WORKERS and youth signed up to join the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) and Young Socialists on Saturday, saying they will vote for Hornsey and Wood Green WRP candidate Anna Athow.
Anna and her team were campaigning on Wood Green High Road and News Line spoke to several of those attracted by the WRP stall with its display of the News Line, Young Socialists, Marxist Review and publicity for lectures marking 100 years since the 1917 Russian Revolution.
Ruben Gal, 22, from Romania, said: ‘Life is difficult here but it’s better than in my country. There is low wages, it is bad for jobs. I agree with revolution for workers to take over. I agree with nationalisation to produce for people’s needs, not for the profit of the rich. I will vote for the WRP and revolution.’
Unemployed mother Sarah Jameson said: ‘I’ve joined the WRP and will vote for Anna Athow on June 8th. I want to keep North Middlesex Hospital open and keep the staff there. The doctors and nurses have shown they are ready to go on strike over the cuts. The Tory government is stopping our benefits and we have to get them out.
‘Labour’s policies are good but I don’t think they will be able to carry them out. Workers are going to have to do more. The unions will have to take strike action. But we need a stronger leadership in the trade unions, that’s why I’m voting for revolution and socialism and have joined the WRP.’
Primary school teacher David added: ‘I’m on a zero-hours contract as a supply teacher. I pay £60 a week National Insurance contribution and another £100 in income tax. I’m for a revolution to get rid of capitalism. Labour parties are rotten – we had Tony Blair here, Hollande in France and the SPD in Germany.
‘Social democrats betrayed the working class across Europe, and elsewhere. The “third way” left aside a rich tradition of the working class movement. I can’t vote because I’m not a British passport holder, if it helps I’ll encourage people to vote WRP.’
IT instructor Michael Ojomo told News Line: ‘I can’t understand why people would vote Conservative. Things are getting bad, prices are going up, people are complaining. They need to come out and vote and get rid of the Tory government because it’s getting worse. They want to ban strikes, that’s not right, we can’t have that. The unions must take action. I agree with revolution, of course.’’
Wood Green WRP youth member Jenny Butler declared: ‘I’m campaigning to save the NHS.
‘It’s important that we get the Tories out on June 8 before they privatise the NHS completely. The NHS is the last remaining democratic institution and vital service in this country.
‘Labour failed to invest in it. If you need a spirit to be breathed into this country and if you want the health of Britain to be strong and sound, we need free state funded education for all NHS staff. I’m voting for Anna to defend the NHS and the NHS staff. We need a revolution and socialism to nationalise the banks and industry, stop wars and defend our NHS.’
Donna Hauwa, 25, said: ‘Things need to change. If we get the Tories back they will crack down on immigrant workers. Everybody should have the right to have a job, being against immigrants is racist and wrong. We want a country where everybody can live together without discrimination.
‘We need a world where everyone can have a decent living.
‘I agree with socialism where you run things for people’s needs not for profit and the rich. People need to rise up and get rid of this profit system, to stand all together and build a new society that’s not monetary. Basing things on money is not nice, we need to base things on people’s needs.
‘If we do things for people it’s better, and end wars too.’
ESOL teacher Jasmin Khan also joined the WRP and said: ‘I will vote for the WRP because I like their moral standing. It’s all about others, not just themselves. I want to see an end to capitalism, there needs to be a fairer system. I agree with socialism to end wars and unemployment, to save the NHS. There needs to be fair working hours for doctors and nurses – they are working too long hours under the Tories.
‘The unions should have called everybody out on strike with the junior doctors and got rid of Jeremy Hunt and the Tories then. We have had enough of cuts in education and of university fees. For such a developed country there is illiteracy because of the cuts. The Tories have cut back even more, you can’t get a decent school meal. We have to get rid of the Tories on June 8th.
‘I will vote for the WRP to give the working class a lead and for socialism.’
Chef Santiago Smith said: ‘It’s a good thing to get the Tories out because they are not helping the working class. All this capitalism – you see the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. I hate the way they are cutting back budgets, how that hurts the working class – especially on benefits and the NHS. I will vote to get the Tories out on June 8th.’
WRP candidate Anna Athow said: ‘We got a tremendous response on the High Street at Wood Green today. People in Haringey are very concerned about what is happening to the NHS. Many people agreed with revolution and joined our party. They said that Corbyn’s policies can’t be delivered without nationalising the banks and going beyond capitalism.
‘The local council is planning to sell off whole council estates to a private developer and people fear for their homes. Youth want proper jobs, not zero-hours contracts. They can’t get a council flat and private rents are beyond them. People joined the WRP and Young Socialists to fight for socialism.’
