Looking ahead after a great campaign

Thanks for all your support!

After Labour’s meltdown – fight back against the Tories by building TUSC  

After a really excellent campaign our results are:

Nancy Taaffe in Walthamstow – 394 votes

Len Hockey in Chingford – 241 votes

We distributed well over 100,000 leaflets, had dozens of volunteers helping us campaign on the streets or bundle leaflets or raise money, and had thousands of conversations. “I see you everywhere” said many when they came across our pink flashmobs around the borough! And the pink is here to stay – this campaign was always a step towards something bigger, building for the future.

These are modest votes. We believe this reflects mainly the campaign of fear by the mainstream parties leading people to think they had no choice but to vote purely on who they would prefer to be prime minister. The on-going battle for every ounce of media coverage is also an issue. It’s clear from the thousands we spoke to that our support goes much wider than those who felt able to vote for us this time. Having said that, we increased our vote in Walthamstow from 2010 and there is certainly a small but growing constituency of committed TUSC voters.

We would appeal for those voters, and others who support us, to not just passively give us your vote but to join us. Help us build a political voice for working class and young people.

We’re horrified to see another Tory government elected. The Con-Dem Coalition is hated for what it has done to people in the last 5 years. In that situation the Labour Party should have been able to win this election hands down. That they haven’t is an indictment of Labour and its failure to inspire and enthuse the mass of people.

We would argue, if Labour cannot defeat the Tories now, when people are so angry and so keen for a change, then when could it? Labour is no longer capable of representing working class people in our fight against the bosses and their party the Tories. We have to build something new. The struggles that will inevitably follow in the next months and years to defend jobs and services from yet another Tory onslaught, need to take the lead. TUSC is at the heart of this process.

We plan to organise a post-election meeting soon, check back for details.

End of campaign rally: A voice for the 99%

Support DPAC ‘revenge tour’ – vote Len Hockey to sack Iain Duncan Smith

On Saturday 25th April we will be participating in the DPAC (disabled people against cuts) day of action against Iain Duncan Smith, Tory work and pensions minister and Chingford and Woodford Green MP, in Chingford – meeting at 2pm at Chingford rail station. Below is the text for our leaflet on the day:

TUSC supports the demands of Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC).

As DPAC state, disabled people are affected by the cuts 9 times more than everybody else, and the most severely disabled people are affected by the cuts 19 times more than everybody else.

We agree with DPAC that this discrimination against disabled people must end – and also demand that ALL cuts and austerity must end.

The changes to benefits introduced by the Labour government and intensified by the Tories demonstrate the cold cruelty of capitalist parties who want to force working class people to pay for a crisis we did not cause, and who have sought to wreak their worst on people that they thought were hidden and would be less likely to fight back.

We applaud the bold actions of DPAC in fighting these cuts, and support the ‘Revenge tour’ fortnight of action in the run up to the election.

TUSC rejects austerity. The richest 1,000 people in Britain have doubled their wealth through this crisis, while working class people have lost jobs, pay, benefits, services and even homes.

Our manifesto states:

■ STOP THE ATTACKS ON DISABLED PEOPLE

Promote inclusive policies to enable disabled people to participate in, and have equal access to, education, employment, housing, transport and welfare provision.

Support measures to ensure disabled people receive a level of income according to needs. Equal pay for equal work.

In order to achieve these things, TUSC calls for the democratic public ownership of all transport, public services, utilities and the banks. TUSC stands for a democratic socialist society in the interests of the millions not the billionaires, with full human rights and equality for all; in which everyone can live a meaningful life with dignity and control, with full access to work, education, home, leisure, transport and public life.

What is TUSC?

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is an electoral coalition standing against all cuts. It includes the RMT transport union, the Socialist Party, the SWP and leading members of other trade unions and activists. We are standing 135 general election candidates and over 600 local election candidates this May.

Our candidate in Chingford and Woodford Green is Len Hockey. Len has been a porter at Whipps Cross hospital for 26 years and led numerous campaigns in defence of NHS services and terms and conditions for NHS workers.

Come to our end of campaign rally:

Sick of big business politicians and their cuts?

A voice for the 99%!

2.30pm Saturday 2nd May

Harmony Hall, Truro Road, Walthamstow

walthamforesttusc@gmail.com

@TUSCWF

Facebook: Waltham Forest Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

http://www.walthamforesttusc.com

We need YOU!

There are lots of dates coming up that it would be great to see as many supporters at as possible:

1) Friday 17th April TUSC TV broadcast

Catch it on all five terrestrial channels – BBC2 5.55, ITV 6.25, BBC1 6.55, C5 6.55, C4 7.55

2) Saturday 18th April Super-Saturday

-12pm campaign stall by Lidl on Walthamstow Market – wear pink!

-4pm fundraiser event at the William Morris Community Centre, Greenleaf Road, E17 6QQ – bring a dish, a bottle, a friend and some cash!

3) Sunday 19th April Chingford activity

12pm by Chingford Sainsburys – come along to help or meet candidates and supporters

4) Saturday 2nd May End of Campaign Rally – a Voice for the 99%

2.30pm Harmony Hall, Truro Road

Whipps Cross into special measures: cancel all PFI debt!

TUSC supporters were campaigning at Whipps the morning after the announcement

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate for Walthamstow, Nancy Taaffe, responded to the announcements in the press on Whipps Cross going into ‘special measures’:

“Today’s announcement is a direct consequence of the £77m of cuts made by the Bart’s Trust in 2013 following the use of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) to fund redevelopment of the Royal London Hospital. I stood for parliament in 2005 against then Labour MP Neil Gerrard who debated with me and said that PFI at our local hospital was ‘the only show in town’. That ‘show’ has led to this terrible report. The culture of management bullying and harassment is a direct consequence of trying to make NHS workers do more with less. Although the devastation caused by privatisation wasn’t immediately apparent, we made it clear from 2005 that future generations would be damaged and disadvantaged by it. Sadly, I believe we were right. This culture of bullying directly led to the sacking of Unison branch chairperson Charlotte Monroe, who tried to raise the issue of cuts in a wider audience.

“I had my two children at Whipps Cross and know the value of its services. TUSC supporters have been active, both in the hospital and in the community, opposing cuts, including participation in the Whipps Cross demonstration in 2013. TUSC demands an end to PFI and all NHS privatisation, and no cuts, with full restoration of all funding lost to the NHS. We do not want to see a revolving door of ‘new administrators’ leeching off the public purse while those who deliver the service are run ragged and face pay cuts.”

Nancy at Stand Up To Ukip meeting

Video: Nancy campaigning for rent control

Why Nancy’s standing: “I want to whistleblow on austerity”

Local prospective parliamentary candidate Nancy Taaffe was interviewed by the Socialist paper

Why are you standing?

I’m a socialist and a Socialist Party member who has fought every cut and privatisation in my home borough of Waltham Forest for nearly 30 years. I’m proud that we stood our ground when privatisation was put forward by all politicians as the answer to every problem.

I stood for parliament in 2005 against then Labour MP Neil Gerrard who debated with me and said that PFI at our local hospital was “the only show in town”. That ‘show’ has led to our stroke unit being closed and moved miles away. When the devastation caused by privatisation wasn’t immediately apparent, we made it clear that future generations would be damaged and disadvantaged by it. Sadly, I believe we were right. 

I had my two children in the local hospital Whipps Cross and they went to local schools. I worked for Waltham Forest libraries for 12 years before my job was deleted in 2012 due to cuts. So I have been both a user of public services and a provider of them.

I loved my job in the library – serving local school children and the elderly who were housebound made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile. I shall never forgive those who elevated their salaries and expenses and gladly cut jobs and services for the Tories and their mates in the city.

This is part of the reason why I am standing, I want to whistleblow in the most public arena, an election. I want to tell the truth about the crime of austerity being perpetrated against working class communities and their families. 

Nancy’s TUSC trolly!

What are your plans for the campaign? 

We are outsiders who are fighting to be noticed so we’ll be as lively and imaginative as we can. We think it’s important to have a campaigning routine so we have decided to make Monday morning ‘TUSC morning’. We have our trusty TUSC trolley and our banner (erected with some bungee ropes and hiking sticks!) and we set up in key sites around the borough and hand out our bright pink leaflets. These activities are designed to make a splash, make some noise and raise some cash.

We have had four TUSC mornings so far and have been very well received – at transport hubs and the Town Hall were most local government workers are based. People have been particularly open since the election victory of Syriza in Greece. 

Our TUSC committee meets once a month and is open to everybody. We have made sure to have a clear TUSC presence on local picket lines, including the bus workers and NHS workers.

We produce a regular e-newsletter called Nancy Newsflash Newsletter – a weekly diary of where we have been and what happened. Since I’ve started doing it even I’m amazed at just how much we cover in a week. We have an email list of around 200 people who receive our newsletter. Then it goes on our blog and round social media as well. I’m on Twitter and Facebook. I have nearly 3,000 followers on Twitter and regularly get retweeted by various groups from within the borough.

I have started to be invited to hustings and union meetings. I’m speaking at the London region of the FBU and I intend to speak at a trades council and college hustings. 

We want to revisit as many primary schools in the constituency as possible. We feel that young families are particularly open to bold socialist ideas and we think that many of our 5,500 votes in the local elections last May came from this section of people. This was particularly because we focussed our campaign on the demand for rent control, which we will still be talking about loudly this time round.

 

One of our rallies for rent control – by Whipps Cross roundabout

Why is housing such a key issue for TUSC?

On the surface we are told that London has bucked the trend during this recession – that there are jobs here and life is sweet. But many (particularly young) people feel that the basic right to housing is being denied. Council homes are almost impossible to get into, buying is out of the question for most and in January this year the average rent in London was £1,418 a month – and it’s rising all the time.

TUSC picked up on this many months before the establishment politicians (who sold off council homes and deregulated rents) realised what a ‘live issue’ housing is. We held various meetings and started to raise the demand of rent control. We noticed many people stopped to sign our petition and chat to us. We’ve initiated a rent control petition, hoping to force a council discussion on the issue and we have been campaigning on the streets and outside the colleges. 

I participated in the organising committee of the March for Homes in January and spoke at the start of the east London leg. In the capital many groups have been leading really inspiring campaigns for decent housing – the New Era estate and E15 mums are probably the most well-known. TUSC has supported all of these and thinks that they need to be linked up and to have a political voice – that’s why we’re raising housing as part of our campaign.

The Labour Party could make huge strides to end the housing crisis immediately. Local councils could implement rent control now. They could start mass programmes to build and renovate enough council homes to meet demand. They could write off all bedroom tax arrears. Ed Miliband could promise that a Labour government would back these councils up after the election – he’s probably guarantee a Labour victory if he did! But he won’t. Only TUSC is fighting for those types of policies.

 

Solidarity with striking bus workers

Nancy Taaffe, our prospective candidate for Walthamstow, on the Lea Interchange picket line

Waltham Forest Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition supporters have visited picket lines in and around the borough on both of the recent bus workers strikes. Workers are striking for sector wide negotiation – to being the process of getting one pay scale and set of terms and conditions across all of London’s bus companies.

Bus drivers are £2,000 a year worse off than seven years ago. Privatisation of the bus services means that routes go to the lowest bidder – i.e. the company that will cut pay the most. Workers have to fight against all attempts by the bosses to attack our jobs, pay and terms and conditions.

Letter sent to Labour PPCs

The following letter was today sent to the Labour prospective parliamentary candidates across the borough from trade unionists in the local area requesting to meet with them early in 2015.

 

www.tusc.org.uk

 

To: Stella Creasy/John Cryer/Bilal Mahmood

Constituency: Walthamstow/Leyton and Wanstead/Chingford and Woodford Green

 

Re: Meeting with local trade unionists

 

Dear Stella/John/Bilal,

 

We are writing to you as the Labour Party’s prospective parliamentary candidate for this constituency to try and arrange a time convenient for you to meet a delegation of local trade unionists and anti-austerity activists to discuss the forthcoming general election.

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), co-founded by the late Bob Crow, is determined that working class people shall not pay for a crisis that we did not cause, and we will support parliamentary representatives who take the same stance.

That is why we would like to have a face-to-face meeting with you to ascertain what position you hold on the following issues that we believe are critical to reversing the austerity agenda:

* Trade union rights

Would you support the provisions in John McDonnell MP’s 2007 Trade Union Rights and Freedom Bill (on re-introducing protections for participating in industrial action, unfair dismissal, complaints to employment tribunals, automatic reinstatement, agency labour in industrial disputes, definition of a trade dispute to include associated employers, and industrial action ballots) and the re-instatement of facility time and check-off rights removed by the Con-Dem coalition?

* Restore public services and benefits

Would you support the reversal of all the cuts in public services and benefits that have taken place under the Con-Dems, including the restoration of central government funding of local authorities to at least the level that existed in 2010?

* A living wage

Would you support an incoming Labour government banning zero hour contracts and immediately introducing the ‘Living Wage’ (£7.65 an hour, £8.80 in London) as the minimum wage?  In the light of the TUC’s ‘Britain needs a pay rise’ campaign, do you support the lifting of the public sector pay cap?

* Public ownership

Would you support the re-nationalisation of the railways as the first step to building an integrated, low-pollution public transport system?  Would you support bringing the Royal Mail back into public ownership?

As you will be aware the above policies are widely supported in the trade union movement.  That is why we would like you to explain your views on these issues to a delegation of local trade unionists.

TUSC has accepted from its inception that there will be Labour candidates who share our socialist aspirations and will be prepared to support measures that challenge the austerity consensus of mainstream politics.  But it is also committed to standing candidates or supporting others if that is the only way a working class anti-austerity socialist alternative can be articulated at election time.

Please get back to us (reply to this email or call Unite branch secretary Kevin on 07737566167) by the end of the year with a time in January 2015 when you would be able to meet with us.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Len Hockey                                  Unite Shop Steward

Glenroy Watson                        Chair of RMT branch 0543

Kevin Parslow                              Unite LE1228 Branch Secretary

Jenny Vaughan                             NUJ London freelance

S. Cushion                                    UCU London Retired Members Branch Secretary

Dave Knight                                 Unison Branch Secretary, Waltham Forest

Tony Phillips                                Unison London Fire Authority

Steve White                                  NUT Secretary for Waltham Forest

Nancy Taaffe                                Unite member

Linda Taaffe                                 NUT Waltham Forest Executive & Secretary WF Trades Council

Patrick Brown                              Unite Steward

Aiden Taylor                                 Unison Shop Steward

Robin Gilham                              Unite Shope Steward

 

 

And:

TUSC national steering committee-

Representatives from the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union (RMT), the Socialist Party, the SWP and the TUSC Independent Socialist Network; plus, in a personal capacity, Steve Gillan, POA General Secretary; Chris Baugh, PCS Assistant General Secretary; Joe Simpson, POA Assistant General Secretary; John McInally, PCS Vice-President; Ian Leahair, FBU National Executive; Nina Franklin, ex-NUT President; Brian Caton, ex-POA General Secretary; Cllr Keith Morrell (Southampton); Cllr Don Thomas (Southampton); Nick Wrack.

Registered officers with the Electoral Commission:

Chairperson – Dave Nellist; National Nominating Officer – Clive Heemskerk