Nuneaton Against the Cuts invited Pete McLaren, Convenor of the Rugby TUSC Branch, to speak at their meeting last week about setting up a TUSC branch. They are planning to stand four or five TUSC candidates next year.
“I explained that, in Rugby, TUSC emerged directly out of Rugby Against the Cuts when it was decided to stand anti cuts candidates in every ward,” Pete McLaren explained. “This followed the refusal by any establishment parties or candidates to sign our Pledge to Oppose All Cuts. The Rugby TUSC branch was set up on March 2: by the end of the month we had seven candidates, including three leading members of local trade unions who agreed there was an urgent need for a political dimension to the anti cuts struggle.”
“I went on to outline how TUSC had developed nationally, including the decisions taken at the TUSC Conference in July, and that since then the London Region RMT had agreed to promote an anti cuts challenge in the Greater London assembly and Mayoral Elections in 2012, suggesting this could take place under the name of TUSC. This has since been firmed up with a letter from leading RMT and FBUofficials, in a personal capacity, calling for TU and socialist candidates across London.”
“I concluded by announcing the formation of an Independent Socialist Network within TUSC, with the first national meeting taking place on October 29”
Nuneaton Against the Cuts Secretary Tom Sidwell afterwards said the meeting had been positive. “We were particularly encouraged to hear that Rugby TUSC had delivered their main leaflet to every household in the seven wards and put out three leaflets in total, both on stalls and through doors. had raised £2,000, £1,330 of which had come from trade unions and put out 15 Media releases since March, leading to 15 press articles, three radio interviews and three lead items on socialist blogs. Rugby TUSC averaged 7.2% of the vote with a ratio to Labour votes of 1:4. The national TUSC average was 4.7%, a ratio to Labour of 1:10
“We have now written asking Rugby TUSC to provide us with examples of their press releases. We are trying to encourage others in the group to produce these more regularly and we think the talk Pete McLaren gave will really help us focus on future activities as TUSC”, he concluded. Pete McLaren 04/10/11
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