“The election campaign for Labour will focus on building a new Britain – one with full employment, a real living wage and advanced workers’ rights.”
Laura Smith MP
We exclusively publish below Laura Smith MP’s passionate speech from the recent #ToriesOut demonstration in Manchester.
I stand here today with you not just as a member of parliament for Crewe and Nantwich. Not just as someone who has dedicated her life to the Labour Party. Not just as a fighter for socialism in this country…. But as a mother to two children. As a daughter to two pensioners. As a friend to too many people whose lives are made unnecessarily difficult due to political choices made by this government. As a member of a community where austerity’s impact is clear for all to see.
Like you I’m furious. Like you I’m worried about what the future looks like.
Many people have switched off from politics-fed up of politicians and the games that they play. And comrades there are games being played on all sides.
Brexit has polarised our country — we have a Prime Minister who is revelling in the division that we see — we have others fuelling an “identity politics” that is distracting us from being the transformative movement we need to be
If that result was anything, it was a resounding demand for change by those who benefitted the least from our economic status quo. Ordinary people up and down the country have seen what this status quo has done to their workplaces – their communities – their families.
The next general election campaign for Labour will focus on building a new Britain, one with full employment, a real living wage and advanced workers’ rights.
Public ownership and progressive taxation would be just a couple of tools used to distribute both wealth and power fairly.
Full collective bargaining coverage would ensure that no workplace or community was left behind.
Well-funded public services would be run in the public interest and not for profit.
Racism and fascism would be decimated, not least by stamping out the conditions in which they thrive.
This new Britain would not follow the US blindly on imperialist crusades in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world.
Brothers and Sisters-you will never see this happen under the Tories. You will never see this from the Liberal Democrats, who walked hand in hand to pave the way for austerity.
The power is with you. The change can come from us. We must not waste this opportunity. We will regret it for ever more if we try and cling on to the status quo.
So let’s be the movement that we’ve always been. The movement that my Pappa joined to stand shoulder to shoulder with his mining comrades. In the words of Tony Benn- toughen up, bloody toughen up.
Brothers and sisters we can do this and we will do this.
It will be a long and painful journey.
We’re going to have to dig deep and discover just how much fight we’ve got.
But every time it gets tough, I take one look at my kids.
I think about the care worker juggling two jobs and visiting a food bank.
And I think to myself: we’re made of tougher stuff – and that’s why we’ll win.
We have no choice but to.
In 2017 with Jeremy’s positive message and an army of activists we were able to unseat a Tory Minister by just 48 votes [in Crewe and Nantwich.]
Boris wants that seat back-it’s right up there as the target seat-because we don’t get a Labour government without Crewe and Nantwich.
Don’t let him take it back. These crowds need to descend on Crewe and Nantwich-My hometowns- and show them they’re not having it back – and we are going to get a Labour Government.
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