
Regional Socialist Party organisers:
Eastern: 079 8202 1969
East Mids: 077 3797 8057
London: 075 4018 9052
North East: 078 4114 4890
North West 079 5437 6096
South West: 077 5979 6478
Southern: 078 3368 1910
Wales: 079 3539 1947
West Mids: 024 7655 5620
Yorkshire: 078 0983 9793
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999