After hearing that socialist campaigner and journalist Paul Foot was standing in the election for the Socialist Alliance, senior Millbank officials approached Mo Mowlam, who recently moved to Hackney, to stand as the Labour candidate. As reported in today’s Independent, she had no hesitation in turning them down.

 http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=328716

A victory by Paul Foot, a lifelong socialist, would be the most serious defeat yet for New Labour following the upsets in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough in May. “Blair and co. want elected mayors so that they can deal directly with yet more of their cronies,” said Paul Foot. “But they have two problems. First, their crony has to be elected. Second, if a socialist mayor is elected, he or she will be able to use their position and popular mandate to initiate socialist policies and revitalise local democracy.

“This opens out genuinely exciting prospects for all those who are heartily fed up with the cronyism, elitism and corporatist priorities of the New Labour government and local councils.” Foot, 64, is standing on a platform of strong opposition to any war on Iraq, against privatisation, for the restoration of good public services, for the immediate building of two new comprehensive schools in Hackney, for trade union rights and in defence of asylum seekers.

Liz Davies, national chair of the Socialist Alliance says, “As a Hackney resident I’m glad my neighbours and I can vote for a candidate who’s standing up against cutting public services, won’t march in step with big business and will run a council that won’t flog its assets as well as being someone who takes a principled campaign against any war against Iraq.”

Paul's Manifesto:

- There is strong local antipathy to Hackney council, which is led by Labour's mayoral candidate Jules Pipe. Jules Pipe is currently on holiday.

- For an urgent programme to provide two new secular co-educational comprehensive schools in Hackney

- For an immediate halt to the sell-off of council house sales, for improving the present stock, and for building many more of them

- For a campaign to root out racism and corruption in the police

- Against Hackney Council’s rotten record of privatisation and cuts to vital services

- Against the government’s shocking treatment of asylum seekers

- Against Bush and Blair’s war on Iraq

 http://www.hackneysa.net/