Chingford: Corbyn attacks pay freeze during tour of marginals

Barts NHS workers call on Jeremy Corbyn to back their strike, Chingford, east London, 6.7.17

Barts NHS workers call on Jeremy Corbyn to back their strike, Chingford, east London, 6.7.17   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Ian Pattison, Waltham Forest Socialist Party

Jeremy Corbyn has launched a 60-seat tour of the most marginal constituencies. Chingford, east London – once a safe Tory seat – was his stop on 6 June.

Up to 400 turned up at less than 24 hours’ notice. Even more would have come if the venue was widely advertised in advance.

Jeremy Corbyn addressing a rally in Chingford, east London, 6.7.17, photo by Mary Finch

Jeremy Corbyn addressing a rally in Chingford, east London, 6.7.17, photo by Mary Finch   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

When Corbyn said he’d end the public sector pay freeze, it went down a storm. Locally, Barts NHS Trust workers are on strike demanding a pay rise.

Whipps Cross Hospital porters volunteered to speak to the crowd to appeal for their support. Unfortunately this offer wasn’t taken up by the organisers.

Part of the crowd at a Jeremy Corbyn rally in Chingford, east London, 6.7.17, photo by Mary Finch

Part of the crowd at a Jeremy Corbyn rally in Chingford, east London, 6.7.17, photo by Mary Finch   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

The striking workers held up signs for Jeremy’s entire speech asking him to back their campaign. Although he didn’t refer to them in front of the assembled audience, he did tell them personally that he’d be in touch to back their strike.

Socialist Party placards backing Corbyn’s policies were taken quickly. There were only enough for a fraction of the crowd. But scandalously, one of the organisers of the event went around telling people to put them down.

Part of the crowd at a Jeremy Corbyn rally in Chingford, east London, 6.7.17, photo by Mary Finch

Part of the crowd at a Jeremy Corbyn rally in Chingford, east London, 6.7.17, photo by Mary Finch   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

These undemocratic methods, normally associated with the right wing of the Labour Party, do not help to build the anti-austerity movement.

Despite this, 37 people bought copies of the Socialist. And four of them left their details to find out more about the Socialist Party. As workers tire of the Blairites, more and more demand their deselection.


This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 10 July 2017 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist.