Lancashire County Council Needs Anti-Cuts Councillors!

Lancashire County Council needs anti-cuts councillors! Dear friends, brothers and sisters, All TUSC councillors The Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition will stand at the county will: council elections across England in May 2013. The attached national  Oppose all cuts to council jobs, ser- brochure explains more about this. We intend to offer an anti- vices, pay and conditions austerity alternative, rooted in the trade unions and socialist ideas.  Support all workers’ struggles Following a number of well-supported Trade Unionist & Socialist against the cuts, privatisation and the Coalition (TUSC) campaigns in the north-west, we plan to stand as government’s policy of making ordi- many candidates as possible for Lancashire County Council. nary people pay for the bankers’ cri- The widest-possible electoral challenge is needed, to the vicious sis austerity policies of the Tory-Liberal coalition, to New Labour which  Reject increases in council tax, rent has no intention of reversing Con-Dem austerity measures and and service charges to compensate plans to pursue its own version of them, and to the far-right. for government cuts. We call on trade unionists and anti-cuts campaigners across Lan-  Defend the national collective bar- cashire to come forward and make a stand in May 2013 to say – if gaining arrangements for council we controlled the county council we would stand up to the govern- workers. ment, and if we are elected as a minority we will use our position to  Vote against the privatisation of build a massive anti-austerity movement beyond County Hall in the council jobs and services, or the workplaces and on the estates. transfer of council services to ‘social Are you interested in standing for TUSC? If you agree with the enterprises’ or ‘arms-length’ manage- national brochure and are prepared to argue this against the main- ment organisations, which are first stream parties and the far-right, you should consider standing. Ad- steps to privatisation. vice and support will be given to prospective candidates. We will  Oppose racism and fascism and seek to hold meetings in every town represented on the county stand up for equality for all. council to build support for TUSC policies and candidates.  Use all the legal powers available to Please contact me at the details below if you are interested in councils, including powers to refer standing for TUSC, or to register your support for a TUSC candidate local NHS decisions, initiate referen- in your area. da and organise public commissions In solidarity, and consultations, to oppose cuts and government polices which im- David Beale, pose the transfer of public services to 07900 143 243 / [email protected] / www.tusc.org.uk private bodies.  Campaign for the introduction of a LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL SEATS ARE AS FOLLOWS... Living Wage above the minimum Burnley Lancaster Rural North, Lancaster South, Ross’ West, Whitworth wage for all council employees and Burnley Central East, Burnley Cen- South East, Morecambe North, South Ribble those working for council contractors. tral West, Burnley North East, Burn- Morecambe South, Morecambe Bamber Bridge & Walton-le-  When faced with government cuts to ley Rural, Burnley South West, Pa- West, Skerton Dale, Farington, Leyland Cen- council funding, councils should re- diham & Burnley West Pendle tral, Leyland South West, Pen- Chorley Brierfield & Nelson North, Nelson wortham North, Penwortham fuse to implement the cuts. Support Chorley East, Chorley North, Chorley South, Pendle Central, Pendle East, South, South Ribble Rural councils which in the first instance Rural East, Chorley Rural North, Pendle West, West Craven East, South Ribble Rural West use their reserves and prudential Chorley Rural West, Chorley South, Preston West Lancashire borrowing powers to avoid passing Chorley West Preston Central North, Preston Cen- Ormskirk West, Skem Central, them on – while arguing that the best Fylde tral South, Preston City, Preston Skem East, Skem West, West way to mobilise the mass campaign Fylde East, Fylde South, Fylde West, East, Preston North, Preston North Lancs East, West Lancs North, necessary to defeat the cuts is to set Lytham, St Annes North, St Annes East, Preston North West, Preston West Lancs South, West South Rural, Preston South East, Preston Lancs West a budget that meets the needs of the Hyndburn West Wyre local community and demands that Accrington North, Acc’ South, Acc’ Ribble Valley Amounderness, Fleetwood the government makes up the short- West, Great Harwood, Oswaldtwis- Clitheroe, Longridge with Bowland, East, Fleetwood West, fall. tle, Rishton & Clayton-le-Moors Ribble Valley North East, Ribble Garstang, Poulton le Fylde,  Support action against climate Lancaster Valley South West Thornton Cleveleys Central, change and for a future where sus- Thornton Cleveleys North, Heysham, Lancaster Central, Lan- Rossendale tainability comes before profit. caster East, Lancaster Rural East, Rossendale East, Ross’ North, Ross’ Wyreside