Manchester - a city built on revolutionaries and working class heroes
Looking forward to the Manchester Mayoral elections on 30 July, young member Macy writes about the importance of using your vote for a candidate and party that promotes equality, inclusion and community.
Being born and raised in Manchester, the mayoral elections reignite every political fire within me. A city uplifted by revolutionaries and working-class heroes needs a mayor who reflects these values. What being a Mancunian means to me, is fundamentally based on my political principles of: socialism, equality, inclusion, community, protest, and ultimately, trade unionism.
Far right parties do not, in my opinion, foster these principles, or any positive/progressive principles for that matter. I fear for what my beloved city would become if it were to regress under a far-right regime that would cause further societal divisions, make our workers poorer, and leave our most vulnerable without key protections.
As a young disabled woman who was raised by single working-class mother, every success achieved has been a life-long uphill battle. We are finally at a point where we are reaching diversity and inclusion on levels that we have previously never dreamt to accomplish, and to back-pedal on this would be a disservice to every community member from cradle to grave.
Regardless of which parties people personally support, there is no denying that Andy Burnham made significant and consistent improvements throughout the city. I personally worked with him on a number of occasions as a college student and governor. He had a strong focus on a ‘prevention rather than cure’ approach to mental health services for young people, affordable public transport, more financial support for students and low-income families, and enriching local culture. Manchester is finally recognised as one of the integral back bones of our country. We are a symbol of resilience and creativity, why reverse this now?
I feel that it is important to vote for a party that aligns with these gains.
I could never, in good conscience, vote for a party that is built on hate and extremism; that has a history of failing to vet candidates with histories of racism, sexism, antisemitism and homophobia; that would dismantle The Equality Act ridding us of our essential human rights and protections; that would scrap Net Zero targets and force through damaging spending cuts.
We cannot let such a party get its claws into the heart and soul of this city. I urge every PCS member in Greater Manchester to use their vote wisely.