Coventry – Labour councillors heckle call for anti-war, anti-cuts vote
Adam Harmsworth, Coventry Socialist Party
Socialist Party member Dave Nellist told hundreds of protesters that there are anti-war candidates standing across Coventry. When he began saying: “In Foleshill, the best chance for a victory in the council elections is Ferhan Azad Kiani, the independent candidate…” he was shouted at by the couple of Labour councillors present. The councillors were at their first protest, coincidentally one week before the local elections!
Dave continued, condemning the Labour council for its recent austerity budget, and calling for a vote for Ferhan, and the 16 Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidates. This was met with applause and cheers from most of the crowd.
Straight after Dave, the Foleshill Labour councillor up for election this year spoke, trying to defend her record, insisting she is doing everything she can to stand up for Gaza as a councillor. After her was a speaker who had stewarded the protest, who repeated the call for a vote for Ferhan and TUSC.
Betrayed
There has been rising anger at Labour in Coventry over its backing of the Israeli state’s assault on Gaza. Many, especially in the city’s Muslim community, have felt betrayed by the Labour Party.
The outburst by Labour councillors on this protest shows that they fear their base of support is eroding, where Labour once took votes for granted.
London – more anger at Sunak and Starmer
Dara Fitzgerald, West London Socialist Party
The 13th national demo calling for a ceasefire, demanding that the UK stop arming Israel, took place in central London on 27 April. Thousands marched from Parliament Square to Hyde Park, right outside the halls of power, loudly saying: “Not in our name”.
Buses ferried people from across the country to show their support. A very small counter-demonstration at Pall Mall was largely ignored. They only had the effect of contrasting themselves negatively against the number of supporters of stopping the war.
Socialist Party signs could be seen all along the route, and copies of the Socialist were snapped up by people looking for alternatives. Reaction against the awful positions of both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer was widespread.
Read what we say – ‘Working class can transform volatile Middle East’
