The TUSC’s national steering committee is considering how best to make a massive electoral left challenge at the General Election in May next year.
We need to be able to stand at least 89 parliamentary candidates if we are to achieve the media threshold for publicity. We will also need to stand 1,015 local council candidates at the same time, to breach the threshold for the council elections that are taking place at the same time.
Parliamentary elections are more expensive. Each candidate needs at least £1,500 for the deposit and access to the free mailings etc. So building the fighting fund starts now!
It is planned that a letter be sent by TUSC nationally to all Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidates. A similar draft letter, for use by local TUSC groups, will be made available soon.
The purpose of these letters will be to ascertain the political stance of local Labour candidates on certain key issues. There are some, few, good left Labour candidates, and they should not, perhaps, have a local TUSC candidate standing against them.
Hopeless careerists, avowedly right wing “Blue Labour” types and “Blairites” should, however, if at all possible, be challenged mightily from the left!
The key issues that Labour candidates will be asked about will probably include - trade union rights, restoration of public services and benefits, the implementation of a living wage, public sector pay, and the question of the re-nationalisation of those key services and utilities privatised by the Tories, and Labour before them.
Other left organisations are being approached by TUSC. The hope and intention is that we all work together to achieve the biggest impact, and reach the greatest number of working people. TUSC is committed to the broadest possible left challenge. That could include all other left parties, organisations, community groups and and anti-austerity campaigns, etc.
Therefore an approach is being made (where it hasn’t already) to Left Unity, the People’s Assembly, the Communist Party of Britain, Respect, the National Health Action Party, the Socialist Labour Party, Tower Hamlets First, and all left trade union leaders.
So, if you know anyone in any of these organisations, approach them with a view to comradely discussions about taking this forward. We have nothing to lose, but everything to gain!
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