General election
2010 — say
“No to cuts and job losses
Make the bankers pay!”
B
Councillor Jackie Grunsell, GP
Colne Valley - election communication
Local Health bosses decided to transfer many Huddersfield
health services to Calderdale and beyond, threatening vitally
needed resources. As a local GP, I initiated a huge local
campaign called ‘Save Huddersfield NHS’ which collected
signatures, organised demos and protests. As part of the
campaign I decided to stand as an independent candidate
in Crosland Moor and Netherton, where I live, and won with
an 800 majority. I am up for re-election this year.
The current onslaught on public services, jobs and living
standards as a result of the recession brought on by greedy
bankers, is made worse by the failure of the three main
political parties to stand up for ordinary working people.
I have refused to accept any expenses as a local councillor
and have used ‘allowance’ money to support workers and
young people in struggle. I am committed to the principle of
workers’ representatives on a workers’ wage.
VOTE
FOR
Printed by Print Express, Pitcliffe way, Bradford, BD5 7SG. Promoted by Ed Doveton, 9 Helme Park, Meltham, HD9 5SQ, on behalf of
Jackie Grunsell, 111 Dryclough Road, Huddersfield, HD4 5JB.
ritain is going through the worst recession since the
1930’s. How did we get into this mess?
For the last decade banks have got filthy rich by
overspending and getting into massive debt. When their
fancy schemes went bust 2 years ago, they went cap in
hand to the government who bailed them out-with our
money- to the staggering tune of £1.4 trillion. The banks
and New Labour’s bailouts have bankrupt the country…
and they want us to pay!
Bankers bonuses have shot back up to £60 billion and not
a glove laid on them! The gap between the rich and poor in
UK is now greater than it has been for 70 years. They have
been encouraged by New Labour’s second in command,
Peter Mandelson, when he said he was ‘intensely relaxed
about people getting filthy rich’,… including Tony Blair who
has raked in £10 million since leaving office.
There is nothing to choose between the three main parties,
they all stand up for the rich. And MP’s have been too busy
claiming in excess of £95 million in expenses to notice
Working people no longer have a voice, little wonder that
so many don’t vote.
TUSC is trying to break that mould. We are taking politics
back to its grass roots. Made up of trade unionists,
socialists, environmentalists and community groups, we
are offering a real alternative to the main parties. We will
be standing up to 80 candidates at this election as a
springboard to establish a new workers party, that will
champion your interests, not those of big business.
Banking and the financial sector
The world economy hinges on the forecasts and actions of a
handful of bankers - and the financial interests of those who
appoint them. The Government has given up to £1.4 trillion
to bail out the banks and financiers, ie 80 years worth of
funding for the NHS, all to keep the fragile money system
from collapsing.
The government now have a majority stake in a number of
banks. These should be run in the interests of the public,
providing cheap credit for mortgages and small businesses.
Instead, Northern Rock was one of the quickest to throw
families out of their houses! Continuing to run these banks
along market lines will make this crisis worse for working
and middle class people.
The £60 billion bonuses estimated to have been paid out
this year should be taken off those at the top, and used to
create jobs for the unemployed and improve public
services.
MP’s expenses
All of us must have been appalled by the contempt shown
by MPs over their expenses. It shows how out of touch they
are with ordinary people, that they didn’t give it a second
thought until it was publicised. The sitting Huddersfield MP,
on top of a salary of £78,000, and allowances of almost
£150,000, had the nerve to claim £200 for food every
month from 2004 to 2008!
If elected Jackie and Paul will not take the full salary or
expenses, donating money back to youth, trade union and
community campaigns.
Democracy
All elections should be conducted by proportional
representation. This is used for other elections in the UK
and should be used for elections to Westminster as well.
Our Parliamentary elections should be held on a 4 yearly
fixed term, and not held at the whim of the PM. MPs should
also be accountable to their constituents, and open to recall
if necessary.
The House of Lords should be abolished as there is no place
in a modern democracy for a hereditary-based system of
government.
Restoring Trades union rights
The Anti-trade union laws are being used to restrict workers
rights to organise and fight back. The British Airways and
railway strike were stopped by the courts, disregarding the
fact that in both cases the vast majority of members voted
for strike action. They are an attack on basic democratic
rights, and are used to help the bosses drive down
everyone’s living conditions apart from their own. We
demand the immediate repeal of these laws.
Water and energy provision
Our vital industries should be brought back into the public
sector and be operated efficiently on a non-profit making
basis. They should be managed by boards elected by the
communities they serve and those who work in the service.
Education
New Labour has introduced a two tier education system
which is discriminating against the poorest sections of
society.
They have pushed through Building Schools for the Future
(BSF) programme which bribes councils with extra money in
exchange for school closures, introduction of elitist
academies, and bigger schools.
Our local experience of BSF has been farcical. The council
has proposed the closure of 7 schools, and opened up a
‘competition’ to run 2 new schools, ie privatisation.
Castle Hall residents successfully overturned closure plans
for their school. However, the main political parties’
infighting on the council means that there is no overall plan
for Huddersfield’s schools.
To add insult to injury, New Labour has started an expected
£2.6 billion worth of cuts in Higher Education, after getting
rid of student grants and introducing university fees.
Anyone going on to university can expect to leave with debts
of up to £23,000—free education has become a thing of the
past, preserved for those who can afford it.
Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
The Iraq war was an illegal war and Blair, Bush and Brown
should be indicted for war crimes. This shows that the cost
of human lives means little to our leaders. The troops should
be brought home from Afghanistan and Iraq now.
They are not helping security here and maintaining the
corrupt Afghan government will never bring real peace to
that country.
Trident
The Government wants to upgrade the Trident nuclear
weapons at a cost of over £76 billion. Sitting Huddersfield
MP, Barry Sheerman, voted for this ridiculous waste of
public money, despite telling local people he was against
making a decision at that point only a week earlier! We
should get rid of our nuclear weapons now.
Health
In 10 years, from 1997 to 2007, the market in private
provision of NHS care had risen from £200 million to £2
billion under Labour. A lot of this money is going straight
into the pockets of the shareholders of the private
companies. Healthcare is not a commodity to pile up high
and sell. Even today this Government is still pushing through
further privatisation of Community health services like
District Nurses, School Nurses and Health Visitors. GP
budgets will be cut in the next year.
Ex-Ministers like Patricia Hewitt and Alan Milburn now sit on
the boards of these private companies that Labour gave
NHS business to.
All NHS services must remain totally within the public sector
and all our focus must be on the delivery of clinical care.
Public transport
All buses and trains must be nationalised and brought back
under public ownership and fully integrated and affordable
to improve take-up and reduce the dependency we have on
private car use. This would not only reduce traffic
congestion and environmental damage but will also
enhance our health.
Council Housing
Council housing waiting lists stand at more than 1.6 million
households. Repairing and renovating current council
housing, and building a new generation of first class council
homes is the most effective way to meet housing need and
re-create the mixed communities we all want to see. This
could also provide jobs for unemployed construction
workers and those who want to get into the industry.
State Pension
Pensions and retirement are a right for all. We demand a
basic state pension set above the official poverty level
(estimated at £165 a week in 2009), which is linked to the
higher of earnings or prices, to provide some financial
security for all.
Protect our environment
Capitalism will always put short-term profit before other
concerns, including the environment. The climate crisis
requires a total restructure of our economy and society
along sustainable lines. Public transport must be made
widely available in our cities. Improvements in energy
efficiency must be made in all areas. The reason this does
not happen already is that capitalism is also a system of
minority rule. Economic and political power is concentrated
in the hands of the corporate elite who inevitably put profit
before people and the planet. The road towards an
ecological society is closed unless decision-making power is
taken away from these elites and given to the people. Unlike
capitalism, the purpose of the economy would be to make
sure everyone’s needs were met, rather than the waste and
chaotic overproduction in the search for profit.
10 reasons to vote for the Trade
Unionist and Socialist Coalition
 A workers MP on a workers wage
 We won’t pay for the bosses’
crisis!
 No to cuts in public services;
reverse Blair and Thatcher’s
privatisation
 No to war and occupation in Iraq
and Afghanistan
 Fight for jobs for all! No to writing
off a generation
 Defend trade union rights; defend
democracy
 Don’t raise university fees!
Education is a right not a privilege
 Defend the NHS—no to cuts and
privatisation
 No to racism, sexism, homophobia
or discrimination
 Stop environmental destruction

Keep up to date with Jackie

www.jackiegrunsell.wordpress.com
Don’t just get angry and shout at the TV. Get Active and fight back!
If you can help with campaign, please consider any of the following
 Help deliver leaflets
 Meet the candidate, have a chat in your home with your friends/neighbours
 Display a poster
 Attend meetings/ send me more info

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Please return to: 111 Dryclough Road, Huddersfield HD4 5JB, or contact Jackie on: 07814223177 or
email jackie.grunsell@hotmail.co.uk