Sunday 6 May 2012

The lessons for TUSC in the recent local elections

Overall I feel the recent elections were good to be honest for TUSC in many places we were standing for the first time. We may not have made a significant breakthrough but I am still confident our time will come.

Labour gained big numbers of councillors and control of councils again this is a last chance for labour if you like given to them by those who voted. This is no way an endorsement of the labour party and their slow cuts strategy but an anti Tory vote where people looked to punish the government including Tories and lib dems. This at the moment has meant labour has won big but unless they break from the base of capitalism they are based on they too will be carrying out the cuts and feeling the wrath of the anti cuts movement.
It is certainly going to be a very interesting period now with still only a estimated 9% of the cuts been seen so far many labour councils will have to make the cuts if they want to stay true to their capitalist masters. If they do break from this and do stand up for ordinary people and refuse to make the cuts all well and good that is what we want to happen but frankly from the evidence so far where labour control councils this does not appear to be the case at all.


If anything they seem to not even debate the cuts just interested in the speed of the cuts not the cuts passé. It is a good time for TUSC now we really have to keep our nerve and keep firm to our principles stand by what we’ve stood on and build on these elections.

Standing as broadly as we can in new areas building the TUSC name is key for this coming period between now and the next elections. We can’t just be seen as another party who is only seen at election time. We must be standing shoulder to shoulder with workers in struggle be that on strikes on demonstrations and mass movements as the crisis in capitalism will deepen there is no doubt about that.
As Marxists we see the struggle for a new society based on the needs of people over the profits of a few a process which can be and flow seeing our movement thrown back at times when other times we can advance consciousness and make gains. The recent elections have clearly given labour one last chance to prove they can stand up for ordinary people against the cuts. We know this won’t happen but people have to see this in action and will be betrayed. We have been told well why you don’t join the labour party to affect change from within. This is a dead end argument as we were in the labour party and were expelled for giving workers a voice. We are not prepared to sit in the labour party and sit by as the working class goes to hell in a handcart. We are actively trying to give a lead to workers and that alternative which is being searched for more and more.

As some commentators and others on the left think this will be the end for Tusk and the likes of Dave Nellist who unfortunately lost his seat to a new labour pro cuts candidate on Thursday but this is not the end if anything it is just the start and we will be there on the right side of the picket lines standing with ordinary workers who need our support against the boss’s

So onwards and upwards I say let labour show us what they are all about now as we will be watching closely and ready to expose them.

5 comments:

  1. I actually don't think you should 'build the TUSC name'. The TUSC name is terrible and couldn't be more off-putting to voters. I can't think of many people who would vote for ideas England despises as a whole - trade unions (post-Winter of Discontent/recent tube strikes) and socialists (post-USSR). TUSC is a nice idea if it's aim is to push Labour left but to do that it needs to win over voters - and the party's name is very important to that.

    Don't think the word 'Coalition' goes down too well with many people at the moment either!

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  2. sorry i dont see your point with the name i think its fine does exactly what it says we are trade unionis and socialists in a coalition not a party as yet as a united front in some places we've stood as trade union and socialists against cuts . as for trying to pull labour left i cant see that happening people think they already have but they havent, for us as the socialist party one of our demands is fora new workers party as we dont feel labour can be reclaimed and TUSC is a important step towards that. I couldnt make any sense of your points about tube strikes and teh USSR to be honest sorry

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  3. "We must be standing shoulder to shoulder with workers in struggle be that on strikes on demonstrations and mass movements as the crisis in capitalism will deepen there is no doubt about that."

    I voted for the TUSC, but after reading that they only stand for workers (I'm not a worker-drone, etc), it'll be the last time I do!

    The work I do is NOT helping a slave-boss, it's for a better world for all (activism), while not helping the govt. It's a shame TUSC can't stand on behalf of everyone.

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  4. TUSC failed. The Greens got more votes and seats than you, and the Labour Party got their best results in some parts of the country since the 1990s

    Just give up.

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  5. Well we are all workers i'm afraid we all ahve to work for a living, TUSC stands for all who are looking to change society we dont just oppose all cuts we stand for a better world too so it sounds like we do stand for you after all. If you have to work to live you are a worker you may not be a drone or a slave for anyone but the reality is that you are you dont get paid for the full fruits of your labour and the work you do creates profit for the boss's, this is teh basis of capiatlism i'm afraid. As for TUSC giving up and getting a poor vote i'm sorry but with 68 % of people not voting a vote for labour was hardly a endoresement of labour quite the contary labour got seats and votes but of those who voted was a tiny percent of people in this country. It was a anti tory vote not a vote for labour believe me. TUSC will carry on standing again and again and again as we have a alternative and labour will break its promises the spotlight is on them now to resist the cuts which they havent up to now, Last chance for them i feel

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