Tommy has fought against cuts to services as a community activist in East Belfast and played a key role in organizing the anti-water charges We Won’t Pay Campaign, speaking at countless meetings and challenging the lies of Government spokepersons that we don’t pay for water. Tommy was the only candidate to speak out against the closure of Sydenham House Women’s Refuge Centre and has been a vocal opposition to the politician’s role in cutting funding to Ballymac Playzone.
Tommy is currently the East Belfast organizer of the Stop the Cuts Campaign.
Tommy told socialistpartyni.net: “I am standing for Belfast City Council and the Assembly so ordinary working class people have a real choice – a choice between electing sectarian and right-wing politicians who have abandoned the people of East Belfast politicians and electing a worker who will represent the interests of working people and the unemployed.
“East Belfast has been hit hard with major job losses. There is a major housing crisis in East Belfast as social housing has been sold off to landlords, in the process pushing housing prices to unattainable levels. The politicians on the Council and in Stormont are completely out of touch with these issues. I pledge not to live on the inflated salaries and allowances of the Assembly politicians, but to only take a workers wage, and donate the rest of my salary to the assisting workers in struggle and the development of a socialist alternative to organize and represent working class people.”
Tommy is standing for Belfast City Council in the Pottinger ward
Tommy is also standing for the Assembly in East Belfast
If you would like to assist in Tommy’s election campaign contact 02890232962
Working longer, paying more and getting a smaller pension is the prospect facing all public sector workers if we let the ConDem government get away their planned cuts.
But western powers also have blood on their hands
Contracting Out is a company headed by Sue Holmes, a senior consultant adviser to NI Water. This outsourcing company was awarded a contract by NI Water without any competition from other firms involving 130 days work by the firm at £775 a day, amounting to £100,000 of public money. On top of this, Holmes’ company had a 6% “success fee” for “savings identified” (not actual savings) of which she had claimed to have identified savings of £23m!
Youth Fight for Jobs is demanding the immediate abolition of Steps to Work, the scheme introduced by the Assembly which forces the unemployed to work for free. Steps to Work can be compared to modern-day slave labour. If people refuse to participate, they face getting their dole cut off – not much of a choice there! Employers don’t have to pay a single penny in wages to those who are put to work.