Campaign News
Gorton Hustings: More Support for Karen!
Karen appeared on the panel for the Faith In Government Hustings, hosted by the Faith Network 4 Manchester (http://www.fn4m.org/); held in Gorton on April the 27th, and chaired by Rev. David Grey was an experience I am truly glad I did not miss. The audience was informed, interested and deeply engaged. Two other candidates were on the panel, Caroline Healy for the Conservatives and Qaasim Afzal for the Liberal Democrats. The Labour PPC, Sir Gerald Kauffman and the Green Party PPC, Justine Hall had both sent their apologies. The opening of the meeting began with Rev. Grey posing these strong and provocative points: that, given the recession, the bankers’ greed and the MPs’ expenses scandal did we need ‘new brooms’ or could ‘old dogs learn new tricks’?
Here is a brief summary of some of the answers to posed questions.
The first question asked if candidates would support the living wage given the deep inequalities in Manchester. Karen opened by talking about The Times’ ‘Rich List’, to nods of approval from the audience, and then articulated how inequalities rested on the way the ‘inefficient market’ had squeezed jobs and services. She detailed the causes and effects of the banking crisis and told the audience that TUSC, unlike the three main parties, would not support the marketisation of public services, bankers’ greed and Imperialist wars. She spoke of the post-election cuts as a time for fighting back against war and cuts, defending jobs, services and wages –to nods and murmurs of approval from the audience.
Another questioner asked if Faith Groups who do ‘good’ work should gain better funding? Karen espoused the crux of the problem: that volunteers should not be relied upon to do the work of the public sector. That all groups – faith and non-faith – if doing important work within communities, should be made part of the ‘mainstream’; this would provide paid employment and offer trade union recognitions. These two questions and answers were an important point in the meeting – Karen’s responses were a formidable challenge to received wisdom and this brought a warm and keen response.
One questioner raised the issue of Asylum, asking if Asylum seekers should be permitted to work and whether the detention of children should be stopped. Karen said yes to both questions. She stated her position as an internationalist and spoke eloquently on the inhumane approach to asylum that imprisoned people who had been persecuted, how imperialism had to be reversed and wars stopped that help create the conditions of persecution.
Other questions included the possibility of introducing a cap on interest rates and the idea of a coalition government. Karen Reissmann contextualised individual debt in terms of the profiteering of big business. Karen stressed the viciousness of coming cuts that all the three main parties were committed to and the further pressure this would put on people to borrow money at extortionate rates, and explained how working class people paid far higher interest rates than the wealthy. On the question of coalition, Karen said that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with coalitions – but you needed a shared agenda and principles, which the other main parties have: cuts, cuts and more cuts.
Indeed, audience members were very much supportive of these answers and this point about cuts. One audience member shouted she would not let her pension be ‘taken’, another argued that the main parties were not being open about the extent of the cuts coming. Another spoke of the ‘arrogance’ of politicians. ’Karen is the only one who made any sense’, was the verdict of one mother at the end of the meeting. ‘Karen’s message is simple. She gave a straight answer to the question of what to do about the ‘deficit’.’
‘No cuts – make the bankers pay! Bring the troops home!’
‘Most people agree with us on this’, explained Karen. ‘We are pushing out the message that there is an alternative that is about standing together and fighting back, and that voting can be part of that.’
Campaigning in Longsight
Supporting the BA Workers
Karen and campaigners ran a stall at Longsight market, talking to people about the campaign and asking people to sign a petition in support of the BA Workers. Here, as at previous stalls at Gorton market, people were fed-up with New Labour. Longsight folks had plenty to say about the way the government was determined to make cuts and the way their jobs were at risk. They were also very happy to sign the petition, which Karen then took to the picket lines at the Airport. She had a very warm welcome – it was buzzy, sociable and full of energy. Support these workers: they are defending their own – and others’ – rights and pay.
Fighting to Defend the NHS
Karen Reissmann Campaign Stall, Manchester City Centre, April 10th: Fighting Against Health Cuts
Karen Reissmann, Nahella Ashraf (TUSC candidate for Rusholme), and a campaign team spoke to people about the cuts to the NHS. With £950 million cuts to Manchester NHS and 750 job losses at Salford Hope Hospital, we petitioned against the cuts collecting hundreds of names on the petitions. The petition was initiated by Karen and TUSC candidate for Salford and Eccles, David Henry. We had a great response with lots of support for Karen and TUSC!
