ritain is going through the worst recession since the1930’s. How did we get into this mess?For the last decade banks have got filthy rich byoverspending and getting into massive debt. When theirfancy schemes went bust 2 years ago, they went cap inhand to the government who bailed them out-with ourmoney- to the staggering tune of £1.4 trillion. The banksand New Labour’s bailouts have bankrupt the country…and they want us to pay!Bankers bonuses have shot back up to £60 billion and nota glove laid on them! The gap between the rich and poor inUK is now greater than it has been for 70 years. They havebeen encouraged by New Labour’s second in command,Peter Mandelson, when he said he was ‘intensely relaxedabout people getting filthy rich’,… including Tony Blair whohas raked in £10 million since leaving office.There is nothing to choose between the three main parties, they all stand up for the rich. And MP’s have been too busyclaiming in excess of £95 million in expenses to noticeWorking people no longer have a voice, little wonder thatso many don’t vote.TUSC is trying to break that mould. We are taking politicsback to its grass roots. Made up of trade unionists,socialists, environmentalists and community groups, weare offering a real alternative to the main parties. We willbe standing up to 80 candidates at this election as aspringboard to establish a new workers party, that willchampion your interests, not those of big business.

Councillor Jackie Grunsell, GP

Colne Valley - election communication

Local Health bosses decided to transfer many Huddersfieldhealth services to Calderdale and beyond, threatening vitallyneeded resources. As a local GP, I initiated a huge localcampaign called ‘Save Huddersfield NHS’ which collectedsignatures, organised demos and protests. As part of thecampaign I decided to stand as an independent candidatein Crosland Moor and Netherton, where I live, and won withan 800 majority. I am up for re-election this year.The current onslaught on public services, jobs and living standards as a result of the recession brought on by greedybankers, is made worse by the failure of the three mainpolitical parties to stand up for ordinary working people.I have refused to accept any expenses as a local councillorand have used ‘allowance’ money to support workers andyoung people in struggle. I am committed to the principle of workers’ representatives on a workers’ wage.

Make the bankers pay!”

“No to cuts and job losses

VOTE

FOR

General election2010

— say

Printed by Print Express, Pitcliffe way, Bradford, BD5 7SG. Promoted by Ed Doveton, 9 Helme Park, Meltham, HD9 5SQ, on behalf of Jackie Grunsell, 111 Dryclough Road, Huddersfield, HD4 5JB.

MP’s expenses

All of us must have been appalled by the contempt shownby MPs over their expenses. It shows how out of touch theyare with ordinary people, that they didn’t give it a second thought until it was publicised. The sitting Huddersfield MP,on top of a salary of £78,000, and allowances of almost £150,000, had the nerve to claim £200 for food everymonth from 2004 to 2008!If elected Jackie and Paul will not take the full salary orexpenses, donating money back to youth, trade union andcommunity campaigns.

Banking and the financial sector

The world economy hinges on the forecasts and actions of ahandful of bankers - and the financial interests of those whoappoint them. The Government has given up to £1.4 trillion to bail out the banks and financiers, ie 80 years worth of funding for the NHS, all to keep the fragile money systemfrom collapsing.The government now have a majority stake in a number of banks. These should be run in the interests of the public,providing cheap credit for mortgages and small businesses.Instead, Northern Rock was one of the quickest to throwfamilies out of their houses! Continuing to run these banksalong market lines will make this crisis worse for working and middle class people.The £60 billion bonuses estimated to have been paid out this year should be taken off those at the top, and used tocreate jobs for the unemployed and improve publicservices.

Democracy

All elections should be conducted by proportionalrepresentation. This is used for other elections in the UKand should be used for elections to Westminster as well.Our Parliamentary elections should be held on a 4 yearlyfixed term, and not held at the whim of the PM. MPs shouldalso be accountable to their constituents, and open to recallif necessary.The House of Lords should be abolished as there is no placein a modern democracy for a hereditary-based system of government.

Restoring Trades union rights

The Anti-trade union laws are being used to restrict workersrights to organise and fight back. The British Airways andrailway strike were stopped by the courts, disregarding thefact that in both cases the vast majority of members votedfor strike action. They are an attack on basic democraticrights, and are used to help the bosses drive downeveryone’s living conditions apart from their own. Wedemand the immediate repeal of these laws.

Water and energy provision

Our vital industries should be brought back into the publicsector and be operated efficiently on a non-profit making basis. They should be managed by boards elected by thecommunities they serve and those who work in the service.

Health

In 10 years, from 1997 to 2007, the market in privateprovision of NHS care had risen from £200 million to £2billion under Labour. A lot of this money is going straightinto the pockets of the shareholders of the privatecompanies. Healthcare is not a commodity to pile up highand sell. Even today this Government is still pushing throughfurther privatisation of Community health services likeDistrict Nurses, School Nurses and Health Visitors. GPbudgets will be cut in the next year.Ex-Ministers like Patricia Hewitt and Alan Milburn now sit on the boards of these private companies that Labour gaveNHS business to.All NHS services must remain totally within the public sectorand all our focus must be on the delivery of clinical care.

Protect our environment

Capitalism will always put short-term profit before otherconcerns, including the environment. The climate crisisrequires a total restructure of our economy and societyalong sustainable lines. Public transport must be madewidely available in our cities. Improvements in energyefficiency must be made in all areas. The reason this doesnot happen already is that capitalism is also a system of minority rule. Economic and political power is concentratedin the hands of the corporate elite who inevitably put profitbefore people and the planet. The road towards anecological society is closed unless decision-making power is taken away from these elites and given to the people. Unlikecapitalism, the purpose of the economy would be to makesure everyone’s needs were met, rather than the waste andchaotic overproduction in the search for profit.

Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

The Iraq war was an illegal war and Blair, Bush and Brownshould be indicted for war crimes. This shows that the costof human lives means little to our leaders. The troops shouldbe brought home from Afghanistan and Iraq now.They are not helping security here and maintaining thecorrupt Afghan government will never bring real peace to that country.

Council Housing

Council housing waiting lists stand at more than 1.6 millionhouseholds. Repairing and renovating current councilhousing, and building a new generation of first class councilhomes is the most effective way to meet housing need andre-create the mixed communities we all want to see. Thiscould also provide jobs for unemployed constructionworkers and those who want to get into the industry.

State Pension

Pensions and retirement are a right for all. We demand abasic state pension set above the official poverty level(estimated at £165 a week in 2009), which is linked to thehigher of earnings or prices, to provide some financialsecurity for all.

Education

New Labour has introduced a two tier education systemwhich is discriminating against the poorest sections of society.They have pushed through Building Schools for the Future(BSF) programme which bribes councils with extra money inexchange for school closures, introduction of elitistacademies, and bigger schools.Our local experience of BSF has been farcical. The councilhas proposed the closure of 7 schools, and opened up a‘competition’ to run 2 new schools, ie privatisation.Castle Hall residents successfully overturned closure plansfor their school. However, the main political parties’infighting on the council means that there is no overall planfor Huddersfield’s schools.To add insult to injury, New Labour has started an expected £2.6 billion worth of cuts in Higher Education, after getting rid of student grants and introducing university fees.Anyone going on to university can expect to leave with debtsof up to £23,000—free education has become a thing of thepast, preserved for those who can afford it.

Trident

The Government wants to upgrade the Trident nuclearweapons at a cost of over £76 billion. Sitting HuddersfieldMP, Barry Sheerman, voted for this ridiculous waste of public money, despite telling local people he was againstmaking a decision at that point only a week earlier! Weshould get rid of our nuclear weapons now.

Public transport

All buses and trains must be nationalised and brought backunder public ownership and fully integrated and affordable to improve take-up and reduce the dependency we have onprivate car use. This would not only reduce trafficcongestion and environmental damage but will alsoenhance our health.