Candidate(s):

Geoff Gay – Nominated by Loughborough Left Unity
Liz Gray – Nominated by Leicester Left Unity
Rob Marsden – Nominated by Shelia Moseley and Alan Story
Mike Scott – Nominated by Nottingham Left Unity
Liz Silver – Nominated by Nottingham Left Unity

Statement(s):

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Geoff Gay
Nominated by Loughborough Left Unity

I have long and varied experience of left political work :  In 1966, as a student, I joined the Communist Party of Great Britain because I decided that it had a realistic programme for achieving Socialism in British conditions. In retrospect, I take the view that, instead of trying to reconcile   internal divisions which were, in reality, irreconcilable, the party should have done then what Left Unity is trying to do now – it should have turned itself into a broad left party. I stuck with that party until its final Congress in 1991. In 1993, I joined the Labour Party, and was a Labour borough councillor from 1999 to 2011. I was close to leaving the Labour Party over Iraq and over education policy. I decided to stay in because the resignation of a councillor would have caused embarrassment. But the final straws  were the appointment of  a  privately-educated person as education spokesperson and the clear signals that Labour would go with the Tories’ quasi-privatisation of publicly-funded education – so I resigned in late 2013, so facilitating work in Left Unity.

Since starting work in 1969 teaching in comprehensive schools, I have been an active member of the National Union of Teachers. I was given early retirement from teaching in 2000. Since then, I have continued to teach part-time, and currently work for the Open University. I am still very active in the Leicestershire NUT association . I represent the association on the Leicester and District Trades Union Council and the Union’s Midlands regional council and go from there to Midlands TUC.

I have always taken the view that the struggle for a better democracy and for socialism are closely bound together. Therefore, I am an active member of the Leicester group of Unlock Democracy and a member of the Electoral Reform Society. I have also been an active participant in the left pressure group Compass. Although I have no intention of dropping those activities, I  now wish to put more emphasis on working both locally and nationally to build and make a success of the Left Unity project.

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Liz Gray
Nominated by Leicester Left Unity

I am not, and have never been, a member of any ‘tendency’ and have previously never been a member of any political party, though I am a long-time member of CND.  My politics are Green/feminist/socialist and I believe strongly the Left Unity needs to live up to its name and be both Left and united if it is to provide an effective opposition to the status quo.  I have strengths in building consensus and seeing other points of view and will always aim to work towards consensus rather than pushing a particular point of view.

I am a writer and poet and I feel that the arts have an important contribution to make to the debate, particularly as left Unity was sparked off by a film. I teach and practise yoga and peace is an important part of my life.  Dogma leaves me cold: my vision is of a society where people care for one another and no-one is left out.

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Rob Marsden
Nominated by Shelia Moseley and Alan Story

I am a member of Leicester LU and have worked in that city, for the NHS, for a little over 20 years. I live in Tamworth with my partner and 7 year old son. I have an older son and a step-daughter who are both students.

I have been active in the socialist movement, on and off, for 26 years and in that time I have been involved at some level with all the various attempts to bring together a serious party of the left.

I want to see a party which is broad and pluralist with ecological and feminist values at its core. We need to be an activist party- committed to working hard in campaigns and in our communities whilst being open and welcoming to new people. Whatever their level of commitment, we must aim to unlock the creative potential of all our members.

It is vital that Left Unity projects itself as a credible, principled alternative able to speak the language of ordinary people, to express complex ideas in easy to understand ways and to inspire people with a vision worth fighting for.

We need to make full use of new technology and social media to get our ideas across to the generations born after the miners strike or the fall of the Berlin Wall- indeed to those who were born whilst Blair was in office and who share few of the political points of reference us older hands might take for granted.

I can do a bit of rabble-rousing if and when the occasion calls for it. I was instrumental in forming the Hands Off Tamworth Schools anti-academies campaign a few years ago. We made a big splash locally and I eventually ran as a County Council candidate whilst acting as election agent for the five other candidates. However, you are more likely to find me doing a bit of behind-the-scenes, low key admin work with the membership database or producing a few badges for local groups…

I am not currently a supporter of any platform within Left Unity. I am a member of Socialist Resistance.

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Mike Scott
Nominated by Nottingham Left Unity

I am standing as one of the East Midlands reps to the National Council because I passionately want LU to succeed and want to continue the work I’ve been doing over the past eighteen months to help make this happen.

I have a long history of involvement with local campaigns of all sorts and have always operated on the basis that I will work with anyone who will work with me! As a former Trade Union Organiser, I will use my contacts to build close relations with Unions and Trades Councils wherever possible. I am not a member of any other political party, group or faction and have no hidden agendas or ulterior motives – I just want Left Unity to develop into a mass party that can draw in and represent everyone who feels marginalised and discriminated against. I have been really impressed with our ability to attract people who would never have felt comfortable joining any other party: this is what we are all about!

In the last eighteen months, I have:

• Got the Nottingham branch up and running
• Been the branch rep on the TNC and attended every meeting
• Helped ensure that all meetings aren’t held in London!
• Written the national Media Guidelines for branches and represented LU on the BBC Politics Show
• Been appointed as Joint Convenor of the Education Policy Commission and contributed to several others
• Helped write the LU Constitution and insisted that subscriptions be kept low enough that no-one would be excluded and a fixed proportion of subs would go to branches automatically
• Designed leaflets for our branch and successfully proposed a national online Library of Publicity Material, so that other branches don’t have to start from scratch
• Proposed a national Working Party on forward planning for LU, so we can develop a clear plan of action for the future

I promise you that I will take the views of branches to the National Council and report back on a regular basis, including attending your meetings in person.

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Liz Silver
Nominated by Nottingham Left Unity

I have been involved with LU and setting up the Nottingham Branch since the original national LU meeting last May. I believe we need to build LU as a socialist party which is fair, inclusive and non-discriminatory. One which will work towards a society where people can earn a living wage, have enough money to live on whatever their age or background, are not dumped on the scrapheap, which has accessible education and a green environment.

I have been an activist in a number of campaigning organisations for many years. These include organisations of disabled people working towards rights and facilities for disabled people to live independently and as they choose. I am also involved with CND, anti-poverty groups, was on the management committee of a local community resource centre for a number of years and have been involved in producing a community newspaper. I am a trade union member and involved in my branch. I am not a member of any other political party.

I would like to be involved with developing Left Unity and as one of the East Midlands regional reps, feel I could make a positive contribution by bringing my experience to the National Council. I would want to take the views of East Midlands branches to the NC as needed and would be able to feedback as well. I believe that listening to others is important, alongside contributing to discussion.

I would be happy to talk to anyone wanting to find out more about my views. My contact details are liz.silver@phonecoop.coop , 07855 713241.