Profile in the Hackney Citizien

Meet the North East Candidates

Bill Martin is a librarian and has been a member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain for 20 years.

He explains that the Socialist Party stands to abolish the wages system and establish a society based on the common ownership and democratic control of wealth, recognising that this change can only be made by a mass movement dedicated to that purpose, and not by leaders.

Martin claims his name is on the ballot paper as a useful legal device to allow people to signal their support for this change.

The Hackney Citizen requested a photograph of Bill Martin from Socialist Party of Great Britain but none was forthcoming.

In fact, a photo was not 'no forthcoming' but we actively declined to provide one, on the grounds that it is the case, and the Party that is standing for election, not an individual person.

A voice from the back...

Rather than my usual ramblings, one of our members sent in a report from the Friends fo the Earth Hustings for the North East Constituency

I attended the hustings meeting yesterday, eventually! I turned up at St. Mark's church just before the advertised time, but there was nothing happening there apart from a Thai wedding. Ciamak turned up shortly after me, and we stood around wondering what to do, when a young fellow came along who was also looking for the meeting. To cut a long story sort, he phoned around and eventually found out that the meeting had been moved to a hall around the corner. We entered the hall to find it well-filled and the meeting in progress. It seems we were the only ones who weren't told about the change. Unfortunately, the acoustics were poor and I was having trouble hearing what some of the candidates were saying even though they spoke into microphones. Bill was OK in this respect, as were the UKIP, Labour and Green candidates. Some of the other candidates were fairly sympathetic to what Bill was saying about dealing with the root causes of environmental damage being down to the seeking of profits. I suspect that they thought socialism was a good idea, but way off in the future, and we have to deal with major problems here and now. The UKIP candidate, Freddy Vachha said the problems of environmental damage in London was caused by too many people living there (which is probably partly true), but offered no solution, other than "pulling up the drawbridge". He didn't address the reasons why so many workers are coming to London, e.g. for economic and political reasons, which would have led him to the conclusion that the solution lies in a worldwide approach, rather than a parochial one. However, he was an impressive speaker who disabused some of the other candidates of their pipe-dreams and solutions which they wouldn't be able to deliver on. The format of the meeting--asking what the candidates would do for them--didn't lend itself to developing the discussion along broader lines. This meant that certain subjects, which didn't necessarily require a political solution weren't discussed, e.g. The use of bottled water and the consequent recycling millions of bottles; The leaving on of lights in large buildings overnight etc. Bill caused a bit of an uproar when he said that if you don't want a classless world of common ownership then he doesn't want your vote! Because I arrived late, I missed the introduction, and wasn't sure who all the candidates were representing--they had their names only on hand-written name-plates. The was a conspicuous lack of black faces in the audience, apart from a colleague of Labour candidate Jeannette Arnold.

Much better than I could have put it. (from here.

Pitch to Waltham Forest Echo

We've been asked to provide an election pitch, the email I sent is below.

below is a modified form of our election address (shortened for your word limit).

I'm afraid we have a long standing practice of declining to provide pictures of our candidates: I am standing as a delegate of the party, and not in my own right. Attached is a file of our party logo, which you can use instead.*

"Socialism isn’t about paying benefits, taxing the rich or nationalising industries.

Today, we co-operate and produce wealth together. Everyone's work is equally needed. But we don't benefit equally. The people who really benefit, are those who own the world. We cannot be free while we work for them and not ourselves.

The glorified talking shop of the Greater London Assembly is just about managing the costs of keeping inequality going. The SOCIALIST PARTY wants wealth and power owned and controlled by everyone. We are seeking a stop to electing people who redistribute poverty and run the world for the rich.

When a majority of us stand firm and demand that the wealth of the world is brought into common and democratic ownership we will be able to peacefully make that change. When that happens, we will be freed from bosses, loan sharks and landlords. We will be able to produce wealth to supply the needs for all. We will be able to work less because we won’t be working for the privilege of a few. We would no longer need money, buying or selling. We could share the wealth we make among ourselves rationally."

Please do let me know when the pitch is posted.

Cheers,

Bill Martin

*As a matter of fact, that's quite lucky, since I don't actually have any decent photos of myself.

From: Waltham Forest Echo To: Sent: Tuesday, April 5, 2016 3:48 PM Subject: Make your election pitch to Waltham Forest!

Hello North East London candidates

Waltham Forest Echo is an independent community newspaper based in Waltham Forest, North East London. We want to publish election pitches from all the North East London candidates for the London Assembly on our website. To be included you must provide us your "election pitch". Please respond before 4pm on Thursday 7th April.

Your election pitch can be anything you want it to be - your election pledges, priorities, promises, or simply a bio about you and your background, why you're standing, and what you want to achieve. The only rule is you must keep your election pitch to under 200 words.

Please also provide a hi-res picture of yourself.

I look forward to reading your pitches!

This is their website: http://walthamforestecho.co.uk/

A bit on our rivals

So, Jonathan Silberman, as we can see from the ever left-train-spotter-tastic Tedance Coatsey (see here.) So, the Communist League is an off-shoot of the US political party the SWP (not to be confused with the British party of that name). That party is noted for it's strong pro-Cuba stance (and it's paper, The Militant, famously was held by Lee Harvey Oswald when he posed for a photo with the gun he used to murder Kennedy). This links to an election leaflet they have previously used. So, they say things like

“Capitalism cannot be reformed to serve the toiling majority. We, the wealth creators, must forge a revolutionary movement tens of millions strong, led by a mass working-class party to wrest political power away from them – the lords of industry, land and banking.”

Which we would almost agree with (I think we'd quibble about 'led' by, as opposed to made by). However, they call for

lA government-funded programme of public works to provide full-time jobs, expand housing, build hospitals and schools, and overhaul the infrastructure. A substantial increase in the minimum wage to a level set by the unions, with a built-in cost-of-living escalator. A fight by the labour movement for these demands would build unity among workers – employed and unemployed, native- and foreign-born.

which is hardly the same thing as abolishing the market system: what they are calling for is state controlled capitalism. Hence their love of the state-capitalist Cuba.

Obviously, we welcome people bringing these issues into the debate, and look forward to highlighting our differences, and taking the case for the abolition of the wages system altogether forward.

Stalling in Archway

So, 6 of us in all turned up for a two hour stall up in Archway. Not the busiest place in the world, but friendly enough, and at least the sun was out. We shifted three or four pamphlets (including our ancient pamphlet about Ireland, we may need to expect angry letters).

I was asked what whether we thought Jeremy Corbyn was a genuine socialist, and I replied whatever he is, he is a member of the decidedly non-Socialist Labour Party, and that we're better off outside arguing our case than compromising within the Labour party. The lady called me an optimist and took a leaflet. At least she took a leaflet.

Some members went putting leaflets through letter boxes, and we plan to meet-up on Thursday to leaflet in Tufnell Park (18:30 hrs at the station, anyone welcome).

Also, we found our big ad in the Islington Tribune for a meeting on the 14th, it's a bit of a weird one, as it isn't exactly an election meeting, more a general public meeting (it isn't even in the constituency). But, we may have to declare it, and maybe we should have put the official 'published and promoted by' on the advert. Still honest mistakes happen, and you live and learn. I doubt anyone will raise a fuss about it.

Time to get loud

Sorry I've been quiet: the plague that never ends has been chipping away at me for weeks, so it was with some difficulty that I managed to travel across Norf Lahndon to Waltham Forest Town Hall (truly, a building fit for a national Parliament, a 1930's Art-Deco Palace set in vast grounds). So, my nomination papers are in, and I begin leafletting shortly (as soon as this cough closes). I already have one hustings invite: Date: Saturday 23rd April, 5pm – 7:30pm Venue: St Mark’s Church Hall (Lower Hall) in Dalston St Mark Dalston, Dalston Organised by Friends of the Earth. So, we're off! *cough* *hack* *wheeze*