Socialist Party Manifesto South Belfast

Standing against racism…

PADDY MEEHAN has a record second to none in stopping racist attacks in South Belfast. In 2009, Paddy played a key role in organising residents on the Lisburn Rd to stand up to and stop racist thugs from attacking Romanian families.

Paddy attacked the hypocrisy of the politicians who turn a blind eye to the unemployment and poor housing in working class communities which breeds racism.

… and up for workers’ rights

PADDY is a young call centre worker who has campaigned for trade union rights for workers in the industry.

A former Communication Workers Union rep at HCL call centre, he has given his full support to HCL workers who have been threatened with attacks on wages, terms & conditions and losing their jobs.

Paddy is the South Belfast organiser of the Stop the Cuts Campaign. The Stop the Cuts Campaign organises workers, the unemployed and young people to unite to fight all cuts.

Paddy has called for strict controls over Homes of Multiple Occupancy and is calling for legislation to extend rights for tenants.

A Workers’ MLA on a Worker’s wage

Unlike the politicians of the main parties who are out of touch with ordinary people, if elected PADDY MEEHAN will only live on the average workers wage and will donate the rest of his MLA salary to assist workers and communities fight the cuts and to build a socialist alternative for working class people.

We won’t pay for the bankers crisis!

Ordinary people are being asked to pay for a crisis we did not cause. The crisis and deficit were caused by bailing out the banks, the greed of financial speculators and the failure of the capitalist system.

Not content with bailing out the banks, the political establishment in Westminster & Stormont want to go further. ALL the Assembly parties are committed to making £4billion cuts which will lead to 40,000 job losses and will deepen the recession. At the same time, the Assembly parties want to cut corporation tax on big business and the banks which will result in an extra £300million cuts to services.

Working people hold no responsibility for the crisis. All cuts to public services, jobs, wages and terms & conditions should be firmly opposed.

How to fight the cuts

Ordinary people have enormous power if properly organised and united. A mass movement spearheaded by the trade unions, mobilising communities and workplaces can defeat the cuts. The cosy relationship between trade union leaders and the Assembly parties has to end – the trade unions should instead put their weight behind the building of a new mass party to represent the common interests of working class people. The only chance of overcoming the economic crisis and mass unemployment is through major investment. That can only happen if the major economic resources are taken into democratic public ownership and control and used in a planned way for people’s needs – not short term profits.

The money is there for jobs & services

• £10 BILLION: Amount ringfenced by Assembly for privatisation contracts

• £7 BILLION: Amount paid in bonuses to bankers this year alone

• £120 BILLION: Amount of tax evaded and avoided by big business EVERY year

• £1,000 BILLION: Bail-out of the banks – Use to create jobs

We beat water charges…

PADDY MEEHAN is a South Belfast organiser of the anti-water charges We Won’t Pay Campaign.

Over many years Paddy and the We Won’t Pay Campaign have determinedly organised against the introduction of water charges. Over 120,000 people signed the campaign’s non-payment pledge – sending a message to the Assembly parties that we won’t pay twice for water.

Despite what the politicians may claim, if it was not for the work of the We Won’t Pay Campaign in building support for mass non-payment, water charges would have been introduced by now. The campaign has saved households on average more than £1,300.

The We Won’t Pay Campaign was established by the Socialist Party together with trade union activists to organise mass non-payment of water charges across the North. But water charges are not yet off the agenda.

Main parties support water charges

In a recent interview Sinn Fein’s Paul Butler has claimed Sinn Fein needed to start taking “hard decisions rather than populist decisions” in order to find extra funding and added “really the only place the Stormont executive can go is the area of water charging.” The Alliance Party and the DUP’s Sammy Wilson have also said they want water charges brought in.

Communities united defeated water charges

The budget passed by the Assembly has not scrapped water charges – they have only agreed to defer them. Water charges could be introduced in 2012 so Paddy will continue to build the We Won’t Pay Campaign until water charges are officially scrapped.

The We Won’t Pay Campaign has proved that it is possible to fight and defeat the Stormont parties.

…Now lets beat the cuts!

Jobs, not cuts

• We need more nurses, doctors and teachers – not less

• End public sector recruitment freeze – fill all vacant positions to deliver decent services

• For a 35 hour week with no loss in pay to create 56,000 full time jobs

• For an emergency job creation programme – massive investment in socially useful public works to create jobs and end mass unemployment

Defend our NHS

• For emergency recruitment of doctors, nurses and hospital staff to deal with crisis in health

• For a fully funded public health service – no to hospital charges

• Don’t pay £1 billion ringfenced to private companies involved in health – Kick out the profiteers – No to privatisation

• Nationalise the drugs companies to bring down costs

Education

• Invest in school refurbishment and buildings

• No cuts to teachers and classroom assistants

• Remove private companies profiteering from education via “Public Private Partnership”

• For fully funded, integrated comprehensive education

• No cut to Education Maintenance Allowance

• For free education – scrap tuition fees and introduce a living grant for all

Housing

• Invest in a major public house building programme to end chronic waiting lists and employ construction workers

• Take empty homes owned by property developers into public ownership

• End landlordism – for democratic community control over housing

• Review all mortgages to match repayments with current valuations

A future for Young people

• Mass youth unemployment is leading to a social crisis and increased suicide.

• Launch a major public apprenticeship scheme to provide real training and qualifications for young people

• End harassment of young people on the dole

• End exploitation of young people – Scrap the youth exemptions in the minimum wage – For £8 minimum wage as a step towards £10

No to sectarianism – For workers’ unity

• To beat the cuts and defend jobs, there must be a united working class movement

• Oppose ALL forms of sectarianism, paramilitary activity and repression

• For a new mass party based on the trade union movement to represent working class people

• For a genuine peace process based on uniting ordinary people – For a socialist solution to end sectarian conflict and division

We’re backing Paddy!

“We need working class fighters who will stand up to the cuts of the main parties – that’s why I’m backing Paddy”

Jim Barbour, leader of the Fire Brigades Union in Northern Ireland

“Paddy has refused to go along with the politicians on the Stormont gravy train – Vote Paddy to put workers’ interests first.”

Paul Murphy, Socialist Party MEP I’m backing Paddy!

“The fight against cuts must be linked up across Britain & Northern Ireland. On 5 May give your No.1 to Paddy Meehan”

Cllr Dave Nellist, ex-Labour MP Coventry

“North & South, we need to fight the cuts. If elected, Paddy will crucially use his position to build the Stop the Cuts Campaign in both communities”

Joe Higgins, Socialist Party TD