New Labour under pressure in Brent East By-election
New Labour is under mounting pressure in the Brent East By-Election following a weekend of extensive campaigning by opposing parties. There are real signs that the Labour vote is fracturing.
The Hutton Inquiry and the failure to find any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has turned the contest into one of national significance focused on trust in New Labour and its failure to deliver on key social policies.
Brian Butterworth, the Socialist Alliance candidate, who has lived and campaigned in Brent East for twenty years(1), said:
"New Labour has failed to deliver what many expected from a Labour Government and began a war that lead to thousands of Iraqis being killed and a still mounting death toll. Many former Labour voters are telling us on the door step that that they feel a betrayal of real Labour values of social justice and peace and are switching their vote to a local Alliance candidate they can trust."
He added:"For twenty years I have lived and worked in Brent with some of the most vulnerable people in society, children and most recently the elderly. It is this day to day experience with real problems that has led me to the conviction we must always put people before profit."
Campaign manager Nick Grant said: "We had over 70 people campaigning in the constituency on Sunday 31st August (2) and sightings of New Labour activists were rare. Local Labour members cannot bring themselves to campaign for New Labour at this time. Most of those who worked hard to get New Labour elected are themselves disillusioned with the Government" (3)
BRIAN BUTTERWORTH, BRENT EAST SOCIALIST ALLIANCE CANDIDATE, BRENT EAST BY-ELECTION.
‘I am standing in this election for peace and public services and against war and privatisation.
The war on Iraq was for oil and US domination of the Middle East. I want an end to the illegal occupation of Iraq by coalition forces. Blair must go.
This election is also about the disastrous policy of privatisation, the failure to restore the state pension, the scandal of SATs and tuition fees, the state of our transport system and the scapegoating of asylum seekers.
I’ve been campaigning for the rights of working people in Brent for 20 years. The voters of Brent East can’t trust the Lib Dems or Labour, but they can trust me.’
Brian Butterworth
Notes for editors:
Open letter to the Liberal Democrats
Brent resident poses questions about Lib Dem tactics (click for more)
Re Public Sector Workers-Enough of Gordon Brown's mean cuts.
"New Labour finds money for war and occupation-no shortages of cash. Yet nofunds for paying decent wages to public sector workers. No money formaintaining the public sector services," Brian Butterworth,SocialistAlliance candidate for the Brent East bye-election stated when meeting withlocal public sector workers yesterday.
"Post Office workers, teachers, lecturers, nurses, doctors, fireworkers etcand now civil servants are all suffering alike from this Governmentsprivatisation and cuts policies".
"We say people before profits- instead of fat cats in the City walking offwith our money, tax them to fund properly the public sector".
"Users of all public sector services deserve better, and that does not meanlow pay for the workers who deliver them."
"Too many reports on incidences of work based stress are now appearing andthis is the direct consequence of the pressures public sector workers arenow placed under by New Labour policies."
end
“Given the total crisis and unraveling of the New Labour project, it is vital that we build a progressive alternative”, declared Tariq Ali today.
As a prominent anti-war campaigner, who first shot to prominence in his role in opposition to the Vietnam War, Tariq Ali was talking in the run up to the ‘Convention of the Left’ to be held in Brent this week.
As Guest Speaker at the meeting, which takes place at Willesden Library Centre on Thursday July 3st from 7:00pm, Tariq will join the debate about the forthcoming bye-election in Brent East, and pose the question, ‘Just what sort of MP do we need in Brent?’
Now
that New Labour has decided who it wants for Brent, the Socialist Alliance is
giving the people of Brent a chance to decide who they want to stand as an
alternative to the left of Labour.
Robert Evans Selected
So New Labour narrowly adopts, by a tiny margin, Robert Evans as their Parliamentary Prospective candidate. Does Evans, a Euro M.E.P., intend to sit in 2 Houses at the same time, if elected? What type of representation will the electorate gain as a result? A person chasing between Brussels, Westminster and No.10. Will he ever have time to represent us? We think not. This important bye-election will be a major opportunity for voters to reject Blair and New Labour’s Tory policies of privatisation, war and cuts in public spending.
Brent East is one of the most multi-cultural/ multi racial seats, comprising of the least represented communities in Westminster today. This has clearly not been addressed by New Labour’s selection.
A staunch pro- Euro supporter, who firmly believes in UK membership, Evans stated: ”On the 1st January 2002, 300 milion people participated in the largest currency changeover ever. Six months later and the Euro has proved to be sensational success.”
We say, “tell that to the millions of unemployed in Germany. Explain that to those millions across Europe seeing their public services cut. Remind pensioners who see their standard of living destroyed. To adopt the Euro will mean public services and the NHS being reduced down to a minimal service while the rich go private. Blair offers us a Europe for the fat cats and not a Europe for the workers.”
The European Parliament met in emergency session this week, in sombre
mood. No one wanted war. War is always a last resort and a mark of the failure
of democracy and dialogue. Recognising of course that Saddam Hussein's regime of
evil, I had previously voted, along with my colleagues in the socialist group,
for the weapons inspections to continue and for the UN to be the umbrella under
which we would all operate. Sadly as we know the negotiations collapsed and the
war has followed.( 20th March 2003 –Robert Evans)
Well Robert, where were you when
millions marched against war? Where were you when millions say this war is
illegal. There were no WMD’s. Your leader does Bush’s bidding at the expense
of peace. Are you willing to support bringing Blair and Bush for trial on war
crimes? Do you agree with George Galloway on this?
The crocodile tears you cried
don’t wash with the people of Iraq, who want to be in control of their own
country and not live under an illegal occupation, which is costing taxpayers £5
million a day. Money that could be better spent on schools, hospitals and public
transport. Instead, the rich get
richer at our expense while students go into debt over loans your government has
imposed on them. Standing ovations at Congress do not console victims of the
war, nor does it bring justice to the Palestinians.
The Lib Dems and Tories are no
better. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. What a choice. Well we believe the people
of Brent East do deserve better. That is why we are campaigning for a democratic
convention of the Left, to be held on 31st July, 7.30 p.m., at
Willesden Library. There, people will be coming together to discuss and decide
what type of M.P. Brent East needs. For or against war, for or against
privatisation, for or against racism? What kind of M.P. do you want?
So before the election begins , we have tweedle dee and tweedle dum.All 3 tory
parties issuing false promises like running water.
The Tories make false promises over schools,"end cash crises".They
also promise tax cuts.It doesnt add up.While the rich get richer, local services
are cut. Both Lib Dems and Tories compete over being the saviours of local post
Brent East Socialist Alliance is working with local unions, the community
and user groups and local staff to defend local services from privatisation.
We say "people before profits". All public services must be kept
public and
not sold off for private profit.
The Tories complain of transport shambles yet it is privatisation and private
finance initiatives, along with under investment in public transport by both
Tory and New Labour Governments that is responsible for the shambles.
We say,"a public integrated transport system is the only way to improve
transport in London, with low not high fares".
The only way the Tories can plan to have an impact on Brent East bye
election, according to various pundits,is if there is a low turn-out.
The Brent East Socialist Alliance will campaign for a high election turn out
to show that the people of Brent East have not forgotten what life under
Thatcher was like-3 million unemeployed, cuts in public services, record
house repossessions etc.We also remember how local services were cut under
the Tory/Liberal control of Brent Council in the past.Nor do we feel that
Blair and New Labour, friends of City fat cats, has offered us any better.
The Tories offer us 300 extra police on Brent streets. We want better
services,more job opportunities, improved housing,more teachers and far more
youth and community services opened up.
We will campaign with local community groups,trade unionists, tenants and
residents associations and youth to fight to defend and expand all public
services. We say"PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS" END
offices yet both support privatisation.It doesnt add up.
END.
BRENT EAST TORIES PIN HOPES ON LOW TURN OUT-WHAT A WAY TO FIGHT AN ELECTION-HOW TO INSULT THE ELECTORATE