The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is delighted to announce that John Marston is TUSC’s candidate to challenge for the Riverside council seat vacated by the deputy mayor and leading Labour Party cuts hatchet man, Paul Brant.
John Marston, veteran socialist, life-long trade unionist and seasoned campaigner, will fight for the Riverside council seat made vacant by Paul Brant’s resignation.
Unlike Paul Brant John will campaign for an end to all cuts, and for the immediate end to the evil bedroom tax. He will demand that the council declares it has no intention of penalising those who cannot afford the bedroom tax.
Paul Brant had supported all of the cuts proposed by the Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson; John Marston opposes them. Mr Brant referred to the cuts as ‘savings’; John Marston calls them by their real name which is ‘savage cuts’.
John is implacably opposed to the Labour group’s proposal for further cuts of £150 million, which will bring further hardship to the neediest in our city. John demands that the council acts responsibly to defend jobs and services and that the city’s financial reserves be used to restore services already cut.
Mayor Anderson has used the city’s reserves to bankroll a questionable company to convert the ex-tax building into flats; for Everton FC to purchase land for training facilities; and for the restoration of the Cunard buildings as a cruise terminal and offices. None of these enterprises will benefit those who rely on services in the city.
John Marston says: “if the city’s financial reserves can be used to finance private well-heeled interests, they can be used to restore the cuts in services on which our people rely”.
John supports the anti-bedroom tax campaign and the labour movement campaign of resistance to further cuts being imposed by the Labour council on behalf of the ConDem millionaires’ government.
The complete absence of organised opposition to these attacks by Labour both at national and local level, and Miliband’s pledge to maintain the ConDem cuts, underlines TUSC’s firm commitment to mount a political challenge to the three main parties, in Riverside and in future elections. John Marston’s campaign will prepare the ground for widespread challenges at all future elections.