Candidates:

Tina Becker (Sheffield LU)
Nominated by Michael Copestakeand (Sheffield LU), Lee Rock (Sheffield LU)

Kath Owen (North and East Leeds LU)
Nominated by Fran Belbin (Sheffield LU), James Rooney (Sheffield LU), Patrick Black (Sheffield LU),  Melanie Griffiths (Huddersfield LU), Geoff Holliday (Huddersfield LU), Keith Nathan (Bradford LU). Terry Gallogly (York LU), Matthew Caygill (North and East Leeds LU)

Statements:

Tina Becker (Sheffield LU)
Nominated by Michael Copestakeand (Sheffield LU), Lee Rock (Sheffield LU)

I am standing because:

• Other parts of the region should be represented (the other two reps are from West Yorkshire).
• There should be a better flow of information to the branches. I would produce detailed minutes of meetings.

I hope Left Unity will become:

•  a pole of attraction for new layers of the working class.
•   a mass socialist party that openly seeks to bring about the end of capitalism and its replacement by the rule of the working class.
•   an organisation that helps to unite the existing left and its various anti-cuts campaigns, as our division is weakening our forces and many people are put off from joining yet “another sect”.
•    an organisation where different views are welcomed and openly debated and where we don’t split up branches along political lines (as happened in Leeds).

If elected to the national committee, I would in particular campaign for:

• All LU bodies should be thoroughly democratic and accountable. The open exchange of the various ideas in LU, in front of the working class.
• In order for the working class to take over the running of society, we need extreme democracy: annual elections, the abolition of the monarchy, the secret state apparatus etc.
•  As an immigrant myself (who’s spent most of her adult life in Britain), I believe LU should actively campaign for everybody to have the right to live and work wherever they choose and participate fully on all levels of society.
• The reworking of the complex and contradictory constitution and the replacement of the proposed safe space policy with a simpler code of conduct.

About me:

•    I live in Sheffield, work as a journalist and have a 9 months old daughter (probably the youngest person at both LU conferences!).
•    I am a founder member of Hands Off the People of Iran, which campaigns against sanctions and military action on Iran and is in active solidarity with the Iranian people, against the theocracy.
•     I am a member of the NUJ, DIE LINKE party and the Communist Platform in LU.

tina@cpgb.org.uk, 07941 083 111

Kath Owen (North and East Leeds LU)
Nominated by Fran Belbin (Sheffield LU), James Rooney (Sheffield LU), Patrick Black (Sheffield LU),  Melanie Griffiths (Huddersfield LU), Geoff Holliday (Huddersfield LU), Keith Nathan (Bradford LU). Terry Gallogly (York LU), Matthew Caygill (North and East Leeds LU)

Building Left Unity
I want to build Left Unity into a broad, socialist party. We need to engage with groups and individuals who share our aims in a non sectarian manner.

Left Unity must intervene in crucial battles including : welfare (health, housing, education, social security) trade union rights, tackling corporate power, defending and extending liberty and promoting democratic rights.

We must maintain our safe spaces mechanisms and break down the barriers to involvement, to be accessible to all.  Remaining relevant to all communities we need to develop our politics around women’s issues and those of the LGBTQ, disabled, black and migrant communities.

We must be environmentally sustainable in our actions and politics, tackling the climate change deniers and finding new ways of engaging with the green movement.

The time is right for a new politics of the working class and voice for anti – austerity campaigns. Left Unity can answer both of these calls.  I was re-energised by Spirit of ’45 to not just fight the ‘negative’, but to positively work for our version of society.

Political background

My politics are socialist- feminist and I have been involved in a number of campaigns over the year including students, peace, women’s rights, opposing fascists and opposing cuts. Working alongside a number of left wing groups and campaigns I am not a member of any other political party than Left Unity.

Active trade unionist

I am a workplace rep for UNISON (all comments in personal capacity) in higher education. I am an effective regional rep to the HE national committee, taking a lead on the pensions and pay disputes in recent months. I support the broad left section in my union.

In my spare time….

Involved in the committee of my local running club, you can often find me racing around West Yorkshire.

If you have any questions please get in touch on kathowen2002@yahoo.co.uk