Louise van der Hoeven Following the departure of Peter Mandelson for Europe after twelve years as MP, Hartlepool is gearing up for a by-election. A writ has yet to be issued with the most likely date being sometime in early November. The RESPECT campaign is already in full swing.
Our candidate is John Bloom, a care worker and very well known local campaigner, who was selected at a packed meeting.
John was co-ordinator of the huge campaign to save the local hospital and has been very involved in environmental issues.
The RESPECT election team is a very diverse group including the Socialist Alliance, ex Labour party members, community groups and individuals who have become involved because of the campaign.
Others have and come to Hartlepool to help out from all over the region (and further, as activists have travelled from as far as Milton Keynes to help out).
RESPECT has a shop on the main street, every home has already been leafleted and there is a large stall every Saturday. There was a successful public meeting with George Galloway and another is being built for with Rose Gentle and John Rees (7.30pm Tuesday 21st September Grand Hotel
JOHN BLOOK BLOOM How to help • Please send us a donation! Cheques to "RESPECT Hartlepool and Teeside Fund", RESPECT Office, 145 York Road, Hartlepool TS26 9HL. If you get along to help call 01249 224405/6 or 07815452756.
CRESPECT PHN BLOOM JOHN BLO Hartlepool)
The campaign is very focused on local issues, such as the hospital, and the environment, which is hugely important here, with the storage of toxic waste underground in the area and the arrival of the "Ghost Ships".
Hartlepool has one nuclear power station and has successfully fought proposals for a second one. RESPECT argues that there will be no human or financial investment in the area while it is seen as a toxic dustbin.
The war is very much a local issue as a high proportion of the army comes from the north east due to economic conscription.
The Labour candidate, Ian Wright, was Mandelson's choice and was leapfrogged
RESPE OHN RESPECT RESPEG JOHN BLOOM JOHN BLOC over other, more locally popular candidates. His campaign is very right wing, giving high priority to a crackdown on crime and smearing the Liberal Democrats, already causing a row with them nationally by accusing their candidate of being " soft in drugs and criminals".
The Lib Dems have just decided to set up a campaign to save the local hospital -totally ignoring the ongoing campaign that has already collected 35,000 signatures.
At the time of writing the Tories have yet to select a candidate. Also standing are the UKIP and the National Front. The Greens are still deciding.
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