Come and hear John McDonnell on the alternative to Tory slash and burn

‘Tories have no answer for slowdown. Corbynomics does’. This is the message socialist economists are giving as they help Labour Leader Jeremy Corby and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell develop their alternative approach to the Conservatives austerity attack on low and middle earners. http://socialisteconomicbulletin.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/tories-have-no-answer-for-slowdown.html

Croydonians are lucky to be able to hear McDonnell on Saturday 7 November at the Croydon Assembly at its third meeting at Ruskin House.

Those attending will be considering a draft manifesto setting out local views on alternatives to austerity and benefit and tax credit cuts, defending and improving the NHS, improving education, developing a more resiliant high skilled, higher paid local economy that is not dependent on the property developers, tackling climate change and local environmental issues, and improving the structures and processes of democracy.

More and more research evidence is being published which shows why a positive programme is needed.

• The Croydon Opportunity & Fairness Commission interim report echoes many of the concerns and some of the thrust of proposals in Croydon TUC’s working party report on the Council’s Growth Plan last year.
• The London Centre argues that a London-specific Minimum Wage could be set somewhere between £7.05 and £8 an hour and  introduced now: http://centreforlondon.org/publication/the-new-national-living-wage-what-will-it-mean-for-london

• Young people are being hard hit. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is saying that young people are suffering the “worst economic prospects for several generations” as a worrying age inequality gap is opening up in Britain. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-inequality-young-people-suffering-their-worst-economic-prospects-for-several-generations-a6714226.html
• Young people are being cheated through so-called apprenticeships: https://radicaled.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/low-level-apprenticeships-reflect-britains-coffee-shop-economy

For details of the Assembly, go to http://www.croydontuc.org.uk/page_3135608.html. You can  email your interest in attending to croydonassembly@gmail.com

Programme:  November 7, 2015

10.30am    Chair: Philipa Harvey, President NUT

Welcome by Ted Knight, Chair Croydon Assembly

Christine Blower, General Secretary National Union of Teachers

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor

Questions & Answers

11.45am   Policy Discussion Groups on Manifesto sections.

1 National Economy

2 Universal Benefits and Care

3 National Health Service

4 Racism and Refugees

1.00pm    Break for lunch. Sandwiches, tea and coffee available in  Hall. Ruskin House bar open

1.45pm    Chair: Patsy Cummins, chair Croydon North CLP

Ellen Lebethe, National Pensioners Convention

Ellen Clifford, Disabled People Against CutsAndrew Fisher, author of ‘The Failed Experiment’

2.15pm    Policy Discussion Groups on Manifesto sections

4 Climate Change

5 Education

6 Local economy and Housing

7 Political Representation and Democracy

3.30pm    Final plenary

Chair: Tracey Hague, Green Party

Candy Udwin, reinstated PCS shop steward National Gallery

Brief contributions to discussion

4.25pm     Closing remarks:    Ted Knight

Bookstall: I will be running a bookstall mainly of second hand books about labour movement history