The people of Leicester, like everyone else, need a democratic political party that fights for the needs of ordinary people. That is, we need a party of political struggle that represents the working-class not the ruling class. Unfortunately, in Leicester (as elsewhere) we don’t have this. Instead, we have the pro-capitalist Labour Party misleading our city with all the additional problems caused by the imposition of a city mayor – a man named Sir Peter Soulsby.
Now in the latest debacle being overseen by Labour in Leicester, Mayor Soulsby has suddenly announced that he wants to backtrack on the previous empty promises to our city’s market traders. His initial plan had been to knock down the old market – which had been located in front of the Corn Exchange – so as to build a series of smaller so-called “smart” stalls for the traders, with the traders being temporarily displaced to Green Dragon Square.
But this initiative was not without its own problems which led the market traders to resist this initial plan, voicing their serious concerns that their temporary relocation could result in them losing business and potentially their livelihoods. Soulsby however remained unperturbed by such concerns and the demolition began.
Now it seems Soulsby has changed his mind. He has apparently come to realise that he could replace the old market (which has been on the site for over 700 years) with an open empty square – very much like the one that was recently constructed at the back of the Corn Exchange. His new proposed plan entails coercing the market traders into a much, much, smaller Cank Street location – a space which is currently occupied by a car park and a number of buildings which still need to be demolished.
Soulsby’s ‘new’ harebrained plan would of course result in the scrapping of his earlier plan to redevelop the Cank Street site into a new parade of boutique shops and bars, which would serve as an extension/ link to St Martin’s Square (see the promotional video below).
The Leicester Mercury (May 23) has been quick off the mark to report on this ongoing debacle and has quoted a local resident (Jacqueline Wilton) as saying that Soulsby “is playing with people’s livelihoods. Some of these [stalls] have been there for 20, 30 years, and he doesn’t seem to be considering that.” The newspaper article continued by saying:
“The move to Green Dragon Square in itself was a controversial one for stallholders, who feared they would lose customers as a result. Ms Wilton said: “A lady that moved up here [to Green Dragon Square], a friend of mine, is doing something else because she cannot make this pay. They haven’t subsidised the rent, they just took them up here and dumped them. There are several businesses that are gone and it is almost like he wanted to get rid of it. [I think] his aim is just, ‘demolish people’s morale to make a smaller market’.””
As it turns out, Ms Wilton was positive about Soulsby’s overall plans. “I actually like his view for the city,” she said. “He is just doing it in a very dishonest and underhand manner, in my opinion.” This will sum up many people’s views about this matter, and as ever, it seems that Soulsby’s Labour Council are happy to continue riding roughshod over the views of ordinary people in more ways than one.
But it is important to note that when Labour has tried to impose themselves on ordinary people in recent years, people have responded by getting organised and fighting back with varying degrees of success. For example, recent examples of successful fight-backs include workers forcing our Labour-run Council to scrap their plans for a charging workers (including NHS staff) additional exorbitant fees to park their cars at their workplaces, and the success of local community campaigners in securing the continued funding for our city’s much-loved adventure playgrounds.
Funnily enough another significant victory for ordinary people arrived on the same day that Soulsby announced his underhand market debacle. Thus yesterday the Labour City Council was forced to concede to demands from local children, parents and trade unionists who had been appalled at the Council’s attempts to terminate funding for post-16 special educational needs and disability (SEND) transport. The Mercury (May 23) has just reported on this, and in their article noted:
“Steve Score, a parent who has campaigned against the cuts, said: “I’m pleased the council has decided to re-run the consultation on SEND 16+ transport. We always said it was flawed. I believe this would not have happened without the campaign by parents and students. The cut will be on hold while this is happening. We need families to all respond to the consultation when it starts. The plans to cut travel support should be scrapped. Given the general election is imminent, I would call on the next government to put the funding in to councils to keep vital services like this going.”
I would echo this demand; and as it looks likely that Labour will win the upcoming General Election, this is a demand that must be met by Labour. But given the right-wing nature of Labour’s leadership, obtaining such a commitment will remain impossible. This is why as a matter of urgency ordinary people must now get organised in our workplaces, and in our communities, so we can force any incoming government to meet our real living needs!
Ironically here in Leicester, Soulsby may not be quite as right-wing as his party’s national leadership, but it remains the case that only last month Leicester’s Labour Group welcomed back into their fold Councillor Deepak Baja, an individual who has spent the last 18 months working as the leader of Leicester’s Conservative Party!
But as a new socialist political party that can represent the needs of the working class is yet to exist, when it comes to the General Election it will still be important to lend your political support to each and every candidate who is campaigning for a socialist alternative that explicitly rejects the pro-capitalist gruel that is currently being served up to us by the Labour/Tory/Lib Dem/Reform elites.
Thoughts of a Leicester Socialist 