ALB
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robbo203 wrote:I know this might sound a little pedantic but I slightly winced at the sentence in the statement as follows"By producing what's needed and wanted, not just what can be sold"That seems to imply that production for sale will continue in socialism and will operate alongside production for what's needed and wanted, does it not?
I see what you mean, but it's word for word what Gwynn says in the Party Election Broadcast and, grammatically, it doesn't have to be interpreted the way you suggest.
Early on in the election we were asked by the Powys County Times, published in Welshpool, Mid-Wales, to submit three 250-word statements for publication, with those of the other lists, in their issues of 2 May, 9 May and 16 May. We have managed to obtain copies of the paper for these three dates. Here is what they published on 9 May (based on the script of our election broadcast). Also added, for contrast, is the statement of the Scargill Labour Party blaiming the EU not capitalism for the problems workers face.It can be found in larger print size here:http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ILt2hoSvBU/U33zpOjnYdI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/Kv2zqNnGw8M/s1600/PCT0905SPSLP.jpgWhat was published from us on 2 May and 17 May will follow in due course.
ALB wrote:Even though we are not standing a list in the London Region we have been invited by Lewisham People before Profit to this European elections hustings this eveningThis turned out to be an introduction to Lewisham local politics for the two of us who went. Lewisham is a Labour stronghold with three other parties vying to take them on: Lewisham People before Profit, a sort of radical residents association who organised the hustings, the Greens and SPEW as TUSC. Although they may have informal agreements not to compete in certain wards, as Lewisham has an elected mayor these have to oppose each other in mayoral election. With Labour members present too the first part of the meeting was not always a polite exchange of viewsThe European election hustings took place after. Represented were the Greens, No2EU (by a SPEW member), the Animal Welfare Party, the National Health Action Party, us and UKIP. The local SWP turned up to protest about UKIP being invited and a scuffle broke out. What's wrong with these idiots?The UKIP representative, Paul Oakley, was a smooth operator who was not intimidated by the SWP disrupters. In fact, ironically in view of UKIP's political pitch, he was the only career politician there, dressed in a suit and tie (though the leader of the Animal Welfare Party, Vanessa Hudson, was also dressed like a professional politician even though she isn't). A former chairman of the Greater London Tories, he is No2 on the UKIP list for London and stands a good chance of getting elected a MEP and so moving further up the greasy pole.Anyway, we got a chance to put our case to an audience of 40 or more, talk to politically interested people and to give out our leaflets and advertise our election broadcast.
The organisers of the hustings at Southampton University on 1 May at which we were represented have sent us various other links about it than their video recording:http://www.surgeradio.co.uk/news/452/European_Hustings_Summary
http://www.wessexscene.co.uk/politics/2014/05/01/european-elections-hustings-liveblog/#comments
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.696412227086001.1073741882.180512555342640&type=3 In case anyone wants to check them (not looked at them myself).
The Brixtonblog have now published their own report of the hustings last Tuesday. It's a good report that accurately records what our representative said when he gave the socialist position on the various issues raised (housing, lecturers' strike, democracy, immigration and cuts).
Even though we are not standing a list in the London Region we have been invited by Lewisham People before Profit to this European elections hustings this evening:
Quote:Mon 19th May: Election Rally: Meet LPBP Candidates at Hill Station Licensed Cafe, Kitto Road, SE14 7.30pm. European Hustings with representatives from minor parties also invited. 8.30pm. Bus 484, 343 or train to Nunhead, Brockley or New Cross Gate (5 – 10 min walk)We shall be there with a literature stall and to answer questions on why we think those outside Wales and the South East Region who want socialism should cast a write-in vote for it by writing "WORLD SOCIALISM" across their ballot paper,
Yesterday we were out in the western part of the region, in Hampshire and in Oxfordshire.Six members (4 from West London branch and 2 from West Midlands) held a literature stall at the Levellers Daty event in Burford, which is in Cameron's safe Tory constituency of Witney. Besides giving our election leaflet to the 100 or so attending, we distributed some door-to-door in Burford and in Witney. A bit surprised to find quite a few Labour posters in Witney, where local elections are taking place, but then not everybody in the area can be toffs.When they sang the Red Flag (twice) at the Levellers event, we sang the version which starts "The people's flag is pinkest pink; it's not as red as you might think". The Internationale was no problem. Many of those at the Levellers Day event had already seen our leaflet, which Royal Mail had delivered in both Oxford constituencies. Some told us they had or would be voting for us even if only as the only "left" list standing in the South East. At the same time members of the Oxford Communist Corresponding Society had a stall in Oxford where they were handing out our election leaflet.Meanwhile, in Basingstoke, 3 members of South West Regional branch distributed some 1000 leaflets door-to-door.
Got a leaflet from another of our opponents "An Independence from Europe", a party set up by deselected UKIP MEP Mike Nattrass who, besides wanting to get re-elected an MEP for the West Midlands (strange how these anti-EU politicians are keen to stay in the European Parliament), is out to spoil UKIPs chances.His party name, beginning with an A, was chosen so as to be the first on the ballot paper and the variant of its name which will also be on the ballot paper is "UK Independence Now". It will be interesting to know who is behind and financing this spoiler party which is contesting all 8 English areas.Nothing interesting in his unreadable (too small print) manifesto except:
Quote:We support closure of the Welsh Assembly.with no explanation why. But it could explain why AIP is not standing in Wales.
Does anyone else think that Howard looks like Trotsky? Mind you, Trotsky advocating a classless, stateless, moneyless society would be a turn up for the books.
Swansea football fans discuss our leaflet:http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/swanseacity/forum/112688/1380611/#.U3UurHaxNdhWhat next
Sean has had less success than our other candidates in getting a letter or statement in the local press, in Basingstoke in his case. So we're publishing it here:
Quote:A window to the nation’s politicsThe elections coming up seem to be very similar to every other.Your vote is needed to clear up the present issue of the day and the party asking for it is the only party who can sort it out.But for all the promises nothing ever gets better. Nothing ever gets resolved. The solution isn’t around the corner; this has gone on for ages. The political parties appear to be trying to clean a window with a dirty cloth and rather than swap it for a new one they harangue each other about how they use it.The issues of the window of Britain are focused around the European influence and whether staying in or out of the European Union is in the nation’s interest.The Conservatives see nothing wrong with the dirty cloth, all that we need for a brighter British window is to apply it more firmly, roll up our sleeves and try a little harder. UKIP see nothing wrong with the dirty cloth either, but feel its use should be guided by a purely British hand. Labour is appalled! Labour feels that by wringing out the cloth and changing how it’s applied will lead to a fairer, more prosperous window. The Left feels this doesn’t go far enough, only by cleansing the cloth and a complete reorganisation of how the window is scrubbed will do. Of course, the BNP couldn’t care less about the state of the cloth, only what colour it allows the window to become.No matter who takes charge the vision of the future remains dull, there is only so much that can be done with a dirty cloth.The Socialist Party of Great Britain challenges all other parties because it knows that capitalism can only be run in the interest of the few. For us the question isn’t whether it’s in the nation’s interest to stay in, or out, of the EU. It’s whether the nation’s interests and the people’s interests are the same. The answer is no.The Socialist Party is part of the World Socialist Movement. For 110 years we have organised without leaders practising real democracy. A vote for us in the European elections is a vote for yourself. Our goal is not to run capitalism for you in the interest of individual nations. Our goal is to unite the people of the world so that we, the people, can run it in the interest of ourselves.We will not stand for starvation in a world that can feed everyone more than adequately. We will not see those who work and create the wealth struggle while those who manipulate thrive. We will not see the environment destroyed in the name of profits. We will not see honest, hard working people turned against each other in war to serve a minority’s interests.The Socialist Party calls for socialists, then their votes.Sean Deegan, candidate on the Socialist Party/World Socialist list in the South East for the European elections.Brian wrote:farcical posturing.I see what you mean. They stand outside demanding "no radio interviews with the BNP" and then go in to get interviewed themselves. I'd say that makes them hypocrites too. In fact, why don't they stand outside the polling stations protesting against the BNP being allowed to stand or even to exist? And since both the CPB and the SWP have themselves been the victims of "no platform" actions you'd have thought they might realise there's something wrong with it.
jondwhite wrote:Are the SPGB in particular being asked by the CPB and the SWP? If they'd rather us stand outside and shout while Lib-Lab-Con get a free rein – than go in and verbally attack them on the same platform then no thanksYes, our election agent in Wales (Brian) was phoned personally by Robert Griffiths, the General Secretary of the CPB and lead candidate on the No2EU list in Wales, and a representative of the SWP attended the Swansea Branch meeting on Monday with the same end in view. I'm sure Brian will be able to provide more details.
The BBC have now added our Party Election Broadcast in Wales on Monday night to the page on election broadcasts on their website.Ours is here:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27379468
