Anti-War Candidate Forum: For An Anti-War Government! South Tyneside Stop the War Coalition on Tuesday, March 2, hosted an Anti-War Candidate Forum. The discussion was held within the context that the fight for an anti-war government has started, and that the electorate must make preparations to block the plans to elect another pro-war government.
Anti-War Candidate Roger Nettleship standing For an Anti-War Govnernment, Shirley Ford, the South Shields Green Party candidate, attended. The Chair introduced the discussion by saying the forum was not a hustings, but it was about the candidates against the war uniting. Roger Nettleship’s full contribution is linked below. He stressed the importance of the intervention and development of an anti-war bloc in the political life of the country in the fight for an anti-war government. He spoke about the anti-war programme which has been developed in the region, and about the racism of the British state and how that operated.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband, parachuted into South Shields some time ago to fast-track him to government office, is one of the main players of the pro-war party system. This underlines the importance of electing worker politicians, and other alternative candidates in alliance with small parties, as the emergence of the new in opposition to the big party system.
Shirley Ford spoke more in answer to questions and said that it was important that the forces worked together. She said that it could be said that having two candidates might split the progressive vote, but in her view the crucial issue was that of working together to broaden the opposition, since the small parties and other candidates are not at the point of winning the election in this appalling undemocratic situation. She explained some of the Green Party's policies against the war, on jobs, minimum and maximum wages, etc., and their tactics in the national and local elections.
Both contributions were received very warmly and actively commented on by those present.
In the general discussion, it was made clear that the South Tyneside Stop The War Coalition would support both candidates, as well as the Green Party candidate in Jarrow and any other genuine anti-war candidates that emerged, and that the campaigns of Roger Nettleship and Shirley Ford could complement each other in a practical way. A number of suggestions were discussed on how this might happen. The next step would be to work out how this could proceed with each discussing this with their campaign committees.
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