Press releases

Labour should listen to Oldham, and reject cuts

14th January 2011

The LRC has responded to last night’s by-election result in Oldham East & Saddleworth – which followed the removal of Phil Woolas, which the LRC supported (statement here).

The LRC welcomes last night’s victory for Labour, which clearly rejected the Coalition Government’s policies. The Labour leadership now needs to reject cuts, and outline a clear alternative.

John McDonnell MP, LRC Chair, said:

“Last night’s by-election was a plea for change. People are anxious about the cuts and increasingly questioning the need for them as they move from the abstraction of political debate to hard cuts on the ground .

“If we are to build on last night’s victory, Labour’s distinctive break strategy has to include a rejection of the policy that the deficit is to be bridged with cuts in our public services while the bankers and the tax dodgers laugh all the way to their tax havens.”

Read John McDonnell’s response in full at Guardian Comment is Free