General Election 2017 campaign

November 2024 Forums World Socialist Movement General Election 2017 campaign

Viewing 15 posts - 76 through 90 (of 129 total)
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  • #127037
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Comrades were active in the Battersea constituency today – three were at Clapham Junction and another two outside Head Office.  Not much interest in politics but some passers-by took our leaflets.

    #127038
    ALB
    Keymaster

    An attempt to hold an undemocratic hustings was made last Tuesday. Luckily it was cancelled due to the Manchester massacre: http://www.klsettlement.org.uk/battersea-hustings-on-23rd-may-open-invitation/ The organisers have been sent the following email:

    Quote:
    I see you had arranged a hustings for Tuesday 23 May to which you invited only 4 of the 7 candidates in Battersea. This is undemocratic. If the hustings is being rearranged simple democracy requires you to invite Danny Lambert, the Socialist Party candidate, the UKP camdidate, and  the Independent candidate, Chris Coghlan. Otherwise electors are not being offered a full choice. In any event, please let me know of any new date for the hustings.Thanks.Adam Buick, Election Agent for Danny Lambert, Socialist Party candidatefor Battersea.

    Even if we are not invited we'll be there, to insist that our candidate be heard.

    #127039
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    I was looking at the link, ALB, and came across thishttp://www.wandsworthradio.com/advertising/Rather than go through the Media Committee, perhaps the election campaigners could make use of it more quickly but also to keep the proper accounts for the election budget spending reportMaybe the audio/visual experts could edit Paddy's election address from Kids Stuff or Danny's Big Smoke interview… I note you can sponsor a programme…and they have a comedy one called the AntI-Duhring Battalion and we could use an appropriate Engels quote from it as part of the ad. 

    #127040
    ALB
    Keymaster

    Political advertising is not allowed in Britain so we've asked if they want to interview our candidate.Incidentally, "Anti-Duhring Batallion" is (or was) a member of SPEW:http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/16798/29-05-2013/socialist-party-youth-organisers-meeting-sunday-30-june-1030am-430pm-londonMaybe, since then, he's made the breakthrough into the big time, following in the footsteps of Mark Steel.

    #127041
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    Thanks for the clarification.But what if we run an ad campaign to sell the Socialist Standard after the election is done and dusted. Would that be permissible?

    #127042
    ALB
    Keymaster

    One of the advantages of keeping Head Office open during the campaign is that on one day (10 May) we were interviewed on Corbyn by a journalist on the leading Danish newspaper Berlingske. Here is the article that appeared on 14 May:https://www.b.dk/globalt/labour-leder-holder-fast-i-den-umulige-flirt-med-magtenAlso reproduced here:https://www.pressreader.com/denmark/berlingske-tidende/20170515/281663959933652Anybody here who can read Danish to tell us what it says?

    #127043
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    I did a Google translate and it isn't a bad report upon us .

    Quote:
    Jeremy Corbyn has chosen to tone pure and red flag of the British election campaign and follows in the footsteps of other older men in Western democracies, who have tried to draw voters far to the left in response to the right politicians success.In the office on the main street in South London including Clapham neighborhood's many newly rich, think not that Jeremy Corbyn is red enough. Here at 'Socialist Party of Great Britain "believed that the Labor leader should go much more dramatic approach. »Corbyn talking about politics as in the Swedish welfare state or 70s Britain. We want common ownership and not capitalism. He does not talk about socialism, as we do, when he wants to raise taxes, give more money to the schools and introduce more days off. It is to confuse socialism with reforms, "says Oliver Bond, who writes for the party's monthly journal. It will not be the approximately 350 members of the small lot on the expensive address – that was not as flashy as the Socialist Party in 1951 moved into the former working-class neighborhood – who is going to decide the British general election for the House of Commons on June 8. Many other Britons far into Labor's core vote Corbyn has pulled the party more than enough left. Several of the party's House of candidates gets the utmost pains not to mention their party leader and has avoided any reference to Corbyn on the election material they distribute in their constituencies. If any of the traditional Labor Party had hoped that the realities of an election would be the party leader to look toward the political center in an attempt to reverse the party's chronic bad polls, they got a rude awakening for the weekend, where the conservative newspaper The Daily Telegraph joyfully clears the front page of a leaked draft of Labor's election manifesto under the headline: "Revealed: Corbyns manifesto to bring Britain back to the 1970s'. It was a reference to the economic crisis, which paved the way for a sharp political right turn during Margaret Thatcher. Since then, only Tony Blairs centrist "New Labor" has been able to wrest power from the Conservatives.But Corbyn has chosen to tone pure red flag with traditional workers' struggle. Party Manifesto is scheduled to be published this week, but it corresponds according to British press largely to the leaked draft crafted by Corbyns close associates. There will be uploaded to renationalising the railways and postal services, create state energy companies, raising taxes on the highest incomes and business, strengthen unions and increase public spending.In doing so, Corbyn a track from the older, seasoned politicians in Western democracies at the recent presidential elections in France and the US presidential election have tried to draw voters far to the left – and mobilize, committed young – to meet successful nationalist oriented right politicians.67-year-old Corbyn went even parallel a few days ago when he said that he hoped that the former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will give its recommendation of a vote at Corbyn and Labor. 75-year-old Sanders will come to Britain just before the elections in connection with a series of events where the American politician must keep talking."I do not know. I hope he will. I think he probably will do it, "said Corbyn in an interview with The Guardian.He said that Labor makes rich use of experience of Sanders campaign methods were adherents to flow to and was a real threat to Hillary Clinton in the primary election:"We are in connection with Bernies team. They're over here to help us. "Like the small group of socialists in Clapham Corbyn in the UK and other Western political leaders proved uncompromising despite the poor prospects of achieving their goals . The left-wing, 66-year-old presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, got unexpectedly strong support in the first round of elections in France but was criticized when he subsequently refused to urge its voters to support Emmanuel Macron against right candidate Marine Le Pen.Sanders got US criticism for maintaining its pressure from the left on Clinton, even when he no longer had any chances, and thereby distracted her focus on defeating Donald Trump….Blah blah…In London's Clapham district is the small group of socialists most concerned that Corbyns policy will blur the understanding of the real socialism, says Bond in his office.

        

    #127045
    ALB
    Keymaster

    Yes, Balham High Road, right at the southern most tip of the constituency, proved to be a good choice, better than Clapham Junction where we were on Saturday. For a start, nobody refused a leaflet saying "I'm Conservative". A number of discussions, divided between those who said vote Labour or at least Anything But Tory and those who said that all politicians were arseholes and not worth voting for and that the Labour Party were just Tories in disguise. Even met someone who knew the Party when at Southampton university thirty years ago and was surprised — and pleased — that we were still going and took a few "I'm Voting for World Socialism" stickers. He didn't think much of the Labour Party either unlike a young woman sporting a "J.C. for P.M" badge (on the assumption, that is, that J.C. didn't mean Jesus Christ).

    #127046
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Stalls in Balham High Road and outside Head Office yesterday

    #127047
    ALB
    Keymaster

    Just had confirmation that our Election Communications to be distributed free by Royal Mail in Battersea and Islington North were safely delivered to the postal centres by our printers this morning.As from tomorrow, Royal Mail will begin to distribute 60,000 to households in Battersea and 57,000 to households in Islington North.Those for Swansea West have already begun to be distributed.

    #127048
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    One postal vote for World Socialism already cast…

    #127044
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Comrades and supporters were active again in the Battersea constituency today – three were in Balham High Road and another four outside Head Office.  Quite a bit of interest in the first location but quieter at HO which is actually just outside the constituency.  However, some Standards and pamphlets were sold and a good many election leaflets given away.   There are still about 1000 left at HO.   Some photos will be posted later.

    #127049
    ALB
    Keymaster

    Election curiousity. This is not the first time, apart from in the 2015 general election, that we have stood against Corbyn. We did in the 1977 GLC elections but it was not Jeremy but his brother Piers standing for the IMG. He got 219 votes. We got  101.

    #127050
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    I just read his wiki entry and surprised that he is a climate change denier. I am also surprised by his attempts to suppress criticism of his weather predictions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Corbyn

    #127051
    ALB
    Keymaster

    While the EC met to deal with routine business, 4 comrades ran a stall, in shifts, outside Head Office in Clapham High St from 11am to 5pm. They reported more interest in politics, no doubt because election day is approaching. The last "Only Sheep Need Leaders Mug" was sold. Pity there weren't more as the Tories were up the road, handing out leaflets for their candidates in Vauxhall and Streatham pictured with "strong and stable" Theresa May.Two others went to Clapham Junction again, which is in the Battersea constituency (Clapham High Street is half a mile outside it). They too reported more interest and political discussion compared with last time, mainly with Labour supporters who, in view of the opinion polls, were on a roll. Two canvassers for the Independent candidate, Chris Coghlan, passed by. His leaflet proclaims "Opposing Brexit. Standing for a new centrist movement". He seems to expect to repeat Emmanuel Macron's exploit in France, not that it would amount to anything worthwhile if he did.

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