Open Letter To BFAWU Members In Stoke and Copeland

Dear Member

The upcoming by-elections in Stoke and Copeland are a real test for you, your communities and their values. The media will have you believe that these vitally important elections are some sort of referendum on Jeremy Corbyn and his leadership of the Labour Party. They may try and convince you that these elections are all about a ‘Brexit’ candidate versus a ‘Remain’ candidate. The reality, is that these are parliamentary by-elections. This is about electing someone to be your voice in Westminster; someone who is going to raise the concerns of you, your friends, neighbours and family members in a wider political arena. This being the case, it’s absolutely vital to be aware of exactly what you are voting for.

UKIP and the Conservatives will inevitably play ‘divide and rule’ politics. They will adopt the strategy used by Donald Trump and play on your anger, fears and insecurities. They will blame all of society’s ills on immigrants and people on benefits, whilst claiming that they’re going to make Britain ‘great again’. They won’t tell you that it’s a combination of greed, prejudice, cronyism and political ideology that lies at the heart of what is wrong with this country and/or your communities.

The lack of social/affordable housing is down to the government’s failure to build any; the sorry state of our NHS is down to a lack of government investment and an agenda of privatisation; the erosion of workers’ rights and spread of zero hours contracts, is down to the government’s attacks on Trade Unions and it’s strictly pro-business, pro-capital, everyone-else-be-damned mentality; the meteoric rise of foodbanks and homelessness is down to the government’s needless programme of austerity and cuts.

For probably the first time since Clement Attlee’s post World War II government created the NHS, provided both social security and council housing, and wiped out unemployment, the Labour Party is offering policies that would benefit communities such as yours: a firm commitment to restore employment rights and end the use of exploitative employment contracts, whilst raising the minimum wage to £10 an hour; the re-nationalisation of rail and our NHS, along with a house building programme that will provide decent, affordable homes for all who need them.

When it gets right down to it, the choice you are being faced with is a clear one. Do you choose a candidate who offers you hate and blame with no solutions and no ideas that will benefit your area? or do you choose a candidate that is willing to stick their head above the parapet on your behalf, fight to improve your community and protect the public services you rely on, such as your NHS? A candidate that will make the case for investment in jobs and decent housing. Someone with ideas, who offers equality and inclusivity.

The choice is not ‘Leave’ or ‘Remain’; it’s unity or division.

The BFAWU believes that the Labour Party offers the best opportunity for all it’s members to have a better life in a fairer society and we would therefore ask you to support the respective Labour candidates in the Stoke and Copeland parliamentary by-elections on February 23rd.

Yours in solidarity

Ian Hodson (BFAWU National President)