TUSC appeal to left-wing campaigners: lets get serious about the next election
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) has stepped up its campaign to get a serious discussion going amongst trade union members, community and social movement campaigners, and socialists from any party or none, on how a working class alternative can be put in place for the next general election.
The autumn tour of TUSC-hosted forums under the heading, Enough is Enough! But what do we do at the ballot box?, has kicked off with successful meetings in Southampton, Wakefield and Newcastle. Further dates have been organised (see https://www.tusc.org.uk/events) and the TUSC steering committee is offering support to anyone prepared to get something going themselves if there isnt a meeting nearby.
This includes supplies of the TUSC leaflet (see https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/476.pdf to view the text, and https://www.tusc.org.uk/resources for how to order) and a model letter to trade union branches – from the TUSC national chairperson and former Labour MP, Dave Nellist, and the TUSC national election agent Clive Heemskerk – which is available at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/477.pdf.
An invitation to discuss
TUSC has also written to over twenty campaign groups and socialist organisations in recent weeks inviting them to join the discussion, in an appeal which we are now publishing below. These include groups of former Labour councillors in Liverpool and Stroud – now sitting as Community Independents in the council chamber – and the Aspire group of councillors in Tower Hamlets, who won their seats in May this year standing against the local Labour Partys Tory-lite austerity agenda.
Campaign organisations like Enough is Enough, Dont Pay UK, Just Stop Oil, The Peoples Assembly, and Acorn have also received the invitation. And socialist groups like the Breakthrough Party, the Socialist Labour Network (the Labour-in-exile group), the Northern Independence Party, Left Unity, International Socialist Alternative, the Socialist Labour Party, the Communist Party of Britain and the Socialist Workers Party, have all been invited too.
The appeal is the same to all. If we want to see the broadest and most effective possible coalition of trade unionists, socialists and working class community and social movement candidates standing up to the establishment politicians at the next general election, we need to get serious about it.
An appeal to discuss preparing a workers alternative for the next general election
Dear comrades,
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is writing to invite your organisation to participate in drawing up plans for the next general election – with the aim of bringing together the widest range of trade unionists, socialists and working class community and social movement candidates prepared to stand up to the establishment politicians.
TUSC believes that what will be on offer at the next election from a Labour Party under Sir Keir Starmer will be a significant retreat from the radical policies that were presented in the 2017 and 2019 manifestoes under Jeremy Corbyn. The current leadership have been quite open about this, as they seek to reassure the ruling establishment that they will be a safe pair of hands by reviving Tony Blair-style New Labour politics. There is no prospect that a Starmer-led Labour government would even begin to fight for the fundamental system change needed to end the cost of living and other crises that working class people face.
To meet this situation TUSC strongly hopes that, before the election, a new vehicle for working class political representation will have been established by more authoritative forces than those currently involved in our coalition or any other currently existing party or alliance. That means the trade unions organising the workers fightback, or potentially around Jeremy Corbyn himself standing independently of Labour.
However, recognising that the necessary steps for this might not be taken in time, we also believe that discussions should begin now between all those who might be considering standing in the general election against the establishment parties.
Organising an election challenge
The next general election must be held no later than December 2024 but, even if in the unlikely event it is not called before then, planning has to begin now. Agreeing that there should be an election challenge is only the first step.
In June the TUSC all-Britain steering committee discussed a briefing paper on some of the different issues involved, including questions of electoral law and the regulations for party election broadcasts and media coverage (available on our website at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/475.pdf). Now we are writing to your organisation and others to hear your views on the matter.
In particular we would like to discuss with you:
- Is your organisation considering standing candidates, or supporting candidates standing against establishment politicians, in the next general election?
- If you are thinking of standing are you realistically planning to meet the threshold set by the broadcasting authorities for fair media coverage – including a party election broadcast – of contesting 15% of the seats? (This is 98 for the UK as a whole which, at £500 per election deposit for each seat, means a minimum expenditure of £48,000).
- Would your organisation be prepared in principle – subject to discussion of course – for its candidates to use on the ballot paper one of the TUSC descriptions registered with the Electoral Commission, as a contribution to reaching the fair media coverage threshold?
- TUSC is constituted to include candidates on its lists from a wide range of organisations provided the candidate accepts a minimum core policy platform for the relevant election (beyond that they are free to run their election campaign in whatever way they wish). We are in the process of formulating the policy platform for the next general election. Would your organisation wish to be formally involved in that discussion?
Join the discussion
To step up preparations for the general election TUSC is hosting a series of public meetings this autumn under the heading, Enough is Enough! But what do we do at the ballot box?. A copy of the standard flyer for these meetings is available at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/476.pdf.
As well as discussing your plans with the TUSC steering committee, we would welcome the participation of your organisation in these local meetings.
None of us can be sure of the date of the next general election. But if a new authoritative working class party has not been formed by the time it is called, at the very least the discussions that we have now can hopefully ensure that there will be the most unified and effective alternative possible available on the ballot paper that defends the basic principles of trade unionism and socialism.
We look forward to your response.
In solidarity,