Campaign news

Vote for the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance Candidates for the Labour party NEC

7th July 2014

Vote for the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance Candidates for the Labour party NEC

This year, constituency parties have the chance to elect representatives to Labour’s National Executive. The Centre Left Grassroots Alliance, representing democratic socialist groups across the centre and left of the Labour Party, is promoting candidates who will stand up for the rights of party members and the bold progressive policies Labour needs to win back the five million voters lost in the New Labour years. Each candidate, while retaining freedom of judgment on specific issues, will therefore work for:

An End to Austerity
The Tory-led Coalition’s cuts agenda has caused huge damage to the economy, slowing growth, increasing unemployment, reducing living standards of most people, and increasing poverty and inequality. It has even failed in its own aim of lowering the national debt, which has increased as the economy has stagnated. We reject austerity as a solution to the economic crisis. Instead of cuts, we will work for a Labour government committed to a plan for public investment and jobs that can get the economy growing, to restore manufacturing and to fund improvements in housing, health, education, transport and state pensions.

A Radical Reforming Labour Party
These candidates will campaign for a Labour Party committed to:
redistributing wealth, income and power from the few to the many;
ending poverty and improving universal benefits;
protecting the environment;
promoting social justice; and
fighting discrimination on grounds of gender, race, age, class, disability, sexual orientation and religion.
We believe that disputes between countries should be resolved by negotiations through the United Nations, not through unilateral military action, and that Britain & the world would be safer without replacing Trident.

Economic Democracy
These candidates will:
Promote policies that extend the accountability of public services, utilities and resources through the extension of public ownership, by resisting and
reversing privatisation, and by extending democratic and financial powers for local government.
Campaign for a radical redistribution of power in the workplace, with improved trade union and employment rights, the right of trade unions to recruit members, recognition by employers with negotiating rights and sectoral collective bargaining, and a legally-enforced living wage.

Democracy, Transparency and Accountability
These candidates will:
Support the trade union link and back the collective voice of trade unions on the basis of parity of representation with individual members through their CLPs;
Work to restore the role of the Party Conference as the party’s sovereign decision-making body, able to choose policies not just rubber stamp them, and
debate motions submitted on the basis of fair criteria, with 50% of conference time reserved for grassroots delegates;
Argue for changes to the policy-making process which give CLPs and members greater influence, including the right to amend policy documents at
Conference;
Safeguard the right of members to choose their own candidates without prior or political vetting, or interference by party officials.
Press for Young Labour to be a resourced campaigning organisation controlled by young members and run by its elected leadership, with a full input into policymaking.

Ann Black
The Tories are setting the jobless against the working poor, public service against private industry, Britain against the world. Labour must build prosperity, but also defend social security for the young, the disabled, the elderly and the unlucky, and stop blaming claimants and foreigners. Relations with individual workers must be strengthened, but not at the expense of collective affiliation. Please email annblack50@btinternet.com or call 07956 637958 to tell me how Labour can see off UKIP in the Euro-elections and return to government in 2015. Read my reports at http://www.labourblogs.com/publicblog/annblack
Ann is Secretary of Oxford Labour & a
member of UNISON’s National Political
Committee. Membership No. A353890

Ken Livingstone
NEC members have to ensure our manifesto commits us to stop plans to cut public services
and rebalances our economy from financial services to high tech, high skill manufacturing providing working class jobs. Now we can see the bankruptcy of the neo-liberal strategy, Ed Miliband has the chance to win the election and set Britain on a new course as the 1945 Labour government did. This requires low interest rates to underpin investment and a council house-building programme. As Ed Balls said in 2010 building another 100,000 homes a year creates work for three quarters of a million people.
Ken is a member of Brent Central CLP.
Membership No. A080227

Kate Osamor
I support the core Labour values of peace, social justice and public ownership, particularly of the NHS and other public services. The Tory deficit reduction strategy is unnecessary and unfair, disproportionately hitting those on low incomes. We need to save public sector jobs & reach out to local communities. I’m involved in my local campaigns such as opposing Academy schools & the closure of my local Hospital A&E, and am an active member of Unite the Union. I encourage more involvement of party members and campaign to get more omen to stand for office. I believe in accountability & will report back regularly.
Kate chairs a school governing body and is a member of Tottenham CLP. Membership No.
L0121033

Christine Shawcroft
On the NEC, I’ve spoken up against the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, warned about the “targets” culture imposed on public services, and opposed ruinous PFI schemes (which even the Tories admit were financial disasters). I am a strong, independent voice on the NEC, doing my best to raise the concerns of rank and file members. I’m not easily intimidated and I try and hold the leadership to account. I democracy in the party, and a policy making process which reflects our ideals.
Email me at info@christineshawcroft.co.uk
Christine was a Councillor for 13 years and is now a member of Nottingham South CLP.
Membership No. A490373

Darren Williams
Labour needs to provide a clear alternative to the Con-Dem policies wrecking our economy and public services. This means ending austerity & investing in job creation; reversing privatisation and attacks on social security; restoring trade union rights; and introducing a more progressive tax regime. If elected, I would encourage the party to learn from the success of Wales’ authentic Labour policies and would provide regular feedback to members and party units.
Contact darren.s.williams@hotmail.co.uk,
07880 546019 or @darrenw_cardiff
Darren is a member of Cardiff West CLP, an NPF member (since 2010) and a new Cardiff councillor. He’s also acting Wales Secretary of PCS & Secretary of Welsh Labour
Grassroots. Membership No. A024240.

Peter Willsman
Our Party will gain a majority in 2015, provided we stay united & campaign on bold policies that address the needs of voters in their diverse communities. The Tories are in long-term decline and the Lib-Dems collapsing. Labour needs to seize the press and its neo-liberal agenda. An effective NEC is key to our drive for victory bringing together the CLPs, Unions and parliamentary leadership. Since 1981, I have been elected to serve on all 4 Labour national committees, the only arty member ever to have achieved this honour. Ring me on 01865 244459.
Peter is a member of Oxford East CLP.
Membership No A071448

plus vote for
Diana Holland
for Party Treasurer
and
Gary Heather
for the NCC
Diana is Assistant General Secretary of Unite &has been on the NEC for 18 years. Gary hasbeen a Labour council & parliamentarycandidate, chairs his local trades council andwas until recently on the CWU executive.