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240 TUSC candidates agreed for May’s local elections – and there’s still time for more!

Two hundred and forty candidates have been approved to stand on behalf of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) in May’s local elections after the latest meeting of the TUSC all-Britain steering committee on March 13th. 

The candidates will be contesting four constituency seats for the Greater London Authority, the directly-elected Salford city mayor, and council wards in 44 first or second-tier local authorities – just over 40% of the 105 local councils with elections this year.

And there’s still time for more trade unionists, anti-cuts community campaigners, stop the war on Gaza protesters, and socialists from different parties or none, to join what will be the biggest working class left-of-Labour challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s Tory-lite New Labour party in May.   

The final steering committee meeting to approve candidate applications will take place just before Easter, with completed application forms needing to be received by the TUSC National Election Agent – Clive Heemskerk, at [email protected] – by Saturday 23rd March in order to be placed on the agenda.

The application form to be a TUSC council candidate can be downloaded at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2024-Application-form-Cllr.docx (if you are having difficulty opening this link, try copying it into your browser). 

There is also available an explanatory TUSC Guide for Election Candidates and Agents on the resources page, at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/TUSC-Guide-for-Candidates-Agents-2024.pdf and a list of the 105 councils where there are elections in May at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2024-Elections-Directory.pdf

The TUSC core policies for the local elections, the minimum policy commitments expected from TUSC candidates, can be found at https://www.tusc.org.uk/20023/13-01-2024/tuscs-core-policy-platform-for-the-may-2024-local-elections-2/

The March 13th TUSC steering committee, meeting just two weeks after the Rochdale by-election, discussed a number of other important matters too, including a report on their future plans from a representative of the Workers Party of Britain, who attend committee meetings as observers.  Further reports on the decisions made will be published here soon. 

But in the meantime, the full list of council candidates agreed so far can be found at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Candidates-list-to-24-03-13.pdf

An application form to be a TUSC council candidate and a guide to the rules

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) was set-up to enable trade unionists, community campaigners and socialists from different parties or none to stand candidates under a common anti-austerity and socialist banner. 

The only qualification for using the coalition’s name is that candidates are expected to endorse the TUSC core policies platform for the relevant election.  These are a list of minimum commitments that voters could expect from someone elected under the TUSC banner while leaving room for the candidates from the various parts of our coalition, and individual campaigners and socialists standing, to keep control of their own campaignsThe draft TUSC core policy platform for the local elections in May 2024 is at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Local-election-platform-2024.pdf

Using the name on the ballot paper

By law candidates who wish to appear on the ballot paper using the name and logo of a registered party have to submit to the council election staff, along with their nomination forms, a Certificate of Authorisation to use a Party Description, signed by the registered Nominating Officer of the party.  In fact, unless they have a Certificate from a registered party they can only be listed as ‘Independent’ on the ballot paper, with no emblem or logo.

We have produced a form to process applications for a TUSC Certificate of Authorisation for local council elections, which is available on the TUSC website at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2024-Application-form-Cllr.docx (if you are having difficulty opening this link, try copying it into your browser).  Submitting an application form will be taken as indicating your agreement with the TUSC election platform.

A guide to election rules

TUSC also produces summary guides for prospective candidates and election agents.  The Guide for Election Candidates and Agents for the May 2024 local council elections is available at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/TUSC-Guide-for-Candidates-Agents-2024.pdf.

The guide contains information on the official regulations governing elections, based on publications produced by the Electoral Commission, along with some tips and pointers drawn from the previous experience of TUSC election campaigners. 

It also includes information on the procedures agreed by the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition all-Britain steering committee on how to become a TUSC candidate and prospective candidates and agents are encouraged to read it before submitting an application form.

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TUSC will oppose all cuts to council jobs, services, pay and conditions. Reject increases in council tax, rent and service charges to compensate for government cuts. Vote against the privatisation of council jobs and services.

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