Standing Against Austerity

The Party’s s election manifesto ‘Standing Against Austerity’ identifies the role of the main parties at Stormont and plans to lower Corporation Tax as the two main drivers of the local  austerity agenda.

The manifesto says:

‘The most damaging cuts here have been engineered by the five Executive parties. Along with the business community, they have campaigned for a reduction in Corporation Tax: something which even the Tories did not propose.

To offset the cost of lowering Corporation Tax for big business, Sinn Fein, the DUP, SDLP, Alliance Party and Ulster Unionists, are taking 20,000 jobs out of the public sector and are significantly reducing public spending on education, public transport, the community and voluntary sector and the arts. They will make up the shortfall by selling off public assets like the Belfast Harbour Estate.

These are not Tory Cuts; they are the price the people of Northern Ireland are paying for lowering Corporation Tax’.

Alternative

The Party also outlines its alternative to austerity calling for the scrapping of the Corporation Tax plans, re-investing the money it would have cost into a 20,000 new homes building project and the adoption of a socialist programme of publicly funded investment, development and growth.

The manifesto also address: health and social care, integrated education, housing, workers rights, women, rural development and the environment, sectarianism, racism and homophobia.

View the manifesto and the  accompanying media release by clicking the following links.

Workers Party Manifesto Westminster 2015

Media Release ‘Standing Against Auserity’ – Workers Party Manifesto 2015

Support for USPCA’s camapign

The Party’s candidate in South Belfast, Lily Kerr, has welcomed the USPCA’s latest campaign highlighting the cruelty and suffering of animals bred in so called puppy and kitten farms and has urged the public to support the Society’s efforts to end this outrageous practice where animal health and welfare is compromised in the pursuit of profit.

Read full statement: Puppy Farming

We must stamp out racism

Workers Party candidate in North Belfast, Gemma Weir has called for support for the local Polish community and a public commitment to stamp out racism in the constituency. Ms Weir’s call comes after a number of racist attacks in the north Belfast area over recent days. “I also calling on people to publicly support the Honorary Polish Consul Mr Jerome Mullen and the efforts he is making to focus agencies and political opinion on these hates crimes” said Gemma “There is a longer term problem to address here, and I am currently working with others on a number of anti- racism initiatives. However, the immediate impact of these attacks can be addressed by providing the PSNI with the information they need to secure arrests and conviction”, Gemma said. “Withholding information about racist attacks tells those involved that the community is prepared to let them get away with it. We must all clearly demonstrate that that is not the case”, she said. “There must be no room for racists and no room for racism”, Gemma concluded