Simon Hardy, Left Unity candidate for Vauxhall

Simon Hardy will be standing as Left Unity’s candidate in Vauxhall in the General Election.

Simon, 33, lives in Lambeth and works as a teacher and an NUT rep in a secondary school in West London. He has been active in the socialist and anti-war movement for 15 years.

“I am standing because after five years of austerity and neoliberalism, we urgently need arguments that put working people and the poor first. Why have we given over a trillion pounds to the banks but we are slashing public services, wages and benefits?”

Simon was impressed by the recent elections in Greece. “I went with members of Left Unity to see Syriza’s victory in Greece, the first left party to be elected in Europe on an anti-austerity agenda. Syriza is campaigning to cut the debt and save jobs and wages. We launched Left Unity because we need a party like Syriza. Labour won’t fight the cuts or stand up for working people.

“The election of Syriza in Greece is an inspiration. People standing up and electing an anti-austerity government that is reversing privatisation and blaming the bosses not immigrants is an example we should follow.”

With the top 1% in our society owning as much wealth as the bottom 55%, with wages stagnant and a huge growth in zero hour contracts, a housing shortage crisis and the rise of UKIP, Left Unity wants to put forward an alternative.

“I’m a socialist. I see every day how the current economic system is destroying lives and wrecking communities. I want a system where the majority run the economy, not an elitist minority of the rich.”

Left Unity is standing to make the case that Labour isn’t standing up for working people, for the poorest in our society. Simon and the local Lambeth branch want to build a campaign that – no matter who is elected – we will still be here to help build the struggle to save services and our living standards. We want your vote, but we also want you to get in touch and get involved to build a left party that can turn the tide.

Our Facebook page for the campaign is here.

We will be leafleting on Saturday 21 February at 11am outside Stockwell tube. Click here to say you are attending.