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DUMBARTON: Scottish TUSC's Lynda McEwan calls for Socialism at Hustings

Updated: Apr 22, 2022


In a Barnstorming speech at the Clydebank TUC hustings the working class fighter makes the case for electing a anti-cuts socialist councillor in May. Her speech is below:


"Comrades we are in the midst of a cost of living crisis where we and our families are in the fight of our lives. Even energy bosses like EON estimate 40% of people will be in fuel poverty by November.

I’m standing as a socialist candidate because the chaos of the capitalist system holds no answers for working class people. I grew up in the Vale and now live in Dumbarton, areas with a proud working class, socialist tradition. In the 1930’s working class people, led by socialists, struggled against the means test and vicious bosses. There are many lessons from then for our battles today. As a socialist councillor I would not just vote against all cuts and propose no cuts budgets, I would organise mass working class struggle to defend and transform, our communities.

TUSC is a coalition based on community campaigners and trade unionists like the RMT trade union, who I stood with a few weeks ago at Cairnryan against the brutal sacking of the P and O Ferry workers. It was created to fight against Tory austerity following the global, financial crisis of 2008 and is needed now more than ever.

I also have stood with teachers striking in West Dunbartonshire against the cuts of the previous Labour council as I have stood with the joint trade unions in their successful campaign against the cuts to trade union facility time by the current SNP administration.

I’m a campaigner against gender based violence and have organised demonstrations on this in the Vale and Dumbarton. Domestic violence increased by almost 140% from April to August in 2020 in West Dunbartonshire and despite heroic levels of workers working from home to provide frontline service, years of cuts and a slow response to the pandemic inevitably led to women and children being trapped in violent relationships with no means of escape.

Child poverty has increased, with over a quarter of all children in West Dunbartonshire living on the breadline, as has the number of people claiming benefits and relying on foodbanks.

Who else will propose a no cuts budget based on our needs as working class communities demanding and fighting for funding from Westminster and Edinburgh?

If I’m not elected, you’ll see me anyway on every trade union picket line fighting for above inflation pay increases and on demonstrations.

In our campaign we are going door to door signing people up who want to join a mass campaign to defend my neighbours and yours from fuel poverty and evictions.

So I would urge you to vote number one in Dumbarton ward for an anti cuts socialist who will fight for mass investment in public services, the building of high quality council housing and the nationalisation of the energy companies."

Lynda is standing for Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition in Dumbarton.

Find out about Lynda's campaign here:

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