by Ryan Leonard, Hillingdon Socialist Party
Hillingdon Trades Council organised a preliminary meeting to discuss “Can socialists and the Green Party find common ground to take on Reform and establishment parties in the May council elections”, with speakers from the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) and the Green Party. Members of the trades council had also invited a speaker from Your Party but got no response.
Photo: Amnon Cohen
The desperate need for a left-wing force to stem the tide of Reform and block further local cuts, whoever the cuts are being administered by, was mentioned by many in the meeting. We highlighted the need for any electoral agreement going forward to be based on a clear political agreement. Socialist Party members called on Green Party candidates to themselves commit to fighting local government austerity and sign the petition calling on Zack Polanski to insist that all Green candidates and existing councillors should do the same.
The Green Party speaker didn’t directly address the issue and refused to commit to a no-cuts budget. The meeting had differences of opinion.
Campaigners in Hillingdon have very real fears about the reputational damage allying with the Greens could have if they help to push through cuts. At the same time, Reform is a growing threat in the area.
The central question, as yet unanswered, is: can Green candidates be won to building a fightback against austerity in Hillingdon and against the government?