Local election candidates offer a Socialist alternative

national | politics / elections | news report Thursday April 21, 2005 20:14 by SP - Socialist Party

SP stand 4 candidates in Northern local elections

The Socialist Party is running four candidates in the 2005 local elections this May. They will be standing on an anti-sectarian, anti-water charges, anti-racism, anti-privatisation and pro-working class unity ticket. This May, vote for a socialist alternative to the rule of big business and religious sectariansim!

Paul Dale - Enniskillen Town

Paul Dale is the candidate in the Enniskillen ward of Fermanagh Council. Paul, who is married with three children and works in County Buildings, Enniskillen, is an active trade unionist. He sits on the executive of his union, NIPSA, and is a leading member of Fermanagh Trades Council.

Paul has a proud record of fighting for the interests of working people in Fermanagh. He has led campaigns against job losses, pension cuts, education cuts and low pay. Paul was an organiser of the local trade union rallies against sectarian killings and the recent campaign against the war in Iraq.

Tommy Black - Belfast Pottinger

Tommy Black is standing in the Pottinger ward in Belfast. Tommy lives in the Bloomfield area and is a caretaker in Ashfield Girls' High School. He is an executive member of his union, NIPSA, representing education workers. He is Chair of the East Belfast "Water Charges, We Won't Pay" Campaign.

Jim Barbour - Belfast Laganbank

Jim Barbour is running for Belfast Council in the Laganbank ward. As well as being the South Belfast organiser of the Water Charges We Won't Pay Campaign, Jim is the outspoken local leader of the firefighters' union, the FBU. Jim has defended the jobs and conditions of his members and defended the fire service from cuts and privatisation.

Harry Hutchinson - Cookstown Central

Our candidate in Cookstown Central is 45 year old Harry Hutchinson. Harry is a nursing assistant in Muckamore Abbey Hospital. He is secretary of the local TGWU branch and has been active in a number of campaigns over the years. In the late 1980's and early 1990's he organised strikes and demonstrations against sectarian killings in the area. He has long campaigned to protect acute services at the Mid-Ulster Hospital.