What is the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition?

TUSC is a coalition of trade unionists, socialists, community campaigners and service users who are fed up of the three main parties all agreeing with each other about the need to cut our services, living standards, and pay. TUSC was founded only 3 years ago to give a fighting alternative to ordinary working people who want a voice that speaks up for them. This Labour led council is imposing cuts on working class communities without raising a finger to fight the cuts. Pensioners, young people, lone parents, the disabled, the unemployed are all being told we are all in this together but the rich are getting much richer whilst we all suffer. Enough is enough!

On May 3rd

TUSC offers you a new alternative.

Oppose all cuts to council jobs, services, pay and conditions - we reject the claim that 'some cuts' are necessary to our services.

Vote
Ryan Preston, Otley & Yeadon. Ryan is an unemployment activist with Youth Fight for Jobs and recently took part in the 75th anniversary recreation of the Jarrow Crusade to highlight the appalling levels of youth unemployment. Andy Smith, Horsforth. Andy is a third-year mature student at Leeds Trinity University College in Horsforth and played a leading role in Horsforth Against the Cuts protesting against academies as well as cuts and privatisation to our NHS. We are also standing Iain A Socialist Alternative to Cuts & Crisis Dalton in Headingley and Steve Hobson in Armley Saturday 28th April, 5pm Public meeting - all welcome Grey Horse, Long Row, Horsforth, LS18 5AA

Reject increases in council tax, rent and service charges to compensate for government cuts.

Vote against the privatisation of council jobs and services, or the transfer of council services to 'social enterprises' or 'arms-length' management organisations, which are first steps to privatisation. Use all the legal powers available to councils to oppose both the cuts and government policies which centrally impose the transfer of public services to private bodies.

When faced with government cuts to council funding, councils should refuse to implement the cuts, and instead use their reserves to maintain all services whilst setting a budget that meets the needs of the local community.

When they say they havent the money, we say this council is underspending and has huge reserves. So stop wasting your vote on the same old parties; give TUSC your support.
For more info, or to join ring /text 07809839793. Follow @leedssp on Twitter, like Leeds Socialists on Facebook or visit www.leedssocialistparty.wordpress.com

Printed and Promoted by Iain Dalton on behalf of Leeds Socialist Party, both at 28 Harold Walk, Leeds, LS6 1PS

Stop the Bus & Train Fares Rip-Off!!

Every January, those who use the railways to go about their daily business are hammered by above inflation increases in the price of tickets. Britain has the highest train fares in the EU, yet a study by the think tank Just Economics has shown that were bottom of the league for fares, efficiency and comfort when compared with other European countries. In British Rails last year before privatisation, its public subsidy was 431 million. Now, the annual public subsidy required is 6 billion. While passengers who have no option but to use trains suffer from overcrowding and delays while paying a fortune for the privilege, the companies who run the services make large profits. Last year, Virgin Trains (jointly owned by Virgin Group and Stagecoach) made 39.9 million after tax profit, and only held back 6.5 million for investment. The rest was paid out to the owners as a profit dividend. Last years McNulty report on the state of the railways poses a massive threat to passengers and railway workers. It recommends even more privatisation, the closure of hundreds of smaller ticket offices, attacks on terms and conditions and potentially even higher fare increases. Socialist Party members in Leeds have recently been campaigning around these issues, as well as on bus services and the recent rise in fares on them too. The current proposal before Metro, to introduce quality contracts on local bus services, would give Metro control over bus routes and fares which is a step forward from the current profit-mongering of transport operators. However, we call for the railways and buses to be brought back into public ownership immediately, with compensation paid only on the basis of proven need. We call a democratically run system, controlled by passengers and workers, and for proper investment to modernise and improve the system, to provide a decent, affordable service A recent protest by rail workers in Leeds for all.

Education Under Attack

Amongst the many attacks the government is making on ordinary people, perhaps one of the most brutal are the attacks upon education. From the cutting of EMA to the trebling of tuition fees, measures are being put through that will push many working class young people out of education, a disgraceful measure whilst youth unemployment is over 20%. Whilst this is going on education funding is being slashed, whilst control of schools is being removed from local control to unaccountable trusts in the from of Academies. Over the last year, local Socialist Party members have been at the forefront of fighting to defend education from playing leading roles in the occupations at Leeds University and Leeds Trinity University College over the cuts to university funding and raising tuition fees to 9,000 a year, to organising the anti-academies demonstration in Horsforth last September and supporting the strike and demonstrations in Otley against the widely opposed conversion of Prince Henrys to an academy.
Horsforth Anti-Academies demoSept 2011

Workfare - We Wont Work For Free

The Socialist Party is also opposed to the governments work-for-your-dole schemes, which are in effect a subsidy to big business, and instead support the campaign by Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) to force the government to invest in real jobs paid at a living wage.

Ryan on the Jarrow March for Jobs

Dont Privatise Our NHS

The Socialist Party is totally opposed to the backdoor privatisation of the NHS through the health and social care bill and will be fighting to maintain a fully funded publicly owned NHS.