The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) was set-up to enable working class fighters to stand in elections using a ballot paper description that gives a clearer indicator of their politics than just the bare label of ‘Independent’ – the only description that candidates are legally allowed to use unless they are supported by a political party registered with the Electoral Commission. 

Since our formation thousands of trade unionists, community campaigners, anti-war or climate activists, and socialists from different parties or none, have taken the opportunity to stand using the TUSC name, or any other of the eight descriptions it has registered with the Electoral Commission.

Using one of the descriptions on the ballot paper

By law candidates who wish to appear on the ballot paper using a registered description have to submit to the council election staff, along with their nomination forms, a Certificate of Authorisation to use a Description, signed by the Nominating Officer of the party that holds the description with the Electoral Commission. 

An application form for candidates to use a TUSC-registered description – including for the first time the new description, ‘Independent Trade Union and Socialist Candidate’ – is available at https://www.tusc.org.uk/2025-application-form-cllr/ (if you are having difficulty opening this link, try copying it into your browser). 

The only qualification for candidates who wish to use a TUSC-registered description is that they have 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 while using the TUSC banner – while leaving room for every candidate, whether from the various parts of our coalition or the independent individual campaigners and socialists standing, to keep control of their own campaigns. 

The platform for the May 2025 local elections – the ‘six guarantees’ – can be viewed at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Local-elections-policy-guarantees-2025.pdf.  

Submitting an application form to use a TUSC-registered description will be taken as indicating your agreement with the ‘six guarantees’.

A guide to election rules

We also produce summary guides to electoral law for prospective candidates and election agents.  The 2025 Guide is available as a downloadable PDF at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2025-Guide-for-Candidates-Agents.pdf

This 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 TUSC steering committee on how to get to use one of the descriptions available from TUSC on your local ballot paper.  Prospective candidates, and in particular their agents, are very much encouraged to read The Guide before submitting application forms.