Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Encyclopedia
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is a socialist
electoral alliance
launched in Britain for the 2010 General Election.
The coalition was negotiated between groups which had taken part in the No2EU coalition that fought the June 2009 European elections. Prominent participating groups include the Socialist Party
, Socialist Workers Party
, Solidarity
, and others; it has been endorsed by Bob Crow
, General Secretary of the RMT
, Brian Caton, General Secretary of the POA, Janice Godrich, President of the PCS
, Chris Baugh, Assistant General Secretary of the PCS and eight members of the UNISON
National Executive Council. Dave Nellist
stood as a candidate for the coalition in the constituency of Coventry North East
. Among the other candidates were Jackie Gunsell in Colne Valley constituency, Keith Gibson in Hull West and Hessle, Dave Hill
in Brighton Kemptown, Ian Page in Lewisham Deptford, Rob Williams in Swansea West and Tim Cutter in Southampton Itchen.
and Welsh Socialist Alliance
and which backs the Campaign for a New Workers' Party
, saw No2EU as "an important first step towards independent working class
political representation" was eager to continue cooperation with other left wing groups, building on ties it had forged during the European election. The Socialist Party spoke highly of the success of Die Linke in Germany, the New Anticapitalist Party
in France and Coalition of the Radical Left
in Greece.
In July 2009, the Communist Party of Britain
released a statement expressing willingness to continue the No2EU programme and support left-wing alliance candidates in some constituencies, but also called for a vote for Labour Party candidates in others. However, on 17 January the Executive Committee of the CPB declined to formally participate in the coalition.
Negotiations to found the coalition continued over several months after the EU election. One proposed name for the coalition was "Trade Unionists and Green Socialists Alliance". The RMT, which had formally supported No2EU, decided in January 2010 not to similarly back TUSC, but allowed individual branches to support it. On 12 January 2010, the coalition was announced and subsequently, the RMT National Council of Executives supported 20 TUSC candidates on receipt of local RMT branch requests.
Some political groups such as the Alliance for Workers Liberty and the Weekly Worker
newspaper have argued that the coalition was formed in secret and without democratic input.
Meanwhile, just after the European Elections, the SWP, which had not taken part in No2EU but which had itself been part of the Socialist Alliance and Respect, published its "Open Letter to the Left", in which it called for "a united fightback to save jobs and services".
Socialist Resistance
, the British section of the Fourth International, has also joined the coalition.
John Metcalfe's parliamentary campaign in Carlisle
. He received 376 votes (0.9%)
As a relatively new entity, electoral success was not high up on the list of the coalition's priorities. TUSC was only registered with the Electoral Commission
in January 2010, leaving little time to organise a more comprehensive challenge.
Another widely accepted factor was a perceived "Squeeze" which generated disappointing results for the vast majority of smaller parties.
"Fear of a Tory government galvanised people to vote Labour, and we were squeezed. People were too afraid to demand something better for fear of getting something worse." Tottenham candidate Jenny Sutton claimed.
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
electoral alliance
Electoral alliance
An electoral alliance may take the form of a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc. It is an association of political parties or individuals which exists solely to stand in elections...
launched in Britain for the 2010 General Election.
The coalition was negotiated between groups which had taken part in the No2EU coalition that fought the June 2009 European elections. Prominent participating groups include the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (England and Wales)
The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today...
, Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (Britain)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities...
, Solidarity
Solidarity (Scotland)
Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action...
, and others; it has been endorsed by Bob Crow
Bob Crow
Robert Crow , who is better known as Bob Crow, is a British trade union leader, the General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and a member of the General Council of the TUC...
, General Secretary of the RMT
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers is a trade union in the United Kingdom which unionises transport workers. It has more than 80,000 members, and its current general secretary is Bob Crow...
, Brian Caton, General Secretary of the POA, Janice Godrich, President of the PCS
Public and Commercial Services Union
The Public and Commercial Services Union is the sixth largest trade union in the United Kingdom. Most of its members work in government departments and other public bodies although some work for private companies.- Membership and organisation :...
, Chris Baugh, Assistant General Secretary of the PCS and eight members of the UNISON
UNISON
UNISON is the largest trade union in the United Kingdom with over 1.3 million members.The union was formed in 1993 when three public sector trade unions, the National and Local Government Officers Association , the National Union of Public Employees and the Confederation of Health Service...
National Executive Council. Dave Nellist
Dave Nellist
David John Nellist is a British Trotskyist activist and former Labour Member of Parliament for the now abolished constituency of Coventry South East...
stood as a candidate for the coalition in the constituency of Coventry North East
Coventry North East
Coventry North East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
. Among the other candidates were Jackie Gunsell in Colne Valley constituency, Keith Gibson in Hull West and Hessle, Dave Hill
Dave Hill (Professor)
Dave Hill teaches at Middlesex University and is Visiting Professor of Critical Education Policy and Equality Studies at the University of Limerick, Ireland. His working-class background and consciousness fed in to his left-wing politics....
in Brighton Kemptown, Ian Page in Lewisham Deptford, Rob Williams in Swansea West and Tim Cutter in Southampton Itchen.
Foundation
No to EU – Yes to Democracy had been intended as a one-time electoral alliance. The Socialist Party, which had previous participated in the Socialist AllianceSocialist Alliance (England)
The Socialist Alliance was a left-wing electoral alliance in England between 1992 and 2005.In late 2005, a small group reformed with the name "Socialist Alliance", with a mutual affiliation with the larger Alliance for Green Socialism.-Origins:...
and Welsh Socialist Alliance
Welsh Socialist Alliance
The Welsh Socialist Alliance was a socialist political organisation in Wales. It was closely related to, but separate from the Socialist Alliance.It was founded by the Socialist Party of England and Wales and Cymru Goch and some independents...
and which backs the Campaign for a New Workers' Party
Campaign for a New Workers' Party
The Campaign For A New Workers' Party is an initiative of the Socialist Party of England and Wales that argues for the establishment of a new mass workers' party, involving trade union activists, socialists, anti-capitalists, and community, anti-war and environmental activists. It was launched at...
, saw No2EU as "an important first step towards independent working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
political representation" was eager to continue cooperation with other left wing groups, building on ties it had forged during the European election. The Socialist Party spoke highly of the success of Die Linke in Germany, the New Anticapitalist Party
New Anticapitalist Party
The New Anticapitalist Party is a French political party founded in February 2009. Its name was originally intended to be temporary; a vote on the name being held at the founding congress on 6–8 February 2009, where NPA won over "Revolutionary Anticapitalist Party" with 53% of the vote.The party ...
in France and Coalition of the Radical Left
Coalition of the Radical Left
The Coalition of the Radical Left , commonly known by its Greek abbreviation ΣΥΡΙΖΑ , is a coalition of left political parties in Greece...
in Greece.
In July 2009, the Communist Party of Britain
Communist Party of Britain
The Communist Party of Britain is a communist political party in Great Britain. Although founded in 1988 it traces its origins back to 1920 and the Communist Party of Great Britain, and claims the legacy of that party and its most influential members Harry Pollitt and John Gollan as its...
released a statement expressing willingness to continue the No2EU programme and support left-wing alliance candidates in some constituencies, but also called for a vote for Labour Party candidates in others. However, on 17 January the Executive Committee of the CPB declined to formally participate in the coalition.
Negotiations to found the coalition continued over several months after the EU election. One proposed name for the coalition was "Trade Unionists and Green Socialists Alliance". The RMT, which had formally supported No2EU, decided in January 2010 not to similarly back TUSC, but allowed individual branches to support it. On 12 January 2010, the coalition was announced and subsequently, the RMT National Council of Executives supported 20 TUSC candidates on receipt of local RMT branch requests.
Some political groups such as the Alliance for Workers Liberty and the Weekly Worker
Weekly Worker
The Weekly Worker is a newspaper published by the Communist Party of Great Britain . The paper is well known on the left for its polemical articles, close attention to Marxist theory and the politics of other Marxist groups...
newspaper have argued that the coalition was formed in secret and without democratic input.
Meanwhile, just after the European Elections, the SWP, which had not taken part in No2EU but which had itself been part of the Socialist Alliance and Respect, published its "Open Letter to the Left", in which it called for "a united fightback to save jobs and services".
Socialist Resistance
Socialist Resistance
Socialist Resistance is a Trotskyist and ecosocialist organisation in Britain which publishes a Marxist periodical of the same name. In July 2009 the International Socialist Group merged into it, making SR the British Section of the Fourth International.-Origins:It was launched on 8 September...
, the British section of the Fourth International, has also joined the coalition.
Positions
TUSC is a coalition, not a political party, with a federal structure. All candidates supporting the coalition must support a core declaration of principles, but beyond this each candidate is free to campaign on the platform of their own political party.Candidates and results
TUSC/STUSC had announced the following list of parliamentary candidates for the 2010 general election, including ten in Scotland. They received a total of 15,573 votes, or 0.1% of the popular vote.John Metcalfe's parliamentary campaign in Carlisle
Carlisle (UK Parliament constituency)
Carlisle is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It was a Labour seat from 1964 until 2010, although the Conservatives came close to victory in the elections in...
. He received 376 votes (0.9%)
England & Wales
| Constituency | Candidate | Affiliation | Result - votes | Result - % | Loss/gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry North East | Dave Nellist Dave Nellist David John Nellist is a British Trotskyist activist and former Labour Member of Parliament for the now abolished constituency of Coventry South East... |
Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as Socialist Alternative Socialist Alternative Socialist Alternative can refer to any of several Trotskyist political organizations, many affiliated to the Committee for a Workers International or Reunified Fourth International:-See also:... ) |
1,592 | 3.7% | -1.2% |
| Tottenham Tottenham (UK Parliament constituency) Tottenham is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :... |
Jenny Sutton | UCU University and College Union The University and College Union is a British trade union formed by the merger in 2006 of the Association of University Teachers and the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education .... (ran as TUSC) |
1,057 | 2.6% | +2.6% |
| Colne Valley Colne Valley (UK Parliament constituency) Colne Valley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. In the post-war period the seat had the distinction of being one of the few Labour/Liberal marginals,... |
Jackie Grunsell | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
741 | 1.3% | +1.3% |
| Salford & Eccles Salford and Eccles (UK Parliament constituency) Salford and Eccles is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It is the successor seat to the previous Salford .The last MP for Salford was Hazel Blears,... |
David Henry David Joseph Henry David Joseph Henry is a writer, Human Rights activist and parliamentary candidate from Manchester, England.-Biography:In 1997, he and other members of YouthSpeak projected a laser beam onto Big Ben, demanding "16 for everyone". It was a protest at the then unequal age of consent for gay men... |
Green Left (ran as TUSC) | 730 | 1.8% | +1.8% |
| Coventry South | Judy Griffiths | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as Socialist Alternative) |
691 | 1.5% | -1.2% |
| Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough (UK Parliament constituency) Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom... |
Maxine Bowler | Socialist Workers Party Socialist Workers Party (Britain) The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities... (ran as TUSC) |
656 | 1.7% | n/a |
| Lewisham Deptford | Ian Page | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as Socialist Alternative) |
645 | 1.6% | -0.6% |
| Bootle Bootle (UK Parliament constituency) Bootle is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. Since 1990 the MP has been Joe Benton of the Labour Party... |
Pete Glover | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
472 | 1.1% | -1.5% |
| Coventry North West Coventry North West (UK Parliament constituency) Coventry North West is a borough constituency in the city of Coventry which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom... |
Nikki Downes | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as Socialist Alternative) |
370 | 0.8% | -0.7% |
| Cambridge City Cambridge (UK Parliament constituency) Cambridge is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system.... |
Martin Booth | Cambridge Socialists Cambridge The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the... (ran as TUSC) |
362 | 0.7% | +0.7% |
| Manchester Gorton | Karen Reissmann | Socialist Workers Party Socialist Workers Party (Britain) The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities... (ran as TUSC) |
337 | 0.9% | +0.9% |
| Huddersfield Huddersfield (UK Parliament constituency) -Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :... |
Paul Cooney | (ran as TUSC) | 319 | 0.8% | +0.8% |
| Walthamstow Walthamstow (UK Parliament constituency) Walthamstow is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- 1885–1918 :... |
Nancy Taaffe | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
279 | 0.7% | -1.4% |
| Wythenshawe and Sale East | Lynn Worthington | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
268 | 0.7% | -0.3% |
| Greenwich and Woolwich Greenwich and Woolwich Greenwich and Woolwich is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:... |
Onay Kasab | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
267 | 0.6% | +0.6% |
| Gateshead Gateshead (UK Parliament constituency) Gateshead is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election. A previous Gateshead constituency existed from 1832 to 1950.... |
Elaine Brunskill | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
266 | 0.7% | n/a |
| Wellingborough and Rushden Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency) Wellingborough is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election... |
Cllr Paul Crofts | Wellingborough Socialists Wellingborough Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain... (ran as TUSC) |
249 | 0.5% | +0.5% |
| Bristol South Bristol South Bristol South is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It has elected Labour MPs since 1935... |
Tom Baldwin | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
206 | 0.4% | +0.4% |
| Liverpool Walton | Daren Ireland | RMT (ran as TUSC) | 195 | 0.6% | +0.6% |
| Brighton Kemptown | Dave Hill Dave Hill (Professor) Dave Hill teaches at Middlesex University and is Visiting Professor of Critical Education Policy and Equality Studies at the University of Limerick, Ireland. His working-class background and consciousness fed in to his left-wing politics.... |
Socialist Resistance Socialist Resistance Socialist Resistance is a Trotskyist and ecosocialist organisation in Britain which publishes a Marxist periodical of the same name. In July 2009 the International Socialist Group merged into it, making SR the British Section of the Fourth International.-Origins:It was launched on 8 September... (ran as TUSC) |
194 | 0.5% | +0.2% |
| Bristol East Bristol East Bristol East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
Rachel Lynch | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
184 | 0.4% | +0.4% |
| Swansea West Swansea West (UK Parliament constituency) Swansea West is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
Rob Williams | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
179 | 0.5% | -0.4% |
| Spelthorne Spelthorne (UK Parliament constituency) -Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:-Elections in the 1960s:... |
Paul Couchman | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
176 | 0.4% | +0.4% |
| Southampton Itchen Southampton Itchen Southampton, Itchen is a parliamentary constituency in Hampshire, which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom... |
Tim Cutter | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
168 | 0.4% | +0.4% |
| Cardiff Central Cardiff Central (UK Parliament constituency) Cardiff Central is a borough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.... |
Ross Saunders | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
162 | 0.4% | +0.4% |
| Leicester West | Steve Score | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
157 | 0.4% | -1.3% |
| Portsmouth North Portsmouth North Portsmouth North is a borough constituency which elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system... |
Mick Tosh | RMT National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers is a trade union in the United Kingdom which unionises transport workers. It has more than 80,000 members, and its current general secretary is Bob Crow... (ran as TUSC) |
154 | 0.3% | +0.3% |
| Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle | Keith Gibson | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
150 | 0.5% | +0.5% |
| Stoke-on-Trent Central | Matthew Wright | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
133 | 0.4% | -0.5% |
| Redcar Redcar (UK Parliament constituency) Redcar is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
Hannah Walter | Socialist Party Socialist Party (England and Wales) The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today... (ran as TUSC) |
127 | 0.3% | +0.3% |
Scotland
| Constituency | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes -cast | Result - % | Loss/gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow South West Glasgow South West (UK Parliament constituency) Glasgow South West is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
Tommy Sheridan Tommy Sheridan Tommy Sheridan is a Scottish socialist politician. He has had various prominent roles within the socialist movement in Scotland and is currently one of two co-convenors of the left-wing Scottish political party Solidarity.... |
Solidarity Solidarity (Scotland) Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action... (ran as Solidarity - TUSC) |
931 | 2.9% | -2.5% |
| Motherwell and Wishaw Motherwell and Wishaw (UK Parliament constituency) Motherwell and Wishaw is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1974, mostly from Motherwell... |
Ray Gunnion | CWI Committee for a Workers' International The Committee for a Workers' International is an international association of Trotskyist parties. Members include the Socialist Party of England and Wales, the Socialist Party , the Socialist Party the Democratic Socialist Movement in South Africa and Nigeria and groups using the name Socialist... /Solidarity Solidarity (Scotland) Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action... (ran as TUSC) |
609 | 1.6% | -1.1% |
| Dundee West Dundee West (UK Parliament constituency) Dundee West is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system.... |
Jim McFarlane | CWI Committee for a Workers' International The Committee for a Workers' International is an international association of Trotskyist parties. Members include the Socialist Party of England and Wales, the Socialist Party , the Socialist Party the Democratic Socialist Movement in South Africa and Nigeria and groups using the name Socialist... /Solidarity Solidarity (Scotland) Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action... (ran as TUSC) |
357 | 1.0% | -1.7% |
| Glasgow South Glasgow South (UK Parliament constituency) Glasgow South is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
Brian Smith | CWI Committee for a Workers' International The Committee for a Workers' International is an international association of Trotskyist parties. Members include the Socialist Party of England and Wales, the Socialist Party , the Socialist Party the Democratic Socialist Movement in South Africa and Nigeria and groups using the name Socialist... /Solidarity Solidarity (Scotland) Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action... (ran as TUSC) |
351 | 0.9% | -2.5% |
| Glasgow North Glasgow North (UK Parliament constituency) Glasgow North is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system.... |
Angela McCormick | SWP Socialist Workers Party (Britain) The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities... /Solidarity Solidarity (Scotland) Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action... (ran as TUSC) |
287 | 1.0% | -2.8% |
| Edinburgh East Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency) Edinburgh East is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
Gary Clark | CWI Committee for a Workers' International The Committee for a Workers' International is an international association of Trotskyist parties. Members include the Socialist Party of England and Wales, the Socialist Party , the Socialist Party the Democratic Socialist Movement in South Africa and Nigeria and groups using the name Socialist... /Solidarity Solidarity (Scotland) Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action... (ran as TUSC) |
274 | 0.7% | -1.5% |
| Edinburgh North and Leith Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency) Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1997 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
Willie Black | SWP Socialist Workers Party (Britain) The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities... /Solidarity Solidarity (Scotland) Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action... (ran as TUSC) |
233 | 0.5% | -1.4% |
| Glasgow North East Glasgow North East (UK Parliament constituency) Glasgow North East is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It was first contested at the 2005 general election... |
Graham Campbell | SWP Socialist Workers Party (Britain) The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities... /Solidarity Solidarity (Scotland) Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action... (ran as TUSC) |
187 | 0.6% | -4.3% |
| Midlothian Midlothian (UK Parliament constituency) Midlothian in Scotland, is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system.... |
Willie Duncan | Solidarity Solidarity (Scotland) Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action... (ran as TUSC) |
166 | 0.4% | -1.5% |
| Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (UK Parliament constituency) Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
George McDonald | Solidarity Solidarity (Scotland) Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action... (ran as Solidarity - TUSC) |
135 | 0.3% | -0.7% |
Performance
TUSC's average vote nationwide was around 371 (1.0%), no deposits were returned.As a relatively new entity, electoral success was not high up on the list of the coalition's priorities. TUSC was only registered with the Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections...
in January 2010, leaving little time to organise a more comprehensive challenge.
Another widely accepted factor was a perceived "Squeeze" which generated disappointing results for the vast majority of smaller parties.
"Fear of a Tory government galvanised people to vote Labour, and we were squeezed. People were too afraid to demand something better for fear of getting something worse." Tottenham candidate Jenny Sutton claimed.
List of organisations in TUSC
- Socialist PartySocialist Party (England and Wales)The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today...
- Socialist ResistanceSocialist ResistanceSocialist Resistance is a Trotskyist and ecosocialist organisation in Britain which publishes a Marxist periodical of the same name. In July 2009 the International Socialist Group merged into it, making SR the British Section of the Fourth International.-Origins:It was launched on 8 September...
- Socialist Workers PartySocialist Workers Party (Britain)The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities...
- SolidaritySolidarity (Scotland)Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action...