The East London line and Jubilee line branch of the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers has backed Ian Page, Socialist Party councillor for Telegraph Hill and Trade Union and Socialist Coalition candidate for Lewisham Deptford in his campaign in the general election. This comes after Camden RMT No.3 Branch also backed Ian’s campaign.
Promoted by C Heemskerk, 17 Colebert House, Colebert Avenue, E1 4JP on behalf of the Socialist Alternative candidates.
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| Lewisham Socialist News – Our record |
The Telegraph Hill ward in the south east London borough of Lewisham has been represented by socialist councillors for 15 years. Over the years the local party branch has produced regular editions of a newsletter, Socialist News, to keep local residents informed on what their councillors, Ian Page and Chris Flood, are doing. The last four years’ newsletters have now been pulled together into a comprehensive report on the activities and voting record of the socialist councillors – and the other parties’ records too!
Socialist Party Councillors oppose ‘Savage cuts‘
Alistair Darling, the chancellor and his opposite numbers from the Lib Dems and Tories lined up against each other for a ‘debate’ on the way forward for the economy on Channel 4 the other night. While superficially they traded blows on policies the reality is they are all agreed on one thing; after the election whoever is in government huge cuts to jobs, conditions and public services will be the order of the day. These cuts come as a result of the billions of pounds used to bailout the banks but will it be the rich who are asked to pay this back? No the banks have continued to dish out huge bonuses and it is business as usual. It will be ordinary workers and young people who will pay in lost jobs, wage reductions and service cuts. Lewisham is no different. The council’s official budget report this year states “we will also need to develop an overall to deliver perhaps £50-£60million savings over three years.” The Socialist Party has launched a petition against all cuts to jobs and services in Lewisham which has already gained hundreds of signatures. Socialist Party councillors for Telegraph Hill ward Chris Flood and Ian Page have been the only ones on Lewisham council to consistently vote against cuts and call for Lewisham council to campaign for the money needed to provide decent public services. Ian and Chris and third Socialist Party candidate Jess Leech will be standing in May’s council elections in Telegraph Hill ward to provide a campaigning alternative to the main parties menu of cuts and privatisation.
Promoted by C Heemskerk, 17 Colebert House, Colebert Avenue, E1 4JP on behalf of the Socialist Alternative candidates.
April 1st 2010
Ian Page: A workers’ MP, on a workers’ wage
After the duck houses, moat clearing and expenses claims for Kit-Kats and cat food now senior politicians have been caught hiring themselves out to lobbyists, using their positions to influence government officials. Obviously not content with an MPs basic salary of £64,766 Stephen Byers’ offered his services for £3000 – £5000 a day as he described himself as ‘like a sort of cab for hire’. At a time when working people are told they’ll need to tighten their belts the politicians in Westminster have been feathering their nests. Contrast this with Socialist Party MEP for Dublin Joe Higgins, who rather than joining the gravy train only takes the average wage of the people he represents and has been described as the ‘best fighter money can’t buy’. In announcing he is to stand as a Socialist Party candidate as part of the newly formed Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) Cllr Ian Page said “People are sick to death of the political class in this country living a privileged and detached lifestyle while the people they are meant to represent are expect to struggle to make ends meet. Someone like Joe Higgins is unfortunately a rare example of a politician standing in the interests of ordinary people not for his own personal gain. Standing in Lewisham Deptford constituency, if elected I would only take the average wage of the people I represent.”
Promoted by C Heemskerk, 17 Colebert House, Colebert Avenue, E1 4JP on behalf of Socialist Alternative candidates
Lewisham Socialist Party 