UK Un-cut protest outside Clegg's house

Yesterday, anti-cuts protesters held a peaceful protest out side the Deputy Prime Minister's house in the form of a street party. Bunting was laid out and even a samba band played for the masses of people come to protest about the Austerity moves made by the Government.

A further 70 protested outside the Constituency office of Mr Clegg in Sheffield;

David Kirkham stated;

We're here celebrating and partying for some great British institutions, namely, the welfare state, our NHS and the public sector life blood - things that were achieved by our ancestors in the post-war period

Another protester stated:

Nick Clegg is one of the architects of austerity; he’s a millionaire and lives in a million pound home. The cuts are a political choice of this government and the Cabinet of out of touch millionaires, they are not necessary.

Also UK Uncut stated on twitter today:
MEMO TO CLEGG: many of your neighbours & their kids joined us in the sunshine on our street party yesterday Ps stop the cuts


Mark Sewotka the head of PCS union also said:
We applaud their innovative and inspirational action that takes the campaign right to the doorsteps of those responsible.We would like to see more of this kind of community campaigning, linking up with unions, arguing for the alternative to spending cuts, for investment to improve our public services and to protect our communities from what this arrogant government is trying to do

It was a peaceful protest and passed with out incident according to the news sources however they are barking up the wrong tree in my opinion.

Firstly, I admit that as someone that has never had to worry about money Nick Clegg, in fact a good chunk of the cabinet do not necessarily understand the hardships that the common family has to suffer and the compromises they have to make just to scratch by however why target Clegg? Maybe because he is a soft target? Lets be honest Cameron has more of a Police presence so the next one down is Nick and lets face it he is quite unpopular already for many reasons.

But is targeting Nick justifiable?

The man who has been influential in pushing Libdem policy that means you no longer get income tax on the first £10,000 you earn? For bringing in the Pupil premium to aid children from poorer backgrounds in school? For nagging David Cameron and the Conservatives to change tact and invest in infrastructure and move away from Austerity? Yeah the guy sounds like a complete arse...

On top of that he vocalised on the Marr show this morning that Austerity has been necessary. For all of those who have failed to noticed or just not interested in the truth, the economy in 2008 was screwed... The Coalition took steps in 2010 to plug the leaking ship and that meant cuts - anything that was seen as unnecessary or to costly was scrapped and tough decisions were made because they had to be made. Sometimes you just have to be brutal. God knows I haven't agreed with all the places the axe fell but it had to. Now that the leaks have been plugged the Government are looking at where they can invest to encourage growth and the cuts have only been the first stage.

The third prong of my attack is that this is Nick Clegg's home... Its where his wife and kids live. Whatever the man does at work, and what ever you feel about him you should leave his family alone and his meagre family time as well. It is well documented that Nick Clegg works long hours and tries, like many of us, to balance a hectic job and his family time so why ruin it for him? In the past he's had dog excrement put through his front door and the Police even advised him to stop cycling to Parliament as they couldn't guarantee his safety. That's why he has to ride around in the Ministerial car that you guys keep criticising him for. There have been many tweets on the subject:

Cllr Ian Roberts:

#UKUncut : 'spend money you haven't got NOW or we'll harass your family'. Top notch, guys.

Shane Greer:

I really don't think #UKuncut protests at Clegg's house are right. Must be terrifying for his young children. #shame

Conservative MP Louise Mensch also commented (and encouraged followers to donate to the Libdem party):

If you believe targeting home & family of a politician you disagree with is intolerable bullying - £5 for Nick Clegg https://www.libdems.org.uk/make_a_donation.aspx

Importantly though its where his young boys are, they are innocent in all of this and the Protest trapped them in doors on a bright Saturday. They are not to blame for this and yet must suffer. How is this ok?

If you disagree with your football manager's handling of the team do you go back to his house and protest? No! If you get crap service at Tesco do you go to the Manager's or Staff's house? No!

So why is it ok to pester the man's family on the weekend? I'm not doing an impassioned Leave Nick Alone!!! rant, I'm just saying that its ok to disagree with his policies and the way the Government carry out its business but leave the man's family out of it.

Dave agrees with Nick on growth

"Yes, of course I agree with Nick"

The fluidic nature of the European economic crisis has led to a change in tack by the Coalition as David Cameron finally remembers that he agrees with Nick and moves away from the harsh reality of Austerity and moves to increase growth and central Government investment.

It was started by European leaders (including Mr Cameron) trying to convince Chancellor Merkel that Europe needs to change its options and Germany should realise that the Greeks and other nations are not going to be able to repay all their debts to them and that the debts should be consolidated into Eurobonds and the Central bank should be more interventionist. She has, naturally, preferred to defend her position stating The treaties forbid taking on a mutual liability, that includes in our opinion also Eurobonds.

Still, as contingency plans are being drawn up across Europe for all the possibilities including the probable Greek exit Dave has agreed with Nick yet again.

The Deputy Prime Minister has been pushing for the Treasury to release money for investment in projects and try and kick start the economy with projects and now Dave has added his voice much to Ed Miliband's joy.

For two years you have been the high priest of Austerity, you have been telling the world that austerity alone is the answer. But now the recognition has dawned that it isn't working and you find yourself on the wrong side of the argument.

Ok, he has a point but you'd also think that at least the right move is being made now?

The next few months will see Massive governmental investment in projects like housing and infrastructure said Nick yesterday. An architect friend of mine said that you can never underestimate the importance of infrastructure and it is indeed so damnably important and is often underfunded.

Britain never really modernised post War and where as Germany modernised and improved Britain settled back to business as usual and struggled with the Austerity of the 50s and the collapse of Empire and we are still reaping that. However the State has the Golden opportunity to invest internally and bring roads, railways and motorways up to scratch creating jobs. As people earn more money they will spend more money.
There is also the question of housing. With a growing population our cities are becoming more and more crowded. I know that building on green spaces is never ideal but the simple truth is either we home people or stop having kids. However affordable and greener houses can be built and free up the overcrowding and frankly squalid housing in urban city centres that can date back to the 50's and further which are in serious need of rebuilds and again provides work and money to already bypassed areas that are in dire need of investment.

This may seem like Plan B, or Plan A+ but to be brutally honest I am just glad that the Government are now taking steps to try and turn this all around and encourage growth as well as inject money into projects that have been ignored for far too long and all because Dave remembered he should agree with Nick.

Culture in the UK needs to change for new age of Austerity

There has been a definite change in the Social approach to Austerity and personal finance over the last century.

Really Chris in a whole century? Through changing times of War and prosperity as well as vast social upheaval and change?

Well yes, obviously things have changed but if you scratch away at the surface the same pressures that threatened our Great-great Grandparents are the same as today yet approaches have changed.

A level of greed and a "Something for nothing" culture have developed as more people believe that they the state will, and should, help them out.

An acceptance of the Nanny state and having everything done for them has led to people not being able to do things for themselves.

For example if a child is failing at School parents are quick to point at the school and ask what they are doing rather than asking what, if anything, can be done at home to help.

Capitalism and mass marketing has affected us all and the need for bigger and shinier stuff has lead to more of our disposable income being spent on "Luxury" items. Who really needs the new Garbage album? Or Diablo III? or War Horse on DVD?

We all know what kids are like at Christmas and Toy manufacturers have perfected their technique for for appealing to kids and parents find themselves caught by the dreaded "I wants" - believe me in four years I'm going to have my children striking me and I shall join the vast hordes of people who become indebted at Christmas.There is also Social pressure to have the "Latest thing" and not just in kids, my wife had wanted an I-phone for well over a year and kept trying to figure out where to get the money or contract.

 Banks ceased to be interested in your balance and more in the Customer's situation. Earlier in the week it was reported that one person who wrote into the Citizens advice bureau in Medway had over 60 credit cards! One load was got out to pay another loan and the debt is just moved around. It seemed that in the mid to late 90's the credit card became more and more prolific. Banks, or at least my bank, began pushing them, adverts fell out of magazines, adverts on TV with Rowan Atkinson and the message was;

"Buy now, pay later. - You can even spread the payments over time!"

The boom years brought economy air travel too so you could go clubbing in Ibiza for an affordable amount and pay it back slowly.

Obviously debt is not all self inflicted and situations and life can throw you a curve ball. Students studying for their finals and not able to work, long term illness, house repairs or even death within the family but they result in the same, though there is no blame and these are the people the Welfare state is meant to help. Too many people are relying on the state to pay out, true the Welfare state is there as a safety net to help those who fall and in need of assistance but it seems that more people are jumping off the cliff on purpose. These may sound like sweeping generalisations but how many people have quit their job and signed on just because they don't like their job? How many people keep having Children just for the increase in Child benefits?

I always thought Liberalism was about freedom of action from state interference and a strong belief in people being able to make their own decisions. Well we're all adults and we have to make adult decisions in life and that means sacrifices. No, I can't afford to buy Skyrim for £44 this month, I can't afford that holiday to Prague next year unless I save up and make sacrifices, our family budget cannot stretch to another child so we won't try to have another one.

The problem is debt spirals and you only need a wild month and you're up a famous creek without any oars.

Society and culture was more geared for living in the "here and now" rather than worrying about the future as the use of credit cards meant you could defer. Our parents and Grand parents who'd lived through real austerity in the 30's and 50's were a bit more sensible and stowed money away for a rainy day or leaner times. Haggling was much more common  and both my Grandfathers had a keen eye for a bargain and banter with shop owners. War time tips for making things last have long been forgotten. When was the last time you heard of someone darning a sock?
Make do and mend is a term lost to the mists of time as are the war on waste. Yes I realise that there are no longer U-boats sinking grain convoys and bread is fairly ubiquitous and cheap but pennys add up so why waste things?

Years ago we all knew our neighbours and cooperatives would help each other out. For example my Great-grandfather used to breed rabbits so during the leaner times he would trade rabbit meat for vegetables from one of the his neighbours. There were also occasions when trades would be shared for favours or discount. Now it seems we all hide behind the drawbridge of our own little castles and watch suspiciously over the ramparts. Community has died out in larger cities and towns for a lot of people and there isn't the help there was.

A new approach to Austerity needs to be taken and in some places has already begun. When I was at school the kid whose parents dressed them up in Charity shop clothes usually bore the brunt of many cruel jokes. I, a mouthy somewhat arrogant ginger kid took enough flak as it was but it was made worse by the market bought tracksuits and the lack of "named brand" trainers. There was also only a small spattering of charity shops on high streets and in towns with the charity bookshop doing very well in university towns where students could sell on their old tomes.
Now charity shops have become more and more prevalent, especially in towns like Gillingham where other larger shops can not find a market or sustain themselves. People like my family go in and pick up good quality children's clothing for our daughter, who is at the age where she grows out of things really quickly. I can assure you that she is always smartly dressed. My wife has an eye for nice clothes and we have saved a small fortune buying from Cats Protection rather than Mothercare!
We as a nation need to make things last, take better care of things and yes be prepared to mend things rather than throw out and buy new.

Keep in mind; "Can I really afford this? Do I really need this?" and if the answer is no then walk away, you'll find yourself better off in the long run.

The State does, however, need to intervene with banks and legal loan sharks though. The banking industry must again see the public as cash cows and instead see us as people who will need help. Part of this whole crash was due to over lending to people who just couldn't pay it back. Why would you keep loaning money to someone who is £43,000 in debt? Sound a ridiculous figure? Well it is in fact the AVERAGE debt of those who have contacted Medway's Citizen's Advice!
As for legal loan sharks, the APR is ridiculous and if you don't pay back in a timely fashion you could find yourself locked in spiralling debt with no way to get out of it. Government needs to cap the level of APR that they can charge so that they can at least be some hope.

Yes Culture has changed over time but there are lessons that we can adapt and adopt that were our Grandparents' to save money and resources. We also need to change our approach to life in that we need to make serious decisions and not keep thinking the state will keep bailing us out - that's not what they are there for. We're all adults and should make adult decisions. However the state must also do its part and support those who do need assistance, the elderly, the sick, those who have suffered tough times and they need to redraw the lines with banks and  legal loan sharks to make try and protect the people form predators.

Dr Vince and Wartime analogy

During his conference speech Dr Vince Cable made a comparison of the Economic crisis to being at war. He was slated by some critics for his comments but I think they have some veracity and wartime experiences can be called upon by the populous to help with the austerity measures.

Firstly the comparison. The world is struggling to sort itself out after the cataclysmic blow caused by reckless banking and misuse of the economy by different governments but like the war it has struck everyone from every walk of life. None of us has got away without being touched by it in one way or the other. Unlike the German threat of the early 40s we are not likely to be overrun or suffer casualties but we all need to unite to defeat it and come out the other side, it might be even worth a national Government forming like the ones in the 1930's and during both World Wars. The threat is real and it is here until we, as in everyone in the country or even Europe and the world need to solve.

There are always lessons from history which can be learnt and reapplied where necessary, there is no need to re learn what history can always show us. One of them is how to be careful with money in our own house holds. With the U-boat blockade of the UK food stuffs became a rationed due to low numbers, now it is not so much that certain foods are rare just too expensive to buy. Why not turn, as our grandparents did, to growing your own veg. Flowers are all well and good but if you have the space, and I know a lot of people in urban areas don't, then why not give it a go? I did it a year or so ago and my wife and I grew Corn on the cob, Potatoes, Tomatoes, we have a pear tree already, and green pepper. This year we have pepper, tomato and strawberries! Nothing tastes better than your own veg - strangely! There is also the war time mindset of being frugal, waste is the Hun's best friend etc. Money is tight so don't throw it away.

The Big Society seems to be rooted in an idealised version of the 1950's - The Conservative party's heyday, and of a community that helps each other and volunteers. In the 1940's my Great Grandfather bread rabbits and traded the meat with a neighbour for vegetables, and other neighbours for other things. My Grandfather would trade his tobacco ration for vodka with the Russians (in occupied Austria) and then trade Vodka with the Americans for other luxury goods like chocolate etc. The same thing can go on now. If you have an allotment why not trade with someone else. Indeed a neighbour of mine offered me a bag of Cooking apples in exchange for a bag of Pears. Why not pull together as a community like this?

Now is not the time for party politics and partisan point scoring. The nation is in crisis, if we go down a no cuts scheme we could end up like Greece and folding financially. Also with cuts and austerity measures- something is going to be got rid of... I'm sorry but it has to. In your own lives if you can't afford a thing you don't buy it, or if you  are having a tight month you cut out the luxuries so why shouldn't the Government? Take for example Libraries. Now I'm a massive book worm and collector and I love libraries and think they are important in society however the simple truth is people just don't use them as much as they should. Is it thusly wrong for the Government to cut some of the lesser used ones and save money? I read an article in the Evening Standard that highlighted this when they asked a member of the public;

"How do you feel about the cutting of your library?"

The member of the public rallied about how awful it was etc.

"How often do you use the library?" They were asked.

"Oh, Never."

I know some of the cuts have been devastating and I don't agree with all of them, and protest isn't a bad thing at all, quite the opposite, we shouldn't all meekly do what we are told by the Government because... well they're in charge... However you have to remember that they are making tough decisions for the benefit of this country and cannot save everything. At the moment it feels (to me anyway) Mr Miliband's opposition are not offering alternate routes, merely criticising the Government. The double standard of Ed Balls saying the Cuts are wrong but forbidding his colleagues from promising to turn the cuts around should they get into power. Now is not the time.

If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

I challenge Labour to help, come up with viable alternatives and methods rather than ney saying. Don't do it for the political points, the polls, the future voters. Do it for Great Britain and her people, the jobless, the poor, those who will suffer because of your administration's cock ups. They need you to stand up for them. Offer alternatives. If all our MPs are not working to the one goal of victory then we will end in defeat.

There is also a certain amount of truth in having to work with our Allies. Now I know it seems strange thinking of the Germans and the French as our Allies but Europe is in need of our help too. It is true that a damaged Europe means a damaged Britain. We do a fair amount of our trading with Europe and are in need of their markets and their exports. Should we stop supporting them they may collapse and then who will buy our exports? Business will suffer and more jobs will be lost.

Of course there is also the possibility of War time self sufficiency and supporting British industry over foreign imports but that takes time and is expensive and ultimately isolates us from the rest of the world. Unlike 1940's Britain, we don't have these institutions in place and an Empire to support it.

Many laughed at Doctor Vince but there is indeed truth in his analogy, we are at war, not a physical war against Germany but a financial war against an enemy that doesn't physically exist and we must combat it in the same old style of frugalness, community and collectively.

Rail fare rise - Where are our MPs?

On the day that Southeastern have announced an 8% rise due in January angry commuters from Medway raise questions about the government and our MPs for failing to keep their pledge on fighting fare increases.

All three MPs fought, as we the Lib Dems did, to stop unreasonable train fare rises. It is a key issue in the Medway towns and even beyond, that commuters pay a extra chunk of wages that their colleagues who live in the capitol don't. At the moment it stands at 24% of my wages, after tax, going before mortgage, bills, food etc...

Currently it breaks down like this;

Monthly season ticket is £319's (x12 = £3828 pa.) After an 8% rise it will be £344.52 pm & £4134.24 pa

My monthly wage is £1676.17 - tax/pension/NI = £1309.55

- £500 for my share of mortgage, food, nursery for my daughter, council tax.

- £ 200's for the bills I pay

-£ 319's rail fare

= £290's or £72.50 a week

After the rise it will be £265.03 = £66.25 a week.

I must be honest that I didn't vote for Rehman Chishti and predictably voted Libdem, but from memory we had a similar pledge, in fact one of our aims to get people into work and help the hard working. I saw a lot of angry tweets yesterday from people who blamed the Fibdems saying we had betrayed the electorate again. Also from the local Labour press officer accusing the South Eastern MPs of failure and effectively lying to their electorate pointing out that Mr Chishti ran his campaign against Paul Clarke MP on the basis that Gillingham commuters are made to suffer on a policy (RPI +3) that was a Labour poilicy and as one fo the under secretaries of transport- Within his jurisdiction to change. However a year into Mr Chishti's tenour he has not had the power to remove it.

BUT... is there any foundation in these claims?

On the surface of it -Yes after all the prices went up.

BUT... If you took a moment to look beneath the surface and ignore opportunistic gumpf...

Mark Reckless, Tracey Crouch and Rehman Chishti have indeed been petitioning the Minister for Rail Theresa Villiers on our behalf since coming into power. As has Mike Hancock MP for Portsmouth (and a Lib Dem by the way- the only one whose constituents travel from the south to London) as have his Conservative colleagues in the Southern region such as the other MP for Portsmouth, Gosport, Woking and others. I watched the debate on BBC Parliament as they discussed Rolling stock, fares, renewal of franchise etc. The house was hardly packed and Ms Villiers was not moved by their words. In fact she used the same defence she did in her letter to me (http://gingerliberal.blogspot.com/2011/06/letter-from-theresa-villiers-to-rehman.html ). That to take the burden off the commuter it would have to be shifted to the tax payer and in today's economic climate and austerity - especially with more pressing things to spend money on.

The MPs - naught but backbenchers with no power other than to represent, have and continue to petition on our behalf. Yesterday Evening Tracey Crouch wrote;

The money Southeastern get from the commuters already should be enough for investment in stations, rolling stock etc but the main thing constituents ask me for is simply a better service. They want a service that gets them to their destination on time (preferably with a seat), stops at the stations it is scheduled to stop at, that the staff are polite, and that the toilets are clean. If five years of the highest increases in train fares in the country cannot deliver that then we have more than a problem of simply being an additional squeeze on the wallets of commuters.

and...

I will also be making further representations to Government Ministers to try and ensure that the plus 3 formula is reduced in the South East before other parts of the country

(for the full post; http://blog.traceycrouch.org/2011/08/disappointing-increases-to-train-fares.html )

Instead of criticising her and the others we should be supporting their efforts to abolish RPI+3, after all as Miss Crouch has says, we've paid our share of HS1. The Medway MP's could try and table something but in the grand scale of things who will vote for more tax payers money to go to subsidising the railways when it is needed else where?

Also most commuters don't mind about the prices going up if the service was to improve or went up with inflation, after all Southeastern have to cover their running costs.
BUT when our services are dirty, late, cancelled, overcrowded etc...

It is interesting that the question of what would a Labour MP or what more could our MPs do better has been left unanswered.

Forgetting my party allegiance and friendships with other party members and councillors - I'm a commuter, husband and father who needs to be able to afford to support my family, this is not the time for party political opportunism or fighting in which we, the middle is forgotten and lose out again. From my dealings with Rehman Chishti, he has passed on my humble communication to Ms Villiers ( http://gingerliberal.blogspot.com/2011/01/open-letter-to-rehman-chishti-mp.html) and responded (http://gingerliberal.blogspot.com/2011/02/response-from-mr-chisthi-mp-to-my-email.html). I have also written to Nick Clegg asking for representation not only as head of the party, deputy prime minister but also as champion of "Alarm clock Britain." (http://gingerliberal.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-letter-to-nick-clegg-concerning-rail.html) Unfortunately I do not believe there is any light at the end of the tunnel for suffering commuters and I for one may be forced to give up my job and work closer to home.

The Big Society and New Politics; have they failed?

As London continues to burn and imagery reminiscent of the Luftwaffe raids on London are flashed across the media this morning. Many people are forced to ask if the aims of the  Coalition have been proved a failure and that Politicians are too far removed from the situation on the ground that such a reaction was inevitable.

It was a warning that Nick Clegg put forward last year ( http://t.co/XJBAFQL Thanks to Dr Keevil) that austerity measures would lead to this situation. People are angry at the cuts, angry at services being removed - they don't care about the national debt, or the collapse of the eurozone - they want to keep their services. For them Westminster is full of corrupt millionaires who are trying to line their own pockets. There has been no change in Politics in this parliament or in any since 1945.

As for the "Big Society." it could be argued that Society has collapsed if it ever existed in the first place. Local communities are torn down the middle as gangs of youths and criminals are more than happy to rampage through streets breaking and entering homes and setting fire to personal property of neighbours or family friends. Its not just big business  like MacDonald's or Sony that are being hit, in Croydon a furniture business that was 150 years old was completely destroyed. Society has failed these people and now they are striking back, they don't feel part of anything, they aren't confined by the law or fear the Police. What have they got to look forward to? Ordered around government that doesn't represent what they want, forced to work long hours for little pay and for what?

Communities have broken down. Big society relies on people working together as neighbours towards a common good and helping out those in need. How many can honestly say that they know their neighbours or name four people on their street these days? How many people stop to help someone who looks obviously lost or looks like they need assistance? Its probably a staggering minority. Most of us put on our Ipods and keep walking as there is always the worry that you will get stabbed or robbed or you just simply don't have time. In the wartime/post war societies that Big Society is trying to recreate this simply wouldn't be the case and community spirit was when  for helping each other. People also understood the needs and pressures on the government. Who could blame the cuts or government measures when the Germans were set to roll in and remove their rights?

Politics is changing, it takes time for such changes to come about and the Coalition has only been in power for a year. Certain MPs like David Lammey and Tracey Crouch have visited the disaster scenes and are reassuring the people what is going on. One of our Councillors, Vince Maple, tweeted that he was on the phone to Kent Police at 1am for a status update on his ward and riots in Chatham! Politicians are returning to our streets to help and work with the communities they represent.

As for Austerity, maybe the chancellor does need to look at the situation and see if salves can be applied to the cuts to calm the fraid tensions. People don't understand the need for the damages to their way of life when investment bankers are still unscathed.  They also don't understand, nor want to understand why these measures are being made. Its not a physical enemy like the Germans but a theoretical enemy of bankrupcy and all that flows with it, no one has ever seen Britain bankrupt. What is in the Public interest is rarely in the public interest. Things need to be explained more clearly.

Society is rallying around in the way "Big Society" wants. Groups are forming and on Twitter the #riotcleanup has begun and people are returning to damaged areas to help those in need. Already in Gillingham the Socialist party are organising a meeting Thursday night about the Riots and assisting a better future for young people to solve the crisis in the long run. On top of that charitable donations for those who have lost everything are being made. There is also the growing condemnation of those involved and anger at the damage done to this country's capital, major cities and Medway.

Big Society was always going to be difficult to enact, the way of life that David Cameron and Nick Clegg envisioned has slowly dissolved over the last half a century to the point that it is almost an implausible dream but still communities are working together through this hardship and I trust that people know the minority are in the wrong, maybe not in their beliefs about austerity or frustration but in their actions. We also have to look at the way Government works, there are good constituent focused MP's and councillors who are out there trying to help and making themselves accessible but the whole of Government needs to do it and take part. It is seriously time for one of David Cameron's "Stop, listen and think again" moments before a permanent schism occurs in society.

Splitting the left vote?

This election saw the TUSC movement trying to gain local council seats in localities. Here in Medway we had Jacqui Berry for Gillingham South, aged 23, Andrew Feist who had just turned 18 for Gillingham North, they are young, they are enthusiastic and they are a party to watch out for in the future, but are they dangerously going to split the left vote and keeping the Tories in power?

The party's main aims are to the left of Labour's current position and I would say have a lot in kin with old Labour. Their basic message is that Labour has failed to represent the unions or the electorate and TUSC are moving into the void. They aren't, as some commentators have labelled them "this TUSC band of lunatics" but a serious party that should, in my opinion be taken seriously.

It is easy to throw labels around and neatly box people and parties up but if you intend to fight parties at the ballot boxes you should study them and evaluate them and their messages - after all parties exist because they represent someone. With the shift of Labour towards the right many people feel unrepresented, especially some of the unions like the PCS who have seen their workers in the civil service maligned and targeted by the last administration and will continue to be so under this government. Now as an ex PCS member and a member of the civil service I can agree with the sentiment. When they talk of civil service pay freezes across the board at £22k pa it hits people like myself who work in London and earn that much as prices for the commute, food, VAT, interest rates go up. One of my Colleagues said that she can only just scrape by on her wages and I myself am forced to face the very real possibility that I may be priced out of my job in three years times by the level of rail fares! Other governmental moves by the Labour administration included alterations to the Civil servants compensation scheme which would make staff easier to get rid off and cheaper too, after all as in any place of employment its always the bottom rung person who'll get let go rather than a manager and that had been our Union Rep's fear.

Other groups, that are separate from the Unions are apposed to the cuts, everyday people who supported the peaceful UKuncut demonstration back in March and went to Hyde Park to listen to Mr Miliband speak.
Others who work for the NHS are worried about job cuts, privatisation, "efficiency savings" that will not only jeopardise Patient care but also patients lives.
On the local level people are worried about affects on council services, loss of Sure start, wasting money on a new Bus station that no one really wanted, public services etc
Who do these people turn to? The Conservatives? Labour- who have let them down in the past and whose plan for the future is pretty much the same just slower or a blank sheet of paper, Lib Dems?- The bedfellows of the Conservatives and betrayers of the people (obviously not my view but a common one) UKIP or the BNP? Greens? -aren't the environmentalists? No one is there...

TUSC does represent people's needs and fears. They aren't some loony lefty fringe party that only has one message they have practical suggestions and courses of action that would solve unemployment and their plans are drawn from historical precedent and actions of the Attlee government.

(Please see: http://gingerliberal.blogspot.com/2011/04/trade-unionist-and-socialist-coalition.html for more of what they stand for and what I think, Jacqui Berry's facebook page; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vote-Jacqui-Berry-anti-cuts-candidate-for-Gillingham-South/189146447796319)

As a Historian I am forced to ask what has History taught us about this? At the turn of the last century the leading party that represented the people and brought in reform such as better health, old age pensions, votes for women and residential reform looked at a small party led by Ramsey MacDonald and Keir Hardie as a group of left wing radicals that were over exposed to Marx and Engels and would never develop, in fact Asquith offered them a loose coalition just to help keep the Conservatives out and his party in power. A century on the Liberal party is all but gone, its successor the Liberal Democrats just suffered a major electoral loss to this small party - Labour.
I'm not saying that in a hundred years time Labour will have been supplanted by TUSC but it is a scary precedent!

So how well did TUSC do in the local vote in Medway? Well they stood 8 Candidates across the whole conurbation and received, on average 249 votes per candidate! Well that's more than I got! Some people will say that they only got 0.72% of Medway's vote but as I said they only fielded eight candidates so that's pretty damn good in my opinion.

(Figures quoted from: http://wwwjohn-m-ward.blogspot.com/2011/05/medway-council-election-results-some.html)

BUT and back to my original point, does their existence threaten to keep a Tory majority by splitting the left vote? Yes it does.

Some people, who would normally vote Labour or Lib Dem are drawn to the message, decisiveness and drive of Ms Berry and co. as well as their direct campaigning on the streets of Medway and at the PCS hustings, an event the Conservatives and ourselves failed to attend ( I was there, just didn't have the gumption to get up and speak!) By default the Conservatives get in, however this is no reason not to vote for a party or its representatives. After all only a year a go the Conservative media was telling us "A Vote for Clegg is a vote for Brown!" and I recall an episode of the Simpsons where the evil aliens Kang and Kudos are running for US president,
Homer says: "We could vote for a third candidate"
Kang and Kudos in unison. "Sure you can, throw your vote away!"
If the party were to use this election as a learning experience and get out on the streets and really push the message then they may even take seats at the next election, especially if the Libdems continue to fall apart and Labour continue not to do anything about their economic policy or properly oppose cuts etc.

If Labourites are worried enough about the rise of TUSC, and I believe they should be, then they need to address their party's policies or represent genuine people's problems in Medway and dare I say it the UK in general and remove the need for a splinter party. As for us, I'm not sure. I think the Lib Dems have their own journey to make and because of our spot in the coalition it could cause massively harmful ramifications for us.

Ultimately the appearance of TUSC has inconvenienced Labour at this local election, probably cost them some votes and maybe even a seat or two across the board but they aren't some lunatic fringe that should be ignored, I think they're a force to be reckoned with and should the economic situation fail to improve or, as Ed Balls suggests, double dip, then their support will, rightly, grow and grow.