The Trade Union and Socialist Coalition says it wants to be a voice for working-class people on the council.
Voters in Lincoln will head to the polls on May 5 to pick their choice in the local elections where a third of seats are up for grabs – one in each ward.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked the leaders of each of the main parties a series of questions and gave them a chance to have their say.
For an analysis of the key battlegrounds, including where Conservatives will be looking to make strong advances or where Labour will be keen to defend visit here.
A full list of candidates, along with those in North East Lincolnshire, can be found here.
Nick Parker is standing for the TUSC in Carholme ward.
Here’s what he had to say:
What is your party hoping to achieve?
TUSC’s aim in the election is build a socialist alternative to the main parties and to offer Carholme ward residents the chance to elect a socialist councillor to represent them in the council chamber.
TUSC is seeking to popularise the idea that there is an alternative to the capitalist system that gives us cuts, privatisation, austerity, inequality, gentrification, environmental catastrophe, social division, and a cost of living crisis that seeks to make ordinary people pay for the sky-high profits of big business.
TUSC is not going to take control of the council if our candidate gets elected. But regardless of which party controls the council, that party’s representatives will implement cuts and austerity.
TUSC is standing to send the message that whichever party votes for cuts to council services, they will face opposition from socialists at the ballot box.
What calibre of candidates do you have this time round?
The calibre of any candidate in this election should be measured by how far they’re prepared to go to fight for their community regardless of the effect on their political career, inside and outside the council chamber.
Nick pledges to be a voice in the council chamber to argue for socialist policies, and to vote against any policies that are opposed to the interests of working-class people.
Nick is an active trade unionist and socialist who was born and has grown up in Carholme.
Nick was a member of the Labour Party who joined under Corbyn but left like many others after Starmer shifted the party back to Tory-lite policies.
Nick has been involved in campaigns to defend workers’ living standards, against cuts and privatisation of our public services like our libraries and walk-in centre, and against racism and discrimination in our community.
A big issue is the cost of living crisis, what will you do to tackle/address this?
Working-class people are crying out for meaningful action to tackle the cost of living crisis.
TUSC believes that the government should hold an emergency budget to reverse cuts to benefits and pensions, bring the energy production and distribution companies into public ownership, cap bills, and increase the minimum wage to £15 an hour.
But the Tories in government would prefer to put the profits of big business before the needs of the rest of us.
There’s a myth that councils can’t do anything about the cost of living crisis. They can!
Our Labour-run council could freeze council home rents and take action against rising rents and poor home insulation in the private sector.
Our Labour-run council could reverse the cuts to local welfare provision and expand the support provided to people struggling to make ends meet in our community.
Our Labour-run council could use its reserves to fund this while building the foundation for a mass campaign to demand more resources from the government in Westminster.
The council isn’t powerless – but what we need is socialist councillors who are prepared to put up a fight.
It’s not just residents facing financial strain, councils are too. How will you address the funding situation?
Councils are facing a financial crisis because the Tories in government at a national level (and previously the Lib Dems when they were in bed with the Tories) have savagely cut funding for local councils.
Meanwhile, Labour councillors in Lincoln and across the country repeatedly tell us that there’s no alternative but for them to pass on those cuts on to our services, our jobs, and our communities.
That’s what Labour councillors have voted to do to the Drill Hall, introducing green bin charges, closing or charging for public toilets, cutting park wardens and urban rangers, etc.
Despite claiming they’re an alternative, Green councillors have acted the same by supporting austerity when they’ve had a sniff of power in other areas .
TUSC is standing over 250 candidates across the country arguing for a joined-up campaign of councils to refuse to make cuts and to take the fight back to Boris and his government for proper funding for our public services.
TUSC seeks to build a mass campaign rooted in the workplaces and the communities to demand the money back from Westminster that has been stolen from us to line the pockets of the super-rich.
The wealthiest 1% in society have plenty of money while the rest of us struggle.
It’s time to make the super-rich pay up.
There’s a lack of faith in politicians lately, particularly when looking at the national picture, how will you build that trust with your communities?
Working-class people are absolutely right to lack faith in the main capitalist parties, when they have consistently let us down by allowing big businesses and the super-rich to enrich themselves at our expense while the majority of us struggle.
Not only that, politicians act like there’s one rule for them, and another rule for the rest of us. Changes that have been mooted about the future of Lincoln’s local democracy could make politicians even more remote and out of touch than they already are.
TUSC is led by Dave Nellist, a former Labour MP from 1983-1992. When Dave was in Parliament, he only took the average wage of a skilled worker (about a third of the wage) and donated the rest to community campaigns and struggles. That’s the way to build support with your community.
TUSC seeks to build a socialist alternative rooted in the communities which will unite working-class people to fight back against all attacks by the main capitalist parties.
What do the people on the doorstep care about?
The cost of living crisis is the most immediate issue facing Carholme residents.
But it’s not the only issue.
Carholme deserves better than the neglect in the upkeep of our community areas because of austerity implemented by Labour councillors.
Carholme deserves better than gentrification policies that put the interests of wealthy private developers before local residents.
Carholme deserves better than a neglected privatised public transport system that has led to environmentally-damaging traffic and parking problems because it’s too expensive or unreliable for people to get the bus or train.
Carholme deserves better than poorly insulated, expensive homes because the council isn’t willing to build the council housing that can meet our needs.
And Carholme deserves better than councillors who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk when it comes to fighting Tory austerity policies.
Finally, tell us in 10 words why readers should vote for you?
Reject the capitalist parties, vote for a campaigning socialist alternative.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
An emergency road closure will be put in place for two hours in Stamford’s Red Lion Square on Wednesday as expert crews carry out road materials testing.
The critical work will take place on Wednesday, May 25 and the road closure in and around the square will be in effect from 10am until 12pm. A full route diversion will be signposted.
The roads will have to be closed because some of the materials testing will be carried out on the live northbound traffic lane in the area.
The route map for traffic whilst testing is underway. | Photo: LCC
Just last week a forty-year-old gas main was discovered during works to replace the old cobbles in Red Lion Square, which the county council said was likely to delay the completion of the £1.4 million project. The site team began the works but later identified the shallow gas main on-site that may need to be diverted.
Lincolnshire County Council will keep, and update, the cobbled square despite the mayor of Stamford previously calling on the authority to instead use tarmac. Local residents had previously reacted in horror when the traditional paving setts were repacked with patches of tarmac in 2020.
Red Lion Square in Stamford. | Photo: LCC
Karen Cassar, assistant director for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We are sorry for the inconvenience that these material tests will cause and for the late notice of the road closure in Red Lion Square.
“Our on-site team has uncovered questions about the road materials which need clear answers and these can only come about through these tests.
“Rather than postpone the works further we will close the road for two hours to carry out the tests and then resume to the original plan of works for the area. We are doing this to absolutely minimise the disruption to road users as much as possible.
“Whilst this situation is not ideal, we appreciate the efforts of all concerned. I want to thank everyone effected for their patience in this matter whilst we carry out these tests.”
Over 300 kilos of essential food was donated to Lincoln Foodbank at the opening night of the Hunchback of Notre Dame on Monday, and the show’s producers are offering a prize draw of free tickets to people who continue to help the cause.
The Starring Lincoln Theatre Company’s production of the classic Victor Hugo novel had its opening night at Lincoln Cathedral on Monday, May 23, and it will continue to bring shows to the legendary venue until Saturday, June 4.
The company called on ticket buyers to bring food donations with them to the cathedral for Lincoln Foodbank, and the results certainly did not disappoint.
Andrew Buhagiar, a 20-year-old student from Malta, stars in the production as Quasimodo. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Over 300kgs of goods such as UHT milk, sugar, tuna and tinned foods were collected at the cathedral, a brilliant start to Starring Lincoln’s target of four tonnes – which was achieved during performances of Oliver! in 2017.
The appeal has never been more necessary, with Lincoln Foodbank taking on more people’s needs than ever before, and it has even reached the stage where some of the Hunchback performers are relying on the use of the food bank.
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Visitors are being invited to continue bringing food donations with them, with a collection point situated in the nave of the cathedral.
All donations are welcome, even from those without tickets to a Hunchback production, and anyone who brings something along will be entered into a prize draw to win a ticket to one of the shows.
A magical display inside Lincoln Cathedral. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Tim Marks, who plays Clopin in the Hunchback of Notre Dame said: “It is heartbreaking frankly that people in one of the richest countries in the world simply cannot afford food.
“We know the people of Lincoln have gone above and beyond before with their kindness and crikey we thank them for it, but the Foodbank has never been more in need of donations.
“We have friends, some of whom in the cast who are in need of the Foodbank’s services, so please bring what you can and in return we promise we will entertain you with an absolute stonker of a show!”
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