Greg Tucker - SA candidate Six months ago we were dubious about standing swo candicates in Lambet Vauhall was going to be our key targer but if things improved we might stand a token In the end we stood in Vauxhall, Streatham and West Norwood as well And far from being token candidates, the campaigns were a great step forward in Over two thousand people voted for the Alliance across Lambeth (906 in scream) and we now have a mailing ist of many hundreds who want to get Highlight of the campaign was the front page of the London Evening Standard which workers' picket line - "Where is the rail union official who could be sorting out tomorrow sin Weens Suker Away picketing for postmen and standing as a far left candidate."
An inside story then detailed my day -starting on a NATHE picket line, talking before joining the postal picket.
in the end the SWT strike was settled pastorer in tavour of the w mether: and the postal workers got what they Our campaign continued to make gains. It is clear that our vote seriously under. Rather the drop in the Labour vote of over four thousand new Labour's privatisation deeply unpopuGreg Tucker ine cons to stand a candidate has been vindicated Our task now is to consolidate our gains. vie need to be seen as a tenang organisation that stands in elections, rather than an electoral organisation that does some work in between elections.
We aim to launch local campaigns against and to plan for the future - putting down deeper roots so that we can target seats in , next year's council elections.
Of course many local Alliances took this un through their local activity. In London tor example. where the Liberal Democrats were often active campaigning against tube privatisation, we were able to point out that they were supporting privatisation of other services.
But an examination of their record was essentially absent from our national We didn't really deal with votes. Our manifesto had some positive things to say on the environment. though it needs further developEven the priority pledges took up ecological questions through the arguments sible?
This discussion needs to continue, and within the context that while the organisations involved have different practices and traditions, none of us have the blueprint for the most eticctype of formation that the in the particular conditions There is a commitment from the Executive of the Socialist Alliance to draw best practice in the campaign, and hopefully as well to learn from the weaknesses in order to better prepare us for the future.
debates the next steps POTE NEIL Outlook