Hackney Central, May 2006

Students: Walking the walk

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By Daniel Randall, national union of students executive

MY Labour Students colleagues on the NUS National Executive Committee (along with several of the “Independents”) spent much of their time during the local election campaigns in Tower Hamlets, trying to stop Respect from getting elected. Fair enough - Blairite activists will campaign for Blairite candidates, although why they thought fighting Respect in Tower Hamlets was a more important use of their time than fighting the BNP in Barking and Dagenham is somewhat beyond me.

A strong socialist vote in Hackney

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Janine Booth and Charlie MacDonald, Workers' Liberty members standing as Socialist Unity candidates in Hackney Central ward on 4 May, received 260 and 161 votes - roughly 11% and 7%, depending on how you calculate it in a three-seat ward. Despite a doubling of the Tory vote on the back of the national Tory revival, Janine beat all three Tory candidates. She received almost the same vote as in 2002, when she won 271 votes as a Socialist Alliance candidate.

Hackney Central election result

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A really good result for us in Hackney. I got 260 (11%), Charlie got 161 (7%). I beat the Tories. Full result below.

We have held up the socialist vote from four years ago despite the sad demise of the Socialist Alliance (and despite extensive gentrification of the ward, and the Labour council not making any cuts this year).

4-page leaflet sets out local election platform

Socialist Unity campaigners are delivering this leaflet to every voter in Hackney Central ward. It presses home the point that our candidates are socialist campaigners standing up for working-class interests, with comments on local issues from schools to mobile phone masts.

Click 'download' to look at, download and/or print it.

The campaign won’t be over when it’s over!

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The Socialist Unity campaign in Hackney Central — where AWL members Janine Booth and Charlie MacDonald are standing — isn’t just about winning votes. We want to help working-class people in Hackney organise to fight back against attacks from their employers, their landlords and the government. And there are certainly plenty of attacks to fight.