THE PEOPLES CHARTER

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: april 2010 :: RMTnews 9 RMT Parliamentary Group and other Labour candidates and contact details Name Constituency Election Agent Contact Details Abbott, Diane Hackney North & Stoke Newington Eseoghene Okonedo Pre-election 020 7219 4426; during 07909074340; dianeabbottelection2010@hotmail.co.uk Clark, Katy North Ayrshire and Arran Gordon Mckay 01505 684127; gandjamckay@aol.com Corbyn, Jeremy Islington North Mark Ferguson 07772 364925/0207 272 3889 islingtonlabourorganiser@googlemail.com Davidson, Ian Glasgow South West Tommy Morrison 07825 521269; thomas.m.morrison@btinternet.com Dismore, Andrew Hendon Anna Coffey 0208 202 2145; 07973679032 admin@hendonlabourparty.com annacoffey@gmail.com Drew, David Stroud Jonathan Ellenor 01453 840080; jd.ellenor@hotmail.co.uk Flynn, Paul Newport West Fern Coster 01633 262348; newportwest@hotmail.co.uk 07870358650 Hoey, Kate Vauxhall Kevin Craig kevin.craig@plmr.co.uk Hopkins, Kelvin Luton North Francis Steer 01582 730764 francis@kelvinhopkinsmp.com McDonnell, John Hayes and Harlington John Holmes 020 8569 0160; jholmes1946@btinternet.com McGovern, Jim Dundee West Jenny Marra 07973982283, jennymarra@hotmail.com; Platts, Nancy Brighton Pavilion David Arnold 07790 453458 davidcsarnold1@yahoo.com Prosser, Gwyn Dover & Deal Martyn Errington 01304 201199; martyn@doverdeal-clp.new.labour.org.uk contact@doverdeal-labour.org.uk Riordan, Linda Halifax Martin Burton 07979 715524; martinburton143@btinternet.com Singh, Marsha Bradford West Paul Meszlaros 07745 860599; marsha4bradwest@yahoo.co.uk 01274 402220; 3rd Floor, 76 Kirkgate, BD1 1SZ Smith, Geraldine Morecambe & Lunesdale Phil Farrell 01772 321879(h)/01524 411368(w); philip.farrell423@btinternet.com Turner, Karl Kingston Upon Hull East Howard Flitton 07852925120; howardflitton@live.com Sarah Evans Hampshire North West Alan Lotter 07941 227 757; sarah.evans54@btinternet.com John Morgan Rutland and Melton T he Royal Bank of Scotland was estimated to be the biggest bank in the world in 2007. According to ‘The Banker’ magazine it was worth $3.8 Trillion. It lost 91% of its assets by the end of the crunch in 2009. To stop its managers crashing the bank, New Labour bought up its shares and now we own 84% of it. We own it - and last financial year (2008/9) RBS made £1 billion profit. It is paying out £1.3 billion in bonuses to its managers. Richard Lambert the Director of the CBI quoted figures from Income Data Services at the end of March. Chief Executives of Companies went from 47 times average pay in 2000 to 81 times average pay by 2010. (They have a way to go. In the US in 2008 Chief Excecs were paid 319 times average wages.) Now the election has started with an argument between the three main parties about how hard and how fast to cut worker’s wages and squeeze the public sector (Except, it seems, the public sector’s latest members, the managers of Northern Rock, most of RBS and half of Lloyds TSB.) This is madness. It would be laughable if it were not a declaration of war on every aspect of working class life. When RMT and the FBU led the way to setting up the Peoples Charter in November 2008, we wanted to help create a mass movement that could argue for, campaign about and come together around a set of mainly economic principles – which show how a fair society could be built. Today there was never such a desperate need. The situation could not be clearer. Instead of using the new resources that the state has had to take over to lead the creation of a new economy, the main parties want a return to the bad old ways as soon as possible. In 1945 when Labour took over the failing industries of coal, rail, transport, steel etc., they did not plan to hand them back. These were the drivers of Britain’s future economy. They were obviously unsafe in the greed merchant’s hands. The same is doubly true now of Britain’s finance industry. The managers of Britain’s finance industry led the international charge that nearly tipped the world off a cliff last year. And New Labour, the Tories and the Liberals want to restore the status quo as quickly as possible. In order to return to the status quo everybody else, except the bankers and the super rich, will have to pay. A vast shift of wealth, including social wealth (pensions, health etc) is to be shifted to the rich in order to set the economic clock back to 2007. This will be the biggest robbery of the poor in a century. The Charter sets out guidelines for a new economy. It can bring together all those who now have to battle for their jobs, living standards, to keep hospital wards open and to stop polluters. The Charter is designed for all those who have to fight back so that they can make common cause – so that they can see that there IS an alternative. The Charter is a potential home for those inside and outside the unions; for those who are battling with the rise of the BNP to those who fight to protect their pensions. Our campaign for a new economy will help feed the struggle for the new politics we desperately need. We aim first for a million signatures. Use the website ‘thepeoplescharter.com’. Join every left union, the TUC and thousands of activists; sign up today – and find out how you can get more involved. Pat Sikorski THE PEOPLES CHARTER