Local Paper reports that "TUSC would fight all budget cuts"

Rugby Advertiser carried a full page feature last Thursday covering all the Parties standing in the Borough Council Elections.  The report on TUSC was prominent in the top left of Page 8.  It accurately quoted from a Rugby TUSC media release that TUSC was the only party opposed to all cuts on all levels, quoting the support TUSC was getting, and the fact that 40,000 voters who had already received TUSC publicity spelling out socialist alternatives to the Con-Dem, Labour and Green supported cuts.

Rugby TUSC reports growing electoral support

Members of Rugby TUSC, standing as Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts, are pleased with its campaign so far in the Borough Council Elections.

“We are finding a lot of support for our anti-cuts stance,” spokesperson Pete McLaren informed us today.  “We have found this on the stalls we have organised, and when talking to people whilst out campaigning.  We began our campaign a couple of weeks ago, and we have already delivered our main leaflet to most households throughout the eight wards we are contesting.  The rest will be delivered this week. 

“That means 21,000 households and some 40,000 voters will know, not only that we are opposed to all cuts, but also that there are alternatives which would resolve the economic crisis without cutting public spending.  These alternatives include collection of all taxes the rich avoid paying or evade, nationalisation of the banks and financial institutions, and a 5% wealth tax on the richest 10%.  We are finding public support for these views is increasing.

“We are the only Party in these elections committed to opposing all cuts at all levels, and our publicity fully explains how a TUSC Councillor would use that position to fight the cuts.  The unexpected victory by George Galloway in Bradford West three weeks ago, when he overturned a 5,000 Labour majority with an almost unprecedented swing of 52%, has shown that there is support for left wing views.  Galloway’s Respect Party stood on a platform of opposing public spending cuts and privatization and opposing the war in Afghanistan – policies TUSC also supports and is promoting during the campaign.  Voters are increasingly realizing there are alternative policies to those of the establishment parties, and, by promoting such policies, TUSC’s support is growing.

“We have a lot of work still to do in the last 10 days of the campaign,” Pete McLaren concluded.  “We have new leaflets to deliver, we will be organizing additional stalls and we plan to hold street meetings to put over the anti cuts message whilst outlining our other policies.  We will also be knocking on doors to canvass views.  We will be busy, but we have a strong, and growing, team of committed socialists determined to make our voice heard.”

TUSC gets further media publicity - in both Rugby newspapers

This week's Rugby Advertiser carries a prominent article on Page 5 about the upcoming Council Elections.  Rugby TUSC gets three mentions in it:
*  As one of the participating parties
*  For ending the alliance with the Green party over Green support for cuts in Brighton
*  Stating it is the only political group opposing all cuts at all levels
The Rugby Observer has an Election Special feature which announces that Rugby TUSC Against Cuts is putting forward 8 candidates to oppose all service reductions, and quotes spokesperson Pete McLaren saying"TUSC is the only party which can say it will oppose all cuts at all levels and has the programme to show how that will happen"

Two separate mentions for TUSC’s Election Campaign in Rugby

Following a Rugby TUSC Media Release, the local Rugby Advertiser published a short article today listing all the candidates in Rugby this May, including the 8 of us standing as Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts (TUSC).  Most of the rest of the Media Release then appeared as a letter from Pete McLaren, Rugby TUSC, with the Paper’s own headline, as follows:

 Hooray for lack of BNP

“From our point of view in TUSC, we are delighted there will be no BNP candidates standing to cause division within communities.  We are a little surprised the Lib Dems are only contesting half the seats, and Labour two thirds, indicating local organisational weaknesses and/or lack of membership.  

TUSC has only been in existence for just thirteen months, yet we are not only standing in half the wards, but also we will be pursuing an active campaign leafleting every household at least once to put across the anti cuts message, and talking to as many voters as possible

As it is now, TUSC is the only Party which can say it will oppose all cuts at all levels, and has the programme to show how that will happen.  Our leaflets outline the details, with nothing hidden”

Pete McLaren

Rugby TUSC

DATES, TIMES AND VENUES FOR TUSC ELECTION CAMPAIGN LEAFLETTING

DATE                         TIME             WARD                       MEETING PLACE

Tues Apr 10                6pm                 WOLSTON                            Rose & Crown, Main St Wolston

Fri Apr 13                   5pm                 STALL                                                            Along from Asda

                                    7pm                 NEWBOLD/BROWNSOVER                       Stall by Asda

Sat Apr 14                   12noon            STALL                                                            Along from Asda

                                    2pm                 BENN                                                             Stall by Asda

Sun Apr 15                 1pm                 LAWFORD                Sheaf & Sycle, Coventry Rd, Long Lawford

Tues Apr 17                6pm                 BILTON                     Car Pk opposite Black Horse, The Green, Bilton

Thurs Apr 19              6pm                 NEW BILTON           Indian Community Centre, Edward St, Rugby

Fri Apr 20                   6pm                 NEWBOLD/BROWNSOVER   Outside The Crown, Main St, Newbold

Sun Apr 22                 1pm                 BILTON                     Car Pk opposite Black Horse, Main St, Bilton

Mon Apr 23                6pm                 BENN                         Outside Utd Railway Club, Spring St, Rugby

                                    8.15pm            TUSC Meeting, Three Shoes

Wed Apr 25                6pm                 ROKEBY/OVERSLADE   Kingsway shops, Kingsway, Rugby

Fri Apr 27                   6pm                 HILLMORTON         The Bell, High St, Hillmorton Rd, Rugby

Sat Apr 28^th                 3pm                 EASTLANDS                        Corner of Eastlands Rd and Clifton Rd

Sun Apr 29                 1pm                 LAWFORD & NEW BILTON          Sheaf & Sycle

Mon Apr 30                Delivery of 2nd leaflet in targeted/canvassed areas  Venues/times tbc Tel 07881 520626

Tues May 1                 Delivery of 2nd leaflet in targeted/canvassed areas  Venues/times tbc Tel 07881 520626

Wed May 2                 Eve of Poll  leaflet in targeted/canvassed areas  Venues/times tbc Tel 07881 520626

Labour's not the alternative - a letter from Warwickshire FBU Chair Steve Roberts (Rugby TUSC candidate) in response to claims made by a Labour candidate, as published in the Rugby Observer 05/04/12

So Rob Mcnally thinks that the Labour party is the only party opposing cuts. This seems a bit disingenuous to me. Nationally the Labour party has much the same agenda as the coalition government.

The only difference between them is the speed at which they will implement the cuts.

On so many of their policies it is hard to get a cigarette paper between them and the Con-Dems. Some of the biggest slashing of local budgets by councils across the country are by Labour councils.

Before the local elections last year the Rugby Trade Union and Socialist Coalition sent out a pledge to all candidates asking them to pledge to fight all cuts. Not one candidate, including Labour, signed it. The same pledge went out this year with the same result. That doesn't show much willingness to fight the cuts.

Public sector workers, the majority of whom are not well paid, are facing attacks on their pay and pensions and all the Labour party can do is condemn them for standing up for themselves and sometimes taking strike action. The Labour party was started by the working class movement - a fact that seems to be forgotten by the leaders at the moment.

Now there is an election looming Labour suddenly starts slamming the cuts. Where were the Labour Party when libraries were being shut, the bus service being cut, fire stations were being shut and the youth services being slashed?

Where is the backing for the public sector workers who haven't had a pay rise for 2 or 3 years? Where is their backing for them when their hard payed for pensions are being attacked?

Labour is not an opposition party anymore. As the Bradford by-election showed last week it is a party that takes its voters for granted and shows no opposition until there is an election on the horizon.

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) will be standing in the election in May. They have pledged to fight ALL cuts. They will use council reserves and prudential borrowing powers to set a budget based on local needs and demand that the government makes up the short fall.

In short, Mr Mcnally, the Labour party is not the party of opposition in the up coming election.

The real opposition choice is the TUSC and I urge everyone to use their vote to fight back against the complacent big three parties and have a real vote against the cuts.

Steve Roberts

TUSC candidate for Bilton

RUGBY TUSC SELECTS EIGHT CANDIDATES TO CONTEST 2012 COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Rugby TUSC has selected the following 8 candidates for 2012.  All will be standing as 'Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts'

BENN - Bert Harris 

BILTON - Steve Roberts

EASTLANDS - Rob Johnson

HILLMORTON - Dave Goodwin

NEW BILTON - Ally MacGregor

NEWBOLD & BROWNSOVER - Bill Smith

ROKEBY & OVERSLADE - Julie Weekes

WOLSTON and The LAWFORDS - Pete McLaren