Hyde Park & Headingley Socialist

No2. Elections 2012 - Hand delivered across Headingley and Hyde Park by volunteers

Vote Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts on May 3rd

Socialist P a r t y member Iain Dalton is standing as the T r a d e Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts candidate in Headingley this May alongside other anti-cuts candidates across Leeds. Iain is an active member of USDAW (retail workers union), as well as being the Yorkshire Organiser of Youth Fight for Jobs which last year recreated the Jarrow Crusade to highlight the soaring levels of youth unemployment and more recently against the governments work-for-yourdole scheme (see overleaf).

Anti-Cuts Pledge
If elected to Leeds City Council, I will vote: Against all cuts to council services or to council jobs, pay or conditions To stop all privatisation of services or assets, including transfers to arms-length organisations or social enterprises Against council use of the Private Finance Initiative To prevent cuts to the protection of our environment, including stopping global warming To keep the education and the national health service publicly owned and run Against increases in charges because of government cuts For real involvement of local people in decisions, including consultations, commissions and referendums ...and will work with local anti-cuts groups and trade unions.

Fight All the Cuts

Another year, another budget for the rich from the Con-Dems. Further cuts to welfare, introducing regional pay, increasing fuel duty and the attacks of pensioners tax allowance that has been dubbed the granny tax. All this to pay for taking 5% off the tax of the richest in society and further lowering of corporation tax on the profits of big business. their record is examined their good intentions dont translate into action to defend local jobs and services. In 2011 it was a Labour & Green run council who passed the 90m cuts budget resulting in 3,000 job losses from the council. This year Labour have passed a further 55m in cuts including 400 more jobs to go, cuts to meals on wheels, adult social service day centres and more. This pattern is repeated across the country with Labour councils as with the Green run council in Brighton.

Although government ministers claim Were all in it together, they and their big business chums keep getting richer whilst the rest of us find it increasingly hard to make ends meet. It is becoming increasingly clear to people that we need a serious alternative to the unending misery of austerity. Only Socialist Party members and others who have signed But what could be the alternative? the anti-cuts pledge (see In last years elections in Headingley above) will vote against all ward, Labour won the ward from cuts and work with trade the Lib-Dems whilst the Greens got unions and others to build a a strong vote. Both claim to be mass campaign to defend all against the cuts. However, when jobs and services.

Occupation of Leeds City Council chamber against Labour/Green Cuts Budget in 2011

Royal Park School - Give it to the community

Iain and other Socialist Party members support the transfer of Royal Park School to the RPCC. Council buildings shouldn't be allowed to go to waste when local residents are willing to use them. A more detailed article will appear on our website.

A Socialist Alternative to Cuts and Economic Crisis

Tuesday 10th April, 7.30pm Heart Centre, Bennett Road, Headingley, LS6 3HN - All welcome

Public Meeting:

Find out more: Visit www.leedssocialistparty.wordpress.com Follow us on twitter @leedsp, find us on facebook as Leeds Socialists Come to a meetingTuesdays, 7.30pm @ the Packhorse, 208 Woodhouse Ln Contact us - e-mail leedssp@hotmail.co.uk or ring/text 07809839793
P& P by Iain Dalton on behalf of Leeds Socialist Party both at 28 Harold Walk, Leeds, LS6 1PS

Stop the Fares Rip-Off

Every January, those who use the railways to go about their daily business are hammered by above inflation increases in the price of tickets. Britain has the highest train fares in the EU, yet a study by the think tank Just Economics has shown that were bottom of the league for fares, efficiency and comfort when compared with other European countries. 431 million. Now, the annual public subsidy required is 6 billion. While passengers who have no option but to use trains suffer from overcrowding and delays while paying a fortune for the privilege, the companies who run the services make large profits. Last year, Virgin Trains (jointly owned by Virgin Group and Stagecoach) made 39.9 million after tax profit, and only held back 6.5 million for investment. The rest In British Rails last year before was paid out to the owners as a privatisation, its public subsidy was profit dividend. Last years McNulty report on the state of the railways poses a massive threat to passengers and railway workers. It r e c o m m e n d s ev en m o r e privatisation, the closure of hundreds of smaller ticket offices, attacks on terms and conditions (it claims that staff are too highly paid despite evidence that rail workers Iain campaigning with RMT member in Leeds productivity has increased faster than labour costs) and potentially even higher fare increases. Socialist Party members in Leeds have recently been campaigning around these issues, as well as on bus services and the recent rise in fares on them too. The current proposal before Metro, to introduce quality contracts on local bus services, would give Metro control over bus routes and fares which is a step forward from the current profitmongering of transport operators. However, we call for the railways and buses to be brought back into public ownership immediately, with compensation paid only on the basis of proven need. We call a democratically run system, controlled by passengers and workers, and for proper investment to modernise and improve the system, to provide a decent, affordable service for all.

Workfare Fiasco: We Wont Work For Free

With youth unemployment at record levels, the government has been keen to scapegoat those struggling to find work, and divert attention from their cuts that are the root cause. Under the pretense of job creation, the workfare programme subsidises big corporations (many of whom are making enormous profits during the recession) to take on workers who receive only their dole whilst giving no guarantee of a job at the end. Labours plans for a workfare-lite are no serious alternative, offering only six months on the minimum wage, with young people getting no choice, and still no commitment to long-term employment. The Socialist Party and Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) have fought a nationwide campaign against this attack on the working class by the main parties and their allies in big business. We have already made small victories, with some concessions from the government, and many big name companies dropping out of the scheme. However, we must continue to fight for lasting, meaningful and properly paid employment. We will invest to create jobs and apprenticeships that are beneficial to society, offering a living wage and a genuine future for all young people.
Leeds YFJ have organized protests outside McDonalds and Tesco (the day after the protest, Tesco offered to pay anyone the government refers to them). We also organized a Tour of Shame, protesting outside shops in Leeds of companies participating in the scheme and on budget day we organised a rally against the cuts, workfare and the freeze of minimum wage for under 21s.

Find out more: Visit www.leedssocialistparty.wordpress.com Follow us on twitter @leedsp, find us on facebook as Leeds Socialists Come to a meetingTuesdays, 7.30pm @ the Packhorse, 208 Woodhouse Ln Contact us - e-mail leedssp@hotmail.co.uk or ring/text 07809839793