TREASURY Secretary Andrew Smith, the key man driving forward the Private Finance Initiative, is the main target of the Oxford Socialist Alliance campaign in the Oxford East constituency.
There is no shortage of issues for a united socialist campaign to home in on as they prepare a concerted effort to win support in the General Election.
Beyond his eager support for the controversial plan to use PFI to finance a new hospital in Headington, Smith has also strongly supported moves by Oxfordshire County Council to privatise its homes for the elderly, arguing to angry lobbyers that it "might have been Fohn Lister better for council finances if they had been privatised years ago".
Spending limits on the County and Oxford City councils - and the continuing series of cuts and privatisation flowing paigners. from them - are also part of Smith's remit as the man controlling government spending.
And amith muct aco Share responsibility for the scandalous detention of asylum seekers at the notorious Campsfield detention centre near Oxford, which has been the focus of local and national protests.
The future of the muchreduced Cowley car plant, now preparing to produce the said: BMW mini. Is also a key issue in the constituency: Smith's role as a cabinet minister in a government committed to "flexibility" of labour will not endear him to car workers facing a prolonged period of working Saturdays without pay to refund their "banked" hours services. during the long lay-off while the tracks have been rebuilt for the new model.
Small wonder then that the still in place. is what it wanted to do. of privatised firms like proposal to run a candidate against Smith in Oxford East has won early support from pitals. key activists in the public sector unions, car workers, and camAfter a prolonged process, the selected candidate will be International Socialist group member John Lister, a regular contributor to Socialist Outlook. He is chair of Oxford NUJ branch, and perhaps best known tor nis lob as intormation director of the long-running NHS pressure group Oxford East. London Health Emergency.
Explaining his decision to accept the nomination, John "The political and moral collapse of this New Labour government has come as a sickening blow to many who campaigned for so long to kick out the Tories, expecting that Labour would end Thatcherite policies and rebuild the public "In less than four wretched years Blair's government has convinced people it is even more sleazy than the Tories it Socialist Outlook supporter and Labour Partymember, replaced. It boasts that most of Brian Drummond has been Thatcher's anti-union laws are selected as the Socialist Alliance candidate to fight "It's sometimes hard to Bristol South against Treasury remember that this govern- Minister Dawn Primarolo. ment came to office with a Brian is a longstanding NUT majority of 180. It could have activist and member of the done whatever it wanted. This Socialist Teachers Alliance. He was secretary of the local "Andrew Smith epitomises FACE campaign which helped the wretched politics of New to prevent the closure of 10 Labour. Even while they work local schools. hand in glove with the bosses, He has been centrally they are busily short changing involved in Bristol Socialist the pensioners, ripping off stu- Alliance since its inception four dents, victimising asylum seek- months ago. Brian has been ers, under-paying nurses, excited by the potential of this teachers and other public sec- new development which has tor workers, privatising new more than 100 paid up memservices, and shovelling even bers in the city and is able to more handouts into the wallets act more effectively than the different left organisations Railtrack, as well as bankrolling PFI consortia and private hos- could by oreanising sebarite y One of the more innovative initiatives of the Alliance in "This wasn't what people Bristol has been the way they voted for in 1997. To vote have intervened into the local again for Smith is to vote for referendum being carried out another five years of the same. by the local Labour group as a "But if people want to vote cover for cuts. against more privatisation, cuts The Alliance has put forward and closures, against exploita- a fifth proposal of "No rise in tion, racist policies, bigotry and Council Tax, no school clocorruption, and for a socialist sures, tax the rich at a high rate alternative, trade union rents, and for central funding of edudemocracy and public services, cation". This has received wide we will give them the chance in Brian explained to Socialist "I am honoured to be the Outlook why he had taken the first candidate backed by a decision to stand. newly-united left in Oxford. "Like many other Labour "The establishment of the voters I have been bitterly discampaign is a huge step for- appointed by this government ward. We are committed to which as a Chair of a Ward reaching out to build the Party in the City I helped elect. widest possible alliance of As a teacher and parent, eduforces who want a progressive cation is a particularly imporalternative to New Labour. tant issue to me. However many votes we win, Today the threat of privatisathe aim of the Socialist Alliance tion is greater than it was is to strengthen the left in the under the Tories. The introtown, give a voice to vital duction of Education Action issues, and build a base for Zones has allowed private future campaigns and battles. companies into our schools That's why I'm standing." nationally. nES Dudley Hospital strikers (left) - who have just decided to stage another 3-week stoppage in their fight against the effects of PFI - have also voted to stand joint branch secretary Angela Thompson as a Socialist Alliance candidate against local Labour MP Ian Pearson. Car workers fighting for their jobs in Luton will be able to vote for fire fighter Joe Hearne, who is also on the Alliance ticket.