Sutton and Croydon TUSC

SUTTON CAMPAIGN NOTES

Tousle-haired “ordinary person” Boris Johnson was on Sutton High Street today, hoping to boost the Tory campaign in this marginal seat. The LibDems repeat endlessly their mantra that only they can keep out the Tories.

As though that would make any material difference for working people in Sutton and Cheam. Tweedledum out, Tweedledee in.

But, as for keeping the Tories out, have not the LibDems actually been a Tory partner in the coalition government for the past five years! They haven’t kept the Tories out; they’ve kept them in!

As for New Labour (or is it “One Nation Labour”?) - the local party seeks to follow the “Croydon Line”. Like Croydon, Sutton Labour are also bereft of ideas and ambition. They too would set up a local “Fairness Commission” like the one in Croydon - which is chaired by the Bishop.

What an admission of defeat! The once mighty Labour Party reduced to scratching around for ideas. At least one of their MPs knows what the Labour Party is for, Rachel Reeves.

She said, “We are not the party of people on benefits”, or those out of work! Labour leaders themselves have repeated that they will continue austerity policies. Ed Balls has said he would not reverse any of Osborne’s cuts to public services.

There is one party standing in Sutton, though, that we do have much sympathy for - the National Health Action Party. There is nothing of substance that TUSC would disagree with in their analysis of what’s happening to the NHS.

They expose the wastefulness of privatisation and PFI. They expose the hypocrisy of the main parties in their posturing “defence” of the NHS - whilst in power, destroying it.

We especially like their exposure of Paul Burstow’s “brass neck” in pretending to support the NHS whilst supporting Tory legislation that undermines it.

TUSC agrees with what the NHA party says on the NHS. However, a party that seeks election of MPs must have policies that address all the key issues that affect working people and their families.

As the NHA develop a wider range of policies - which their website suggests they may be doing - we hope that in future we will be able to work more closely with them. Perhaps they could consider joining the TUSC coalition?