Sutton and Croydon TUSC

TUSC Parliamentary Candidates in Croydon, Sutton, Next May?

The major issue we agreed on 13th August was that our next meeting (on 10th September) should focus entirely on discussing, and deciding, about standing candidates in Croydon and Sutton at the May General Election!

Our initial thoughts were that we should (and probably could) stand a candidate in Croydon (possibly North) and that, if possible, we should try to do the same in Sutton.

There would be substantial cost and work involved. However, we took the view that it is about time working people in the boroughs are given a real choice, and can vote for someone who will be a tribune for ALL workers and young people. The mainstream candidates have had a free ride for too long.

Unfortunately “One Nation Labour” offers nothing that would shift the balance of wealth and power in favour of working people. It is now a pale and waning shadow of what it once was - even though there may be one or two honourable exceptions amongst its MPs and potential candidates. Trade unions themselves have now virtually no collective power within what was once their party.

We will be calling upon the Trades Councils of Sutton and Merton, and Croydon, and their constituent unions, to consider whether they too should enter the fray with us. Unions such as the RMT have, of course, already started down this road - having, with others, set up the TUSC!

In furtherance of this, the annual conference of trades councils, held in Cardiff this summer, passed an important resolution on political representation. This called on unions, “to begin an urgent debate about political representation for trade unionists and working class people, including whether we need a new, mass workers’ party and how such a party might come about”.

Here in Sutton and Croydon we could make a real start, now, by standing candidates committed to the basic TUSC platform. Candidates for the millions, not the millionaires!

If not here, where? If not now, when? If not us, who?

Will you join us?

Watch this space…