May 2001
Britain:
Socialists will put the millions before the millionaires, people before profit
Press Release
Tony Blair faces a double problem as he prepares to announce the date of the General Election today - not only Labour's own identification of 'stayaway voters' and the threat of the lowest turnout for a generation, but also a bigger challenge from its left flank than it has ever faced before.
The Socialist Alliance, together with its partners the Scottish Socialist Party, will be standing in a over a quarter of all constituencies - a greater socialist challenge to the main, establishment parties than at any time since the Second World War. 20 Labour Cabinet members and other Ministers will face a candidate from their left.
National Chair of The Socialist Alliance, Cllr Dave Nellist (the former Labour MP for Coventry SE) said today:
"Tony Blair's real problem is not with 'voter apathy', but with conscious and widespread disillusionment with 4 years of New Labour in office. Whilst 87% of former Tory voters have said that they'd vote the same again, only 74% of Labour's 1997 voters feel similarly motivated.
"It's not that working people don't care, but that they feel let down, that all the big, main parties are essentially the same - separate parties, but with a common agenda that pays more regard to the Rich and better off, than to the majority of families. As one caller to a radio phone-in this morning said: "They all promise you dreams, then deliver you broken promises."
Cllr Nellist added: "The gap between the rich and the rest is still increasing, pensions are woefully inadequate, students have the millstones of loans and tuition fees deterring them from higher education, and millions of people are still existing (not living) on poverty level benefits. Incredibly, in what is supposed to be the fourth strongest economy in the world, we're spending less on public investment after 4 years of New Labour than the last Tory Government did!
"There has been a seamless continuity of policies between the last Tory Government and the present Labour one - the only difference is that what Mrs Thatcher did with a snarl, Tony Blair does with a smile!
"The Socialist Alliance will be targeting those disillusioned with Labour and showing them there is an alternative, a real choice with candidates who will put the millions before the millionaires, who will put people before profit.
"In this election we won't get the same attention as the main parties - but we aim to be the major, minor party. Whilst the establishment parties hide in the television studios, we'll be out canvassing, campaigning, holding public meetings and talking to people in the streets. In most towns and cities people will have a good chance of meeting a socialist campaigner.
"In this election we'll be asking people for their vote - after all, there's not much point in standing in elections if we don't. But we'll be asking them for more, to join us in building a powerful socialist alternative to poverty, exploitation, Third World debt, and the destruction of the environment.
"It's time to embark on a new journey - to construct that socialist alternative to the present capitalist system. If we can convince a significant number of working class people, and particularly trades unionists, to come on board there is the prospect of the beginnings of a new mass movement of working people, a movement to build a rationally planned, publicly owned and democratically controlled socialist society.
"The Socialist Alliance will offer a real alternative to the main, Westminster parties. We offer the chance to really break the 'mould' of British politics."
For further info, contact:
Cllr Dave Nellist, National Chair,
The Socialist Alliance
33 Coundon Rd
Coventry CV1 4AR.
Email dave@nellist.net
(h) 024 7622 9311
(m) 07970 294 237
(fax) 08700 560 199
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