Press releases

Labour MPs and councillors back 30 November strike and say ‘we won’t cross picket lines’

29th November 2011

On 30 November thousands of ordinary Labour members will be backing public sector workers in their dispute with the government. In Scotland all Labour MSPs have pledged their support and will not cross picket lines at Holyrood. Likewise Labour AMs in Wales will not cross picket lines at Cardiff Bay.

Today, dozens of Labour MPs and councillors from across the UK have pledged their support for the strikes in a letter to the Guardian (see full text below). The group says, “We stand in full solidarity with workers on 30 November - and encourage our fellow Labour politicians to do so too” – in sharp contrast to the equivocation from the Labour leadership. The MPs and councillors are also following the lead of Labour politicians and Wales and Scotland by refusing to cross picket lines at Westminster or town halls.

John McDonnell MP, LRC Chair, said:

“We expect Labour MPs and councillors to stand in solidarity with trade union members striking on Wednesday.

“The public and Labour Party members especially are behind these strikes and expect Labour politicians to back our fellow trade unionists. There can be no ifs or buts on this one.”

Charlynne Pullen, Islington Labour councillor, said:

“On 30 November I will be standing side by side with council officers as they take strike action against a government that is proposing to slash their pensions and is refusing to engage in meaningful negotiations.”

Greg Marshall, Broxtowe Labour councillor and co-ordinator of LRC Councillors’ Network, said:

“I give full unconditional support for those taking strike action. This government is attacking the terms and conditions of ordinary workers who deliver our public services, in order to finance the reckless behaviour of the bankers. People understand that these attacks are not fair. I oppose all cuts to jobs and services and will stand alongside those in order to defend them.

“The Labour Party still remains the party best placed to represent the interests of the working class - we were of course founded to give ordinary people a political voice. We should be firmly standing in solidarity with those taking action against the Tory led attacks on pensions.”

-Ends-

Full text of the letter published in The Guardian:

Labour MSPs in Scotland and Labour AMs in Wales will refuse to cross picket lines on 30 November in solidarity with millions of public sector workers.

As Labour MPs and councillors we will not cross picket lines at Westminster or town halls. Instead we will be joining picket lines to do what Labour politicians should do: be on the side of labour.

The Government’s attack on public sector pensions is totally unjustified and unsupported by any economic or actuarial case. It is a crude attack on public sector workers who are already suffering a pay freeze while many face the threat of losing their jobs. This is part of a wider attack by this government on public services and the welfare state, which Labour must resist.

We stand in full solidarity with workers on 30 November - and encourage our fellow Labour politicians to do so too.

John McDonnell MP, LRC Chair
Ronnie Campbell MP, Blyth Valley
Martin Caton MP, Gower
Jeremy Corbyn MP, Islington North
Paul Flynn MP, Newport West
Michael Meacher MP, Oldham West & Royton
Linda Riordan MP, Halifax
Cllr Kingsley Abrams, Lambeth
Cllr Danny Aldington, Nuneaton & Bedworth
Cllr Lynne Allen, Hillingdon
Cllr Tony Belton, Wandsworth
Cllr Matthew Brown, Preston
Cllr Tim Brown, Ashfield
Cllr Barry Buitekant, Hackney
Cllr Cheryl Butler, Ashfield
Cllr Van Coulter, Oxford
Cllr Ryland Doyle, Swansea
Cllr Dave Draycott, Calderdale
Cllr Linford Gibbons, Ashfield
Cllr Jim Grundy, Ashfield
Cllr Clive Grunshaw, Wyre / Lancashire
Cllr Kevin Hind, Bury St Edmunds
Cllr Linda Hughes, Darlington
Cllr Mike Jones, Maghull
Cllr Matthew Kerr, Glasgow
Cllr Jay Kramer, Hastings
Cllr Geoff Lumley, Isle of Wight
Cllr Greg Marshall, Broxtowe
Cllr John McGhee, East Ayrshire
Cllr Charmaine Morgan. South Kesteven
Cllr Ian Morrison, Ashfield
Cllr Kier Morrison, Ashfield
Cllr Lachlan Morrison, Ashfield
Cllr Tom Neilson, North West Leicestershire
Cllr Mick O’Sullivan, Islington
Cllr Andrea Oates, Broxtowe
Cllr Vikki Price, Lancaster
Cllr Charlynne Pullen, Islington
Cllr Carl Richardson, Hartlepool
Cllr Mike Roberts, Rushmoor
Cllr Mike Rowley, Oxford
Cllr Jenny Smith, Bristol
Cllr John Tanner, Oxford
Cllr Sam Tarry, Barking & Dagenham
Cllr Don Thomas, Southampton
Cllr Kieran Thorpe, Welwyn Hatfield
Cllr Claire Traynor, Maghull
Cllr Patrick Vernon, Hackney
Cllr Andy Walker, Redbridge
Cllr Dave Young, Calderdale