The Triangle is an adventure playground located in the Ashmole estate near the Oval cricket ground. It serves three local estates, and is one of the few spaces left in a densely populated area for young people to gather. The Triangle is a welcome meeting spot and is supervised after school hours.
But recently it has come under threat because of a tussle between the nearby Archbishop Tenison school and the Triangle Adventure Playground Association, which runs the space. Campaigners have been quizzing the Vauxhall candidates on their attitude towards the playground.
Friday 30 April 2010
Vauxhall election: Unity can save the Triangle
Latin American hustings: English lessons, citizenship and recognition
I attended the London-wide Latin American hustings for the Spanish and Portuguese speaking communities in South Bank University last night. A hundred people turned up for a lively debate. Candidates from all the main parties and the Greens, as well as myself and a few independents, were on hand to answer questions.
The topics that came up time often were the lack of free English lessons for migrant workers, the burning need for migrants to obtain a legal right to stay in the UK and the desire for official recognition for Latin Americans.
Thursday 29 April 2010
Labour and trade unions must challenge immigration myths
This article has been posted on the Workers Power website, and I think it really demonstrates some of the hypocrisy demonstrated by the main three parties.
The so-called ‘Bigotgate’ scandal – resulting from Brown’s comments after talking to an anti-immigration Labour voter – reveals a lot about how the mainstream parties all deal with the ‘immigration issue’.
If you look at the full transcript of Gordon Brown’s exchange with Mrs Duffy it’s clear that she is pretty typical Labour voter, frustrated with its failure to stand up for working people over the last thirteen years. With the recession having brought mass unemployment, cuts to workers’ pay and our public services, and with the mass media conducting a campaign against migrants, many people are now mistakenly blaming migrants for the effects of the economic crisis.
St Mark’s hustings: the MP Candidates Debate
On Tuesday evening, nearly 200 people packed the Vauxhall parliamentary hustings in St Mark’s Church, Kennington Oval, to hear and question seven candidates: Kate Hoey (Labour), Caroline Pidgeon (Lib Dem), Glyn Chambers (Tory), Joseph Healey (Greens), Jim Kapetanos (Animal Protection League), Daniel Lambert (SPGB) and myself.
It was a lively, wide-ranging and revealing debate. At times it was also entertaining – most people learned more from it and enjoyed it more than they did the Prime Ministerial debates on TV.
General election hustings in Vauxhall: My policies for the borough
Here is my introduction at the hustings outlining my policies in a couple of minutes.
General election hustings in Vauxhall: why i am a socialist
I attended the hustings on Tuesday at St Mark's Church, Oval, Lambeth. See below for various reports. Here is a video of me speaking to the question "What is your moral compass". This was a question asked by the vicar after the introductions, which is all fine as he was the one who set the evening up.
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Vauxhall election: Local bloggers report hustings success for anticapitalists
I went to St Mark's Church hustings for the Vauxhall election in Oval last night. At least two hundred people turned up to hear the debate, with the church full almost to capacity.
The main three parties were all present along with some other candidates – from the Socialist Party of Great Britain, the Animal Liberation Party, and the Greens.
Local bloggers and journalists have kindly commented on how I put forward a strong Anticapitalist message for socialism.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
'Abolishing the system of war, the capitalist system'
Thanks to Sally, there is now a video of my summing up to the Stop the War hustings in Brixton.
Monday 26 April 2010
Vauxhall election: Anticapitalists announce 3rd May Rally
The Anticapitalist Challenge in the Election - Mon 3 May 2010, 5pm
Mon 3 May 5pm | Facebook
King George Conference Centre
40 Stockwell Road
London SW9 9ES
ALL WELCOME – creche facilities and refreshments will be provided
Vauxhall election: Anticapitalists take to streets
Saturday saw an excellent canvassing session round many different estates in South London.
Accompanied by a car with a loudspeaker, we also spoke to many people on the doorsteps who are fed up with the capitalist parties and their funding of the bankers' greed.
The day went extremely well for us. We met several dozen new supporters, as well as a number of Labour supporters who agreed with our arguments. We distributed lots of papers, leaflets and manifestos in Stockwell Gardens, Springfield and Mawbey Brough.
Sunday 25 April 2010
Rich get richer by 30% in a year: more thoughts on the Rich List
The Sunday Times Rich List is published today and, guess what, the rich have just got richer. The collective wealth of the thousand richest individuals increased in 2009 by £77.265 billion to £335.5 billion.
This is the biggest leap in the 22 years the Rich List has been compiled and proves what the Anticapitalists have been saying throughout the election – the super-rich have profited from the crisis they themselves caused, while the rest of us have lost pay, pension entitlements, jobs and homes.
Saturday 24 April 2010
Multimillionaires' wealth soar in record-breaking rise
All three main parties have stated that they will make savage cuts to our services and public sector job to pay for the trillion pounds of our money given to bailout the banks.
Now the Sunday Times reveals that Britain's top 1,000 wealthiest people have had a very good year. Their combined wealth rose to £335 billion, up £77 billion on 2009. This is the biggest increase in the 22 years of the Sunday Times' Rich List.
Lambeth College to strike against cuts
Eleven London colleges, including Lambeth, have voted to strike on 5 May in protest at the Labour government’s decimation of further education. I give my full support to the staff in their action and urge students, parents and the community to come out in their support, too.
Friday 23 April 2010
Saturday canvassing
Those wanting to help with the Anticapitalist candidate in Vauxhall can come along to the
Bear Pub
296 Camberwell New Road (The Camberwell Green end)
SE5 ORP
at noon on Saturday. We will then split up around the constituency.
Thanks
Two new videos
I have posted a couple more videos on You tube. A better version of my speech at the Latin Amercian hustings a couple of weeks ago. And one from the STW husitngs earlier this week, this time me speaking on Iran
You can find them here with the others
Thursday 22 April 2010
Meet The Candidate
The Anticapitalists are holding the first of our "Meet the Candidate" surgeries tonight:
6:30 – 8:00pm
Montgomery Hall
Kennington Oval
SE11
If you are unsure of where Montgomery Hall is, turn left from the Oval tube exit, swtay on the same side of the road, start to go round the Oval and you will find it immediately after the Oval Theatre and the "White House".
Please come along and bring your friends and neighbours.
Wednesday 21 April 2010
Support the Palestinians
Here is me speaking at the Stop the War hustings on support for the Palestinians. I have been to Palestine with the International Solidarity Movement and my union branch, Unison, in Lambeth has done some excellent work over the issue. I also support the six demands of the Palestine Solidarity Committee.
Stop the War hustings video links
Following on from brief report yesterday, here are a couple of video clips of me speaking at the hustings on Monday night. Also see below for an audio boo link of the evening aswell
First one is where I call for troops out of Afghanistan now.
Tuesday 20 April 2010
Stop the war hustings Brixton
Fifty antiwar activists and Stop the War Coalition supporters came to the Brix in St Mattews Church, Brixton to hear candidates' policies on Britain's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I was invited and gave a five-minute introductory speech, along with the Green, SPGB and LIb Dem candidates. But there was no sign of Labour (who simply sent emails declaring that they were against the war in Iraq, but were not in favour of pulling the troops out of Afghanistan) or Conservatives.
My message of troops get out now, solidarity with the Palestinians and spending the money on jobs, homes and services rather than banks, bullets and bombs went down very well.
Saturday 17 April 2010
A Vauxhall view on my candidature
Local blogger Jason Cobb interviewed me last night. I posted the link to the interview yesterday (see below).
You can read his thoughts on the interview and on the election in Vauxhall on his onionbag blog
Thanks to Jason for giving me the time.
Blue, open skies and the BA strikers
What a beautiful day, sun shining bright and the sky a lovely deep blue free of clouds and aircraft.
The drifting dust from the Icelandic volcano has again grounded all air travel in the UK and Europe.
The media are full of stories of plucky individuals trying to travel abroad and of people enjoying the Sun and clear blue skies. I heard interviews on TV with residents who live below flight paths saying how wonderful it was. Life continues as normal.
Friday 16 April 2010
Investment Bank Goldman Sachs charged with fraud
Goldman Sachs has been charged with fraud. The Times reports that
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accused the Wall Street bank of creating a loss-making financial instrument called a collateralised debt obligation (CDO).Goldman Sachs is an internationally renowned investment bank that has made billions from the financial crisis while workers around the world have been made unemployed and their public services cut.
Interview with Jeremy Drinkall, anticapitalist candidate for Vauxhall
Here is an interview with me about why I am standing as the anticapitalist candidate for Vauxhall by Lambeth's Jason Cobb. Please go and listen and tell me what you think. http://boo.fm/b117270
Leadership debate conclusion: the revolution will not be televised
Today, the papers are full of discussion and comment about last night's televised debate. The consensus is that Nick Clegg won. Polling companies, such as YouGov, put Clegg in front and the state of the parties polls are now showing that the Lib Dems are picking up votes from the other parties. Even Cameron and Brown admitted today that Clegg did well.
Even so, I quite liked the viewer who said that none of the "leaders" addressed her concerns or had "anything to say for working families about jobs". Unfortunately, the whole exercise is aimed at moving the UK towards a US presidential style of contest, where personalities count for all because there are only capitalist parties in the ring.
Thursday 15 April 2010
Why I am standing
Here I explain in a nutshell why I'm standing for the millions and not the millionaires
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Lambeth Stop the War Election Hustings
Next Monday I will be taking part in a debate with
Rahoul Bhansani - Conservative candidate for Streatham
Joseph Healey –Green Party candidate for Vauxhall
Daniel Lambert –SPGB candidate for Vauxhall
Chris Nicholson –Lib Dem candidate for Streatham
at the Lambeth Stop the War Election Hustings,
Monday 19th April
7:30pm - 9pm
The Brix, St Matthews Church, Brixton Hill, SW2 1JF
This will be an excellent chance for supporters of my campaign and voters to ask candidates questions about Afghanistan, Civil Liberties, Nuclear Weapons, Palestine and find out where candidates stand on the War on Terror generally.
Not to be missed!
Join the event below:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=109105112458882&ref=mf
Monday 12 April 2010
Anticapitalists Launch Election Manifesto
Here's the press release for our manifesto launch tomorrow…
'For The Millions, Not The Millionaires'
- Labour, Tories and Lib Dems promise cuts to services, jobs and benefits
- Anticapitalists say: take over the banks, take back our money and tax the rich
- Use it to create three million new jobs, a million new council houses, a massive repair and improve programme for council flats and a £9 an hour minimum wage.
- We need a new anticapitalist party to get rid of the chaos of financial capitalism and create a democratically planned economy
Weekend update part 2
If Saturday’s demo was a little disappointing for its turnout, Sunday was the complete antidote. The Ibero-American Alliance and Minka News brought around 700-1,000 people along to hear Caroline Pidgeon (Lib Dems), Jenny Jones (Greens), Val Shawcross (Labour) and myself give short speeches on the election.
There was no doubting who received the best reception. With clear statements on migrant workers’ rights, defence of Cuba and Venezuela and bringing killer police to justice, our message went down a storm. If an old fashioned clapometer decided elections, I’d be a shoo-in!
Weekend update part 1
The first weekend of the campaign proper was a busy one. On Saturday, I attended the demo to “Defend Public Services” in central London. Then on Sunday, I addressed a 750 strong public meeting of the Ibero-American Alliance in the Elephant & Castle.
I’ll tell you about the demo first.
Sunday 11 April 2010
Latin American hustings and Spanish leaflet
A really good hustings at the Elephant and Castle with more than a thousand Latin Americans. I'll write a full report soon as I am off leafleting estates but here is the Spanish text of our leaflet
Friday 9 April 2010
Troops Out of Afghanistan Now!
The Stop the War Coalition is surveying PPCs' attitudes to the war in Afghanistan. The campaigning organisation has set up a tool on its website where you can e-mail the candidates in your constituency requesting their views on the war.
The Anticapitalists are for Troops Out Now.
Thursday 8 April 2010
Tories lose lesbian and gay support
Chris Grayling, you may remember, is the Tory shadow Home Secretary, who said that B&B owners should have the right to turn away lesbian and gay couples. This currently contravenes the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 and therefore suggests that, should the Tories win, they may seek to amend the Act.
A number of observers also noted that David Cameron edited out a reference to "gays and straights" in his speech about the Tories turning to the "great ignored", where he listed "young and old, black and white, Christian and Muslim", etc.
Now the chairperson of the main Conservative lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group LGBTory, Anastasia Beaumont-Bott, has declared she is now voting Labour – in disgust at David Cameron's failure to reprimand Grayling
Wednesday 7 April 2010
Cameron and Brown clash over National Insurance
Predictably David Cameron focused on Labour’s proposed rise in National Insurance in the last parliamentary question time. But despite the rise of indignation from businessmen (yes, check it out, all of the Telegraph business leaders who called for the NI rise to be reversed are men, except Anya Hindmarch), this measure would hit workers, not bosses.
Financial News: "bankers beware!"
The Financial News website has warned bankers that my election campaign is "not exactly financier-friendly". Vivek Ahuja writes on their blog:
Drinkall has supported several protests over the years, from the miners’ strike to the anti-poll tax movement, becoming convinced the state was “not neutral but defended the rich and powerful." It would appear there is yet another threat on the horizon for the City and its financial folk.
Tuesday 6 April 2010
Anticapitalists Target Bankers In Vauxhall Election Challenge
We sent out this press release this morning. Finally the official campaign is underway!
New initiative to stand in Vauxhall at General Election
Local teaching assistant Jeremy Drinkall is candidate
Anticapitalists say take over the banks, take back the bailout billions
Drinkall:
“Spend it on 1/3 of all Vauxhall council dwellings that are officially not decent.
Spend it on 51% of local children officially in poverty”
Monday 5 April 2010
Anticapitalist Manifesto online
The Anticapitalist Manifesto, Drinkall for Vauxhall: for the millions, not the millionaires is now online!
You can view it by either clicking on the chapters on the right or by viewing it all in one click by going to Workers Power.
All feedback welcome!
Friday 2 April 2010
Support the RMT's right to strike
What a disgrace British justice is. A judge has decided that Network Rail signallers in the Rail Maritime and Transport union cannot strike next week because of technical faults in the balloting process. I condemn the use of these undemocratic laws and call for their immediate repeal – will Kate Hoey, who is supposed to represent the RMT in parliament?
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