Trades Union and Socialist Coalition to contest by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West

THE Trades Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) has announced that it will contest the widely predicted by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West.

A by-election in the seat appears inevitable after the decision by Westminster’s standards committee to suspend Margaret Ferrier for 30 days following her conviction for breach of Covid-19 regulations. But the vote to ratify the decision on Thursday was delayed until after the Whitsun recess.

TUSC have selected Chris Sermanni, a Unison steward at Glasgow City council, to contest the seat.

Mr Sermanni said: “In the wake of an unprecedented strike wave by trade unionists over the past year, the need for a workers’ election alternative has never been greater.

“That’s why I’m prepared to stand on policies like the need for the trade unions to launch a new party for working-class people that would support no cuts budgets, for above-inflation pay and benefit rises, socialist nationalisation of energy, the banks big industries like Royal Mail as well as the right to a second independence referendum and an independent socialist Scotland.”