TUSC's local elections challenge grows - with candidates now in sixty councils

Another forty applications have been approved this week by the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) national steering committee to be TUSC candidates in May's local elections.

This takes to 251 the number of candidates - so far - joining the TUSC challenge to the pro-austerity consensus of the establishment parties. This is already the biggest trade union and socialist based left of Labour electoral challenge in local elections since the immediate aftermath of world war two.

Candidates will be fighting seats in sixty out of the 160 councils with elections in May - already an impressive spread, and with five weeks left before nominations close. A full list of the candidates approved so far, broken down into regions and including this week's applications, can be found at http://www.tusc.org.uk/txt/284.pdf.

The steering committee is processing candidate applications on a weekly basis, with those approved posted up on the TUSC website at the beginning of each week. The formal Certificates of Authorisation, which candidates or election agents need to hand in to council Returning Officers with the official nomination papers, will be sent out to agents from the end of March. A guide to these and other electoral requirements can be found on the website at http://www.tusc.org.uk/16927/06-03-2014/election-law-guide-for-tusc-candidates-and-agents-now-available

To apply to be a TUSC local election candidate in 2014, complete the council candidate authorisation application form available on the Candidates page of the TUSC website at http://www.tusc.org.uk/candidates.php and e-mail it to Clive Heemskerk, the TUSC National Election Agent, at cliveheemskerk@socialistparty.org.uk