Trade Unionists for Caroline Lucas
We the undersigned trade union representatives living and/or working in Brighton and Hove, are urging all trade unionists and supporters living in Brighton Pavilion to vote for Caroline Lucas on May 7th.
None of us are members of, or necessarily give endorsement to the Green Party. However we urge support for Caroline Lucas as a candidate who stands on a genuinely anti-austerity platform and who pledges to resist austerity and defend public services, as she has done throughout her term as an MP.
We have all been involved in resisting the twin attacks of austerity and privatisation in our workplaces and communities. Despite some of our unions being affiliated to the Labour Party, we feel that Labour has not been as supportive to our resistance to austerity as it could have been. In fact many of these attacks started during the last Labour government. Furthermore, Labour has made it clear that it will continue with Tory austerity.
Caroline Lucas on the other hand has consistently opposed austerity and privatisation, both in Parliament and in the media, as well as alongside us on our picket lines and protests, often giving a public voice to our concerns which otherwise may have gone unheard.
While we are desperate to get rid of this Tory-Liberal government, in Brighton Pavilion we do not accept the argument that voting anything but Labour will let the Tories back in. Of course, Caroline Lucas could be elected and consequently Labour could be just one MP short of what would be needed to form a majority Labour Government. We would rather that, with Labour then forced to rely on consistent opponents of austerity in Parliament, than just another Labour MP who would be whipped into line to push through the continued attacks on jobs, pay, pensions and public services which they have promised us.
We therefore encourage everyone opposed to austerity and privatisation who lives in Brighton Pavilion to vote for Caroline Lucas on May 7th.
Signed (in their personal capacities) by
Andy Richards UNISON
Arran Evans UNISON
Aiden Pettitt PCS
Stephen McLean UNISON
Mark Abel UCU
Mark Erickson UCU
Chris Cocking UCU
Lesley Whitworth UCU
Sheila Cullen UCU
Garry Hassell RMT
Greg Hewitt RMT
Frank Flood UNISON
Sue Bowes UNISON
Tony Gates UNISON
Nadia Edmond UCU
Val Cane NUT
Judith Watson UCU
Nick McMaster UNISON
Graham Sharp UCATT
Glynis Freeman UNISON
Rufus George GMB
Phil Clarke NUT
ENDS
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