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 to stand with 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 campaigns.  The 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.

In every year since 2011 that the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) has contested elections* it has always published the detailed results of every candidate that appeared on the ballot paper under its umbrella as a public record – something which we are not aware that any other party or coalition standing candidates does.  Below are the results reports produced for each year.

TUSC election results May 2023

See https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Results-Report.pdf

TUSC election results May 2022

See https://www.tusc.org.uk/txt/472.pdf

TUSC election results May 2021

See https://www.tusc.org.uk/txt/446.pdf

TUSC local election results 2018

See http://www.tusc.org.uk/txt/424.pdf

TUSC local election results 2017

See http://www.tusc.org.uk/txt/400.pdf

TUSC election results May 2016

See http://www.tusc.org.uk/txt/380.pdf

TUSC election results May 2015

See http://www.tusc.org.uk/txt/338.pdf

TUSC election results May 2014

See http://www.tusc.org.uk/txt/307.pdf

TUSC election results 2013

See http://www.tusc.org.uk/pdfs/2013/2013TUSClocalelectionresults.pdf

TUSC election results May 2012

See http://www.tusc.org.uk/pdfs/2012/2012TUSClocalelectionresults.pdf

TUSC election results 2011

See http://www.tusc.org.uk/pdfs/2011/2011TUSClocalelectionresults.pdf

* TUSC recalibrated its electoral activity following Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader, a development which it warmly welcomed.  

Consequently TUSC did not contest either the 2017 or 2019 general elections and stood on a more limited basis in other elections, only against those Labour candidates who opposed Jeremy Corbyn and were carrying out austerity policies.  But with Keir Starmer’s election as leader TUSC agreed to resume standing more widely again, starting in the May 2021 elections.