Linda Taaffe, Waltham Forest Socialist Party
Nancy Taaffe was placed between Reform UK and an evangelical anti-abortionist at the Walthamstow hustings. Socialist Party member Nancy – standing for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) – gave great responses to all the questions, and drew tremendous applause several times.
She rattled current Labour MP Stella Creasy. And the Green representative had a lot to say. Both are riding high in the polls.
But Nancy pointed out that it was our campaign, without any help from the Greens or the MP, that saved the avenue of lime trees by the market, and much of the public green space, as part of our eight-year-long Save our Square campaign.
When there was a question about the incinerator, Nancy was able to point out that it was our Socialist Party members, Ken Douglas and Paula Mitchell, who led the campaign that defeated the first attempt to build it.
Nancy had a chance to highlight the need for nationalisation. But then Creasy proclaimed herself “to be more radical than Nancy”.
She repeated the Labour manifesto proposal to set up an energy company. But this idea is a repetition of what councils are already doing – using funds to speculate on property, or set up their own property companies, many with disastrous consequences. We need real democracy, through public ownership with working-class control and management.
The incumbent MP tried to laud the cooperative ethic, as standing above nationalisation. But Nancy explained how, in earlier times, workers supported the co-op ideal. But it was the 1945 Labour government that had the power to actually set about nationalising utilities, and building millions of council homes. And that’s what we need now!
As the meeting broke up, several people came forward to shake Nancy’s hand. But a man approached wearing a Labour sticker, and aggressively declared that Nancy was wrong about the co-ops.
Nancy suggested we organise a debate, between them and us. Let’s air these ideas, and have a serious debate. He resentfully declined.
We are certain that all these ideas are going to come back big-time, as a Labour government grapples with these, and many more issues. Then it will be time for really robust debates, and very serious action.
