No2Eu candidates

Here’s a list of No2EU – Yes to Democracy’s candidates in “Britain”. (That’s the British State to you and me.) London – Eight candidates Bob Crow – RMT general secretaryJohn Hendy QC – Leading human rights lawyerProfessor Mary Davis – Lecturer in trade union studiesKevin Nolan – Visteon convener, Enfield siteSyed Islam – Social worker…

Liam

May 6, 2009

2–3 minutes

Here’s a list of No2EU – Yes to Democracy’s candidates in “Britain”. (That’s the British State to you and me.)

London – Eight candidates

Bob Crow – RMT general secretary
John Hendy QC – Leading human rights lawyer
Professor Mary Davis – Lecturer in trade union studies
Kevin Nolan – Visteon convener, Enfield site
Syed Islam – Social worker and Bangladeshi community activist
Onay Kasab – Greenwich UNISON branch secretary
John Rowe – Health worker and former election agent for Peter Shore MP
Nick Wrack – socialist barrister

West Midlands – Six candidates

David John Nellist – Socialist Party Councillor and Coventry MP from 1983 to 1992
Dyal Singh Bagri – President, Indian Workers Association (pc)
Malcolm Gribbin – Retired teacher, school governor
Jo Stevenson – Youth CND treasurer
Peter MacLaren – Alliance for Green Socialism
Andy Chaffer – Birmingham trades council

East Midlands – Five candidates

John McEwan – Lindsey Oil Refinery worker
Avtar Sadiq – Unity for Peace and Socialism party
Jean Thorpe – UNISON NEC member
Shangara Singh Gahonia – Unity for Peace and Socialism party
Laurence Platt – UNITE branch secretary (pc)

Wales – Four candidates

Rob Griffiths – Communist Party of Britain general secretary
Rob Williams – Unite convener of the Linemar plant in Swansea
Laura Picand – UNISON Wales staff member
Trevor Jones – Deeside trades council secretary

North West – Eight candidates

Roger Bannister – Unison NEC member
Les Skarrot – FBU executive committee
Craig Johnston – RMT executive
Alec MacFadden – President of Merseyside trades council
Steve Radford – Liberal Party councillor
Lynn Worthington – Community and healthcare campaigner
John Metcalfe – Former deputy Labour leader of Carlisle council
Harry Smith – One of the 47 surcharged Liverpool Labour councillors

Scotland – Six candidates

John Foster – Scottish Campaign Against Euro Federalism secretary
Tommy Sheridan – Solidarity Co-Convenor
Leah Ganley – Student at Dundee University
Stuart Hyslop – Retired seafarer RMT
Ajit Singh Uppal – Indian Workers Association (pc)
Tom Morrison – Secretary Clydebank TUC

Yorkshire & Humberside – Six candidates

Keith Gibson – Lindsey oil refinery worker
Celia Foote – Alliance for Green Socialism
Councillor Jackie Grunsell – Save Huddersfield NHS councillor
Peter March – RMT regional secretary
Mike Davies – Alliance for Green Socialism secretary
Juliet Marie Boddington – Alliance for Green Socialism activist

South East – Ten candidates

Professor Dave Hill – Former East Sussex Labour Group leader
Garry Hassell – RMT executive committee
Kevin Hayes – Ford worker
Owen Morris –Construction worker and supporter of Lindsey and Olympic site protests
Gawain Little – Teacher and CND National Council member
Robert Wilkinson – NUT Wokingham and District Secretary
Jacqui Berry – Medway trades council president
Nick Wright – Graphic designer and teacher
Nick Chaffey – Youth worker
Sarah Wrack – Student Sussex University

Eastern – Seven candidates

Brian Denny – Journalist and democracy campaigner
Frank Jepson – Visteon factory convener, Basildon
Steve Glennon – shop steward at GSK in Ware, Hertfordshire
Phil Katz – Author and designer
Eleanor Donne – UNISON steward (pc), local government worker
Pete Relph – Environmental campaigner
Ron Rodwell – Former CWU activist RMT staff rep

North East – Three candidates

Martin Levy – Newcastle trades council president
Hannah Walter – UNISON shop steward (pc)
Peter Pinkney – RMT activist

South West – Six candidates

Alex Gordon – RMT executive committee
Roger Davey – Health worker
Rachel Lynch – NUT activist (pc)
Nick Quirk – RMT executive committee
John Chambers – Retired T&G union official
Paul Dyer – Barnstaple trades council secretary

34 responses to “No2Eu candidates”

Andy Newman

May 6, 2009 at 11:36 pm

Why do you put “Britain” in quote marks. It exists.

If you look at a map of the British Isles, the big island on the Eastern side is called Great Britain, or Britain for short.

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Liam

May 7, 2009 at 6:33 am

The word “Britain” is helpful in geography lesson to describe the large island to the west of Europe. As a political label it does not convey the existence of Scotland or Wales.

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geography george

May 7, 2009 at 6:52 am

“As a political label it does not convey the existence of Scotland or Wales.”
Why not? That is precisely what it does convey. If I wanted to imply the absence of Scotland and Wales I would use the political label “England”.

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ID

May 7, 2009 at 9:32 am

In any case, looking at the candidate list, with one exception (the Liberal in the North West, which seems to be an aberation and even then he hardly calls the shots – being no 5 on the list) this is as broadly left-wing a slate as any you are likely to see. The number of active trade unionists on it is impressive. Its a great shame there aren’t one or two Respect councillors or other prominent people on it; that would have broadened it out even more. Though its good to see Nick Wrack and Dave Hill are standing, and the prominent position at the top of the list of Dave Hill in the South East.

Its just obvious this is something positive to be supported. We in Southwark Respect, at least, will be producing and distributing newsletters arguing for support for No2EU, hoping to hold a public meeting, and seeking to promote this important class initiative in whatever way we can, given our limited resources.

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Nick

May 7, 2009 at 9:56 am

To use the term Britain is to make the point that politics in the six counties in the north east part of ireland are a different political entity.
It is for this reason that when the Morning Star reports on political developments in Ireland, irespective of which part of that island they ocur, they appear in the foreign pages.

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Andy Newman

May 7, 2009 at 10:36 am

I am sorry Liam, your argument is a bit weird.

The union between E ngland, wales and Scotland not only has mass popular support, but is deeply embedded in popular consciousness, so that most people self identify to some extent as British even in Scotland, and overwhlemingly so in Wales, England.

As such, elections across the political entity of Britain make perfect sense.

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geography george

May 7, 2009 at 11:24 am

I would suggest that if you use the term Britain to refer to the island of Britain you are not making any point at all, you are stating the bleeding obvious.

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Jim Monaghan

May 7, 2009 at 4:13 pm

See Norman Davies “The Isles” on the debate on what to call these islands of the European coast. Names do have political meanings.
The book is very interesting, a few mistakes but I like the broad sweep. Stronly recommend for a summer read. His stuff on Poland is also good.

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Liam

May 7, 2009 at 4:30 pm

Andy – all sorts of things have mass popular support and I’d be less dogmatic in my choice of language in most contexts. In this context, considering the nature of this site’s readership, I think it is reasonable to use a more politically challenging phrase to describe the place where we live. Given that there are candidates standing in Wales and Scotland I would have used a form of words that acknowledges them as distinct nations.

It’s the same impulse that obliges me to refer to the “Israeli state” and the “north of Ireland”. As Jim says, the names we call things are politically loaded.

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Duncan

May 7, 2009 at 5:06 pm

The most powerful weapon in the arsenal of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.

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Andy Newman

May 7, 2009 at 6:15 pm

Liam

You are missing the point, that British national consciousness exists, in Scotland, Wales and England, in parallel with Scotish, Welsh and english national consciousness, and there is a debate within those three nations over whether to continue with the Bristish union.

In Wales an overwhelming majority support the union, in Scotland the issue is on a knife edge.

As there is no issue of national discrimination(except paradoxically of the English, who are disadvantaged in the British constitution, although perhaps not in reality) then it is not a question of principle to oppose the existance of the union per se.

What is more, for most of the labour movement, the existance of Britain is seen as a good thing, and while I personally am pretty happy about the idea of the break up of Britain, the left unionists like George galloway and the CPB are not manifestly and self evidently wrong, it is a tactical / strategic question.

i don’t know whhy you are taking such a dogmatic approach that is antagonistic to most people from England, scotland and wales.

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Andy Newman

May 7, 2009 at 7:45 pm

Look Liam, i am not being difficult,

I genuinely don’t understand what you position is regarding the nature of the national question with Wales, Scotland and England.

can you explain it?

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Prinkipo Exile

May 7, 2009 at 8:58 pm

Nominations now published. In London as well as major parties there are Greens, No2EU, Socialist Labour Party, SPGB and a candidate for “Tamils against Genocide” protesting against the Sri Lankan government. Scotland has Greens, SSP, No2EU and SLP.

The BNP slogan on the ballot paper will be “Protecting British Jobs”.

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ks

May 7, 2009 at 9:03 pm

all nation states are false constructs, and nearly all are disputed by some group or another, so should we put all nations names in quotation marks???

as socialists we don’t support forcibly encorporating any group of people into a state they don’t want to be a part of, we don’t support any discrimination, and we do support the right of self-determination.

personally ii think that’s enough to hold these positions, and i can’t be bothered to use quotation marks all the time.

KS

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Prinkipo Exile

May 7, 2009 at 9:09 pm

Oh yes and Green Party ballot description in several regions is “Green Party – Say No To Racism”.

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Prinkipo Exile

May 7, 2009 at 9:20 pm

The “Tamils Against Genocide” candidate for the Euro elections in London region is Ms Jan Jananayagam, shown here in a recent interview on Press TV.

http://www.presstv.ir/programs/player/?id=91810

NB you may have to download a Microsoft product (Silverlight) to show the programme – I had no problem with it.

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Dominie

May 7, 2009 at 9:48 pm

Andy

“The union between E ngland, wales and Scotland not only has mass popular support, but is deeply embedded in popular consciousness, so that most people self identify to some extent as British even in Scotland”

Great wee phrase that “most people self identify to some extent as British even in Scotland” – how do I personally identify to some extent as British ?

Andy – re Scottish “mass popular support” for identifying to some extent as British – given a free choice what passport would there be ‘mass popular support ‘ for – Scotitsh or British?

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geography george

May 7, 2009 at 11:11 pm

“It’s the same impulse that obliges me to refer to the “Israeli state” and the “north of Ireland”. ”
Can I ask what this impulse actually means? Do you recognise the existence of the “Israeli state” but not the existence of “Israel”? If that is the case, what particular work is done by this distinction?

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Rustbelt Radical

May 8, 2009 at 3:15 am

Andy,

Doesn’t the existence of a British state necessarily deny the reality of a Welsh or Scottish state? While I agree that the nation state itself is full of contradictions and the quicker we move to toss it on the dung heap the better, alas we’re not there yet, but.a state that a priori denies the possibility of the nations that make it up to self-determination doesn’t deserve the support of democrat, let alone a socialist. Fortunately states come and go. Not even Britain will last forever.

RR

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JimPage

May 8, 2009 at 8:04 am

Had great fun playing “stop the tankie” behind the descriptions of the various front organsiations on this list

How many Stalinists can you spot?

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Doug

May 8, 2009 at 9:15 am

In reply to Jim Page, how about Arthur Scargill’s vanity project and his paper candidates?

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JimPage

May 8, 2009 at 12:24 pm

Doug

SLP canddiates probably 100% tankie, but thats neither here nor there.

I was asking about your tankies, operating under their various Front organsiations named on this list

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Doug

May 8, 2009 at 12:44 pm

Your sectarian sniping on this web-site and elsewhere is wearing a little thin. No2Eu is an organisation made up mainly of RMT, SP and CPB members with some genuinely non-aligned militants. At least you’ve stoppped your pathetic accusations of Popular Frontism, based on the fact that one member of the Liberal Party supports it. Or are you still peddling that?
Stick to sel-indulgent pointless speculation on the Vote 2009 web-site and leave the rest of us to relate to the real world.

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rob

May 8, 2009 at 1:31 pm

Just a question.Why are Tommy Sheridan and Rob Williams not at the top of their respective lists but CP’ers are instead? Doesn’t make sense.
It seems as if the SP/ex-militant are being far too deferential to the CP. God knows why.

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Jim

May 8, 2009 at 2:26 pm

Rob – it’s an electoral alliance, there’s some give and take – in some regions an SP member is top of the list, in others CP, in others RMT.

The key thing is the impressive constellation of socialists, union militants and campaigners that have pledged their support for the campaign.

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rob

May 8, 2009 at 2:40 pm

Yes,but it doesn’t make any sense not to put Sheridan at the top of the list in Scotland. Surely you put the strongest candidate first , not someone most people won’t have heard of?
Same in Wales, surely a militant trade unionist with a lot of credibility should be at the top of the list , not an old CP’er who’s been around for years ( despite his many admirable qualities).

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Will Brown

May 8, 2009 at 5:31 pm

Doesn’t No2EU pander to the latent nationalism of sections of the British working class by posing the entirely false notion that socialism could in some sense be won in Britain alone. The 1945 Labour gvrmnt obviously failed to build a socialist society – (they didn’t try) – so how possibly could No2EU do so in a global economy many times more integrated? The EU may be undemocratic and is certainly capitalist, but it threatens to undermine the British state and the hegemony of the English ruling class. And it certainly poses some threat to the City of London. Does No2EU reflect the views of French and German workers? If not, why not?

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Andy Newman

May 8, 2009 at 7:43 pm

Peronally I support Scottish independence, but opinion polls show still that large numbers of Scots identify themselves as british, and in the independecne referrendum, there will be plenety of unionist voices – who are Scots.

Rustbelt radocal – i have no idea what you are talking about, the existance of Britain is a fact, and the majority of people in most of the nations of Britain currently support the union. the only nation within the union that has no constitutional recognition is England.

if you are trying to construct some narrative of Britan holding togther the union against the wishes of the Poor oppressed welsh and Scots you have a very misguided view of what is going on.

The opponents of independence in Scotland, are other pro-Union Scots. Most English would happily see them go or stay, whatever,

In wales the support for actual independence is very small indeed, and there may not even be a current majority for greater powers for the Assembly.

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Rustbelt Radical

May 8, 2009 at 8:27 pm

Andy

I am perfectly aware of the the levels of support (or lack there of) for Welsh or Scottish independence. I also know that the Welsh and Scottish ruling classes are completely incorporated into British imperialism. We clearly have a different appreciation of the legitimacy of imperialist states. Lot’s of things are facts. Capitalism and imperialism are all too real. It doesn’t mean we accept them. Bowing before states as if they are inviolable or not inherently class constructions will never allow the working class to overcome its current political impasse nor will it help to expand whatever democracy we can wrest under the reality of capitalism and its states.

RR

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Andy Newman

May 8, 2009 at 10:12 pm

well that is all very well, but Liam is making some political point by putting “Britain” in quote marks and then emphasising that this means the “British state”

Does Liam alwats refer to the “USA” and “FRance” in quote marks?

It is not at all clear what Liam’s point is.

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Liam

May 9, 2009 at 6:24 pm

Andy the point of using inverted commas or expressions like “the X state” is to suggest that one disagrees with something significant about that state’s structure or power relationships.

So for example the Israeli State exists. I would rather that it were replaced with a democratic secular Palestinian state. There are three unresolved national questions in the British State. I’d prefer a socialist federation the three rather than two adjuncts to a state controlled from London. Admittedly this is all a bit abstract at the minute but the use of more refined labels for these polities in a forum like this isn’t out of place.

As for France and the United States I tend to leave them as they are but Spanish marxists habitually refer to the Spanish State and I don’t doubt that other visitors can give similar examples from different parts of the world. It’s a way of showing that you don’t necessarily accept the concepts used by the ruling class to describe the world but as I’ve already said these are not terms one would use with a more mainstream audience.

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Neil Wiliams

May 10, 2009 at 11:20 am

ID ” Its a great shame there aren’t one or two Respect councillors or other prominent people on it; that would have broadened it out even more. Though its good to see Nick Wrack and Dave Hill are standing, and the prominent position at the top of the list of Dave Hill in the South East.

Its just obvious this is something positive to be supported. We in Southwark Respect, at least, will be producing and distributing newsletters arguing for support for No2EU”

Well said ID and as small as we are will try to do the same in Milton keynes. But the real shame is that there are not more Respect candidates on this list backed by Respect 100% at national, regional and local level. It does raise the question of which way Respect going – a question that needs ot be answered before the next election.

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Jim Monaghan

May 10, 2009 at 4:22 pm

The question on majorities for or against independence is not straightforward. Outside of commited republicans or Home Rulers in Ireland (around 900 to 1916)I think it was more of a question about what could be achieved. I would say that Republicans expressed what Irish people (the majority) wanted and Home Rulers expressed what Irish People (the majority) though was the maximum could be achieved.Ceannts brother visiting the night before his execution while looking at his brother for the last time had the thought (if they stood a chance wouldn’t we all have been with them)
Eg the majority in Ireland in the Autumn might vote for the Lisbon treaty but it will be “real politic” rather that their real wishes which were expressed last time out.Fear of the recession is the main plank of the pro European Empire people.
I would guess that a lot of Welsh and Scots think independence is Utopian under Capitalism. Under Socialism (not in one country) the relations between peoples will change.I, of course maen Socialism not the big brother chauvenism of the Russian or Chinese variety.

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Jim Monaghan

May 10, 2009 at 4:23 pm

Seperate point. Am I being cynical in seeing something of the alliance to revive Stalinsim in all this?

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