RUGBY TUSC: LOUDSPEAKING TOUR SCHEDULE FOR ELECTION DAY

 WARD                            MEETING PLACE                            APPROX TIME

WOLSTON &  LAWFORD  Long Lawford estate;                                                 11.05am

WOLSTON & LAWFORD   Wolston shops;                                                             11.45

BILTON                            Bilton Main St;                                                              12.25

HILLMORTON                               The Bell Hillmorton Rd                                                1pm

EASTLANDS                     Top of Cromwell Rd                                                               1.45

ROKEBY                                                Kingsway shops                                                                2.05

NEW BILTON                     Co- op Lawford Rd                                                                2.25

NEWBOLD & BROWNSOVER            Shops opposite Crown Newbold;                           2.45

NEWBOLD & BROWNSOVER  Brownsover shops, Wetherwell Way                           3.15

BENN                                                Railway Terrace and station                                                    3.30

After 3.30pm            Comrades urged to go to Coventry to work for Dave Nellist   57 Monks Rd

TUSC ups its campaigning in last minute push

As we head towards Election Day this Thursday, members of Rugby TUSC have re-doubled their efforts.  Teams were out in four of the eight wards TUSC is contesting last night both to canvass and to deliver the second leaflet which explains that electors have 3 votes.  It asks for electors to use one of their votes to protest against the cuts by voting TUSC Against Cuts - and outlines the alternatives to the cuts on the reverse of the leaflet.  Reports from canvassing in Benn ward were favourable, as they were in New Bilton on Saturday when a team of eleven worked in the ward.  Not bad for an organisation that began 14 months ago with three of us!
Tonight we are in Eastlands, tomorrow Wolston, Lawford and New Bilton where we will have a special Eve of Poll delivery

Local Paper reports that "TUSC would fight all budget cuts"

Rugby Advertiser carried a full page feature last Thursday covering all the Parties standing in the Borough Council Elections.  The report on TUSC was prominent in the top left of Page 8.  It accurately quoted from a Rugby TUSC media release that TUSC was the only party opposed to all cuts on all levels, quoting the support TUSC was getting, and the fact that 40,000 voters who had already received TUSC publicity spelling out socialist alternatives to the Con-Dem, Labour and Green supported cuts.

Rugby TUSC reports growing electoral support

Members of Rugby TUSC, standing as Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts, are pleased with its campaign so far in the Borough Council Elections.

“We are finding a lot of support for our anti-cuts stance,” spokesperson Pete McLaren informed us today.  “We have found this on the stalls we have organised, and when talking to people whilst out campaigning.  We began our campaign a couple of weeks ago, and we have already delivered our main leaflet to most households throughout the eight wards we are contesting.  The rest will be delivered this week. 

“That means 21,000 households and some 40,000 voters will know, not only that we are opposed to all cuts, but also that there are alternatives which would resolve the economic crisis without cutting public spending.  These alternatives include collection of all taxes the rich avoid paying or evade, nationalisation of the banks and financial institutions, and a 5% wealth tax on the richest 10%.  We are finding public support for these views is increasing.

“We are the only Party in these elections committed to opposing all cuts at all levels, and our publicity fully explains how a TUSC Councillor would use that position to fight the cuts.  The unexpected victory by George Galloway in Bradford West three weeks ago, when he overturned a 5,000 Labour majority with an almost unprecedented swing of 52%, has shown that there is support for left wing views.  Galloway’s Respect Party stood on a platform of opposing public spending cuts and privatization and opposing the war in Afghanistan – policies TUSC also supports and is promoting during the campaign.  Voters are increasingly realizing there are alternative policies to those of the establishment parties, and, by promoting such policies, TUSC’s support is growing.

“We have a lot of work still to do in the last 10 days of the campaign,” Pete McLaren concluded.  “We have new leaflets to deliver, we will be organizing additional stalls and we plan to hold street meetings to put over the anti cuts message whilst outlining our other policies.  We will also be knocking on doors to canvass views.  We will be busy, but we have a strong, and growing, team of committed socialists determined to make our voice heard.”

TUSC gets further media publicity - in both Rugby newspapers

This week's Rugby Advertiser carries a prominent article on Page 5 about the upcoming Council Elections.  Rugby TUSC gets three mentions in it:
*  As one of the participating parties
*  For ending the alliance with the Green party over Green support for cuts in Brighton
*  Stating it is the only political group opposing all cuts at all levels
The Rugby Observer has an Election Special feature which announces that Rugby TUSC Against Cuts is putting forward 8 candidates to oppose all service reductions, and quotes spokesperson Pete McLaren saying"TUSC is the only party which can say it will oppose all cuts at all levels and has the programme to show how that will happen"

Two separate mentions for TUSC’s Election Campaign in Rugby

Following a Rugby TUSC Media Release, the local Rugby Advertiser published a short article today listing all the candidates in Rugby this May, including the 8 of us standing as Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts (TUSC).  Most of the rest of the Media Release then appeared as a letter from Pete McLaren, Rugby TUSC, with the Paper’s own headline, as follows:

 Hooray for lack of BNP

“From our point of view in TUSC, we are delighted there will be no BNP candidates standing to cause division within communities.  We are a little surprised the Lib Dems are only contesting half the seats, and Labour two thirds, indicating local organisational weaknesses and/or lack of membership.  

TUSC has only been in existence for just thirteen months, yet we are not only standing in half the wards, but also we will be pursuing an active campaign leafleting every household at least once to put across the anti cuts message, and talking to as many voters as possible

As it is now, TUSC is the only Party which can say it will oppose all cuts at all levels, and has the programme to show how that will happen.  Our leaflets outline the details, with nothing hidden”

Pete McLaren

Rugby TUSC

DATES, TIMES AND VENUES FOR TUSC ELECTION CAMPAIGN LEAFLETTING

DATE                         TIME             WARD                       MEETING PLACE

Tues Apr 10                6pm                 WOLSTON                            Rose & Crown, Main St Wolston

Fri Apr 13                   5pm                 STALL                                                            Along from Asda

                                    7pm                 NEWBOLD/BROWNSOVER                       Stall by Asda

Sat Apr 14                   12noon            STALL                                                            Along from Asda

                                    2pm                 BENN                                                             Stall by Asda

Sun Apr 15                 1pm                 LAWFORD                Sheaf & Sycle, Coventry Rd, Long Lawford

Tues Apr 17                6pm                 BILTON                     Car Pk opposite Black Horse, The Green, Bilton

Thurs Apr 19              6pm                 NEW BILTON           Indian Community Centre, Edward St, Rugby

Fri Apr 20                   6pm                 NEWBOLD/BROWNSOVER   Outside The Crown, Main St, Newbold

Sun Apr 22                 1pm                 BILTON                     Car Pk opposite Black Horse, Main St, Bilton

Mon Apr 23                6pm                 BENN                         Outside Utd Railway Club, Spring St, Rugby

                                    8.15pm            TUSC Meeting, Three Shoes

Wed Apr 25                6pm                 ROKEBY/OVERSLADE   Kingsway shops, Kingsway, Rugby

Fri Apr 27                   6pm                 HILLMORTON         The Bell, High St, Hillmorton Rd, Rugby

Sat Apr 28^th                 3pm                 EASTLANDS                        Corner of Eastlands Rd and Clifton Rd

Sun Apr 29                 1pm                 LAWFORD & NEW BILTON          Sheaf & Sycle

Mon Apr 30                Delivery of 2nd leaflet in targeted/canvassed areas  Venues/times tbc Tel 07881 520626

Tues May 1                 Delivery of 2nd leaflet in targeted/canvassed areas  Venues/times tbc Tel 07881 520626

Wed May 2                 Eve of Poll  leaflet in targeted/canvassed areas  Venues/times tbc Tel 07881 520626