Paul Smith, Labour's parliamentary candidate for Yeovil
Contact Paul E-mail: paul@labour4yeovil.org.uk Address: Paul Smith Yeovil CLP Unity Hall Central Road Yeovil BA20 1JL |
Paul Smith, 26, was born, educated and lives in Yeovil, he's presently employed as a shop worker in the Quedam Centre and is a member of Unite. He joined the Labour Party in June 2007 to support John McDonnell's leadership attempt and the socialist policies that came with it against Gordon Brown.
In November 2007 he stood successfully for selection to be Labour's parliamentary candidate for Yeovil. He was selected on a platform of change, not in the sense of tinkering at the edges that so many politicians go on about, but of real change, for a fundamental shift in the balance of wealth and power in favour of working people, away from the billionaire businessmen and shareholders. To reverse the damage Thatcher's Tory policies caused - something he believes New Labour hasn't addressed, and in many ways has continued.
Paul however recognises the achievements that the New Labour government has carried out. He cites some of the most important as being the establishment of the minimum wage, 24 days paid annual leave and a doubling of spending on education and tripling on healthcare. However he isn't afraid to admit that New Labour's biggest failing has been its marriage to the Tory policies of the free market and privatisation, something he, dozens of Labour MPs and thousands of Labour Party members fight against in favour of public ownership and accountability.
He's a member of the Labour Representation Committee, an organisation made up for socialists who fight for socialist policies within the Labour Party.
Frequency Asked Questions
If you're a socialist what are you doing in the Labour Party?
The Labour Party due to its foundations within the trade union movement, despite the present circumstances it finds itself in, remains the only party that has any chance of representing the working class inside of parliament. Our greatest achievements such as the NHS and the minimum wage have been won through the Labour Party. Historically all other attempts at creating other parties to represent the working class inside of parliament have failed. At the moment we are drastically under represented, and this needs to be addressed. Labour must be reclaimed and transformed into the organisation its founders created it for - to provide political representation for the working people of this country.