Eddie Adams supports the People's Charter
Eddie Adams, PPC Kensington
The following is the text of a speech given by Eddie Adams at a public meeting called by UNITE branch 1/684, in support of The People's Charter.
I am a member of the Alliance for Green Socialism and have been involved with this charter since its inception. The charter gives an outline programme that the progressive movement can gel around.
On housing, UNITE, our union, supports the House of Commons Housing Group and its demand to get 5 million people off housing waiting lists. Here in Kensington despite it being one of the richest boroughs there is a lack of enough affordable housing. The Tory council are rebuilding Holland Park School and stealing some of its land to build luxury town houses. They are destroying this estate and rebuilding it so they can have 300 plus units to sell.
On jobs we need to protect the jobs we have got. It is disgraceful that Kraft can take over Cadbury's and close its Bristol factory and there is no action by the Labour government. It's a different tale with the bankers, who can ruin our economy but get bailed out with our money and still draw bonuses.
My support is for the Campaign against Climate Change trade union group who are calling for a million climate jobs to be created. This is the size of the task if we are to halt climate change. Jobs need to be created in solar power, wind turbines, housing insulating and railways. On average every job lost costs the government £18,000, and every new job earns them £7,000.
The three main parties talk of the cuts they will make if returned to government. Business will be safe, but it is their workers and the general population who will face swingeing attacks on their services. The cuts have already started. Cabin crews and railway workers are fighting to keep their conditions and living standards and are vilified in the media. Anti-union laws stop other unions from helping, but it's OK for other airlines to take secondary action to help British Airways.
Of course I am in favour of some cuts. I am for scraping Trident, halting our involvement in Iraq and bringing our troops home from Afghanistan now.
There isn't a fag paper of difference between the three main parties. They are all big-business parties, and butter wouldn't melt in the Green Party's mouth -- in Leeds they went into a coalition with the Tories and Liberal Democrats before being shamed out.
Some people say we must vote Labour to keep the Tories out. That's funny -- I thought they were in power! At Labour's grass roots there are many good socialists, but they suffer from split personalities. New Labour at the top is rotten to the core; it has a grip on power that would do any dictator proud.
None of us want to see the Tories returned, and it would make sense to vote for a Labour Party candidate if they had a record of activity for their constituency and socialism, like Corbyn or Macdonald. Unfortunately they are few.
In the coming election we should support candidates with clear socialist policies, otherwise we only bolster New Labour's totals. We should seek unity of all left forces outside the Labour Party and that in turn will be like an anchor to help those grass-root Labour Party activists who remain to fight. In time the balance of power might change but I am not holding my breath.
The charter is a force in the making, which if we reach our target can help shape the political situation whoever wins the election.
I urge you all to sign and take it into your workplaces and community organisations and help reach as many signatures as possible
21/4/2010
Eddie Adams
is the AGS
Prospective Parliamentary Candidate
for Kensington
Web site
For information on the
Alliance for Green Socialism
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