Anti cuts candidates

THE FIRST 183 Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidates for May's local elections have been agreed by the TUSC national steering committee at its meeting last Wednesday.

The candidates cover 43 of the 160 English councils with elections on May 22nd.

In addition three mayoral candidates - Chris Flood, Lois Austin and Hugo Pierre - were agreed for contests being held on the same day for, respectively, the mayors of Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

Clive Heemskerk, the TUSC National Election Agent, told the meeting that "with eight weeks left until nominations close TUSC is well on course to have the biggest trade union and socialist based left-of-Labour challenge in local elections since the immediate aftermath of world war two."