The Working-Class Electoral Alternative!

TUSC stood an historic 561 candidates nationwide – the biggest left-of-Labour challenge for 70 years. Our candidates achieved some very good results, despite a media blackout, getting around 1000 votes in St Michaels ward in Coventry, and electing a councillor in Southampton. We also achieved excellent results in Doncaster, Sheffield and London. In total, TUSC’s candidates received over 65,000 votes.

With the Irish section of the SWP (as People Before Profit) standing against us in Dublin meant that it was always going to be a difficult battle for Paul Murphy to be re-elected as an MEP for the Socialist Party and with the split in the Socialist vote, this meant that despite him getting nearly 30,000 first preference votes, it wasn’t quite enough. However, this is still a strong showing for us and we should be well-placed to regain the seat in the future. Elsewhere in Ireland, it was a great night for the Socialist Party – we won 14 councillors and Ruth Coppinger was elected as a TD in Dublin West (the Irish equivalent of an MP).

In the UK, UKIP were the recipient of an anti-EU protest vote, winning votes from both Tories and Labour, while the Lib Dem vote collapsed. However, UKIP, a right-wing split from the Tories, will be exposed in the future, as their anti-working-class policies offer people no real alternative. While in some countries, the far-right have made gains, in Greece, Syriza were the largest party, with a programme opposing austerity, and in Spain the United Left gained 10% of the vote.

We think the most effective way to defeat the divisive ideology of the far-right is to build a political alternative for ordinary people. UKIP has benefited from a protest vote against all the main parties, who are carrying out vicious cuts to public services. We say these cuts are not necessary – the resources are there in society to fund decent services for all, but the problem is the money is in the hands of bankers and speculators. To fight back, join the Socialist Party (which is part of TUSC, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) — http://www.tusc.org.uk

The TUSC video the media wouldn’t show...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyG1KPeCAT0

Keith Morrell, Southampton rebel councillor