[UPDATE: The People’s Assembly Against Austerity has called a demonstration on Saturday 9 May at 1pm at Downing St if the Tory coup happens, which we are more than happy to support. Please attend and share the Facebook event.]
There is a very real risk of the Tories clinging on to power in the event of a hung parliament, despite the majority of the country voting against them.
The ground is being prepared for this in the media. There are claims that Tories should be declared the winners if they have the most seats – even if they cannot form a majority in parliament; even if, as seems likely, there is a clear anti-Tory majority made up of Labour, Scottish National Party, Greens, Plaid Cymru and others.
The campaign for minority Tory rule involves the demonisation of the SNP. The same press that viciously defended the Union six months ago now argues that Scotland’s elected representatives should have no say in parliament.
This would be a travesty of even the limited democracy we have. If the majority of the country elects anti-Tory MPs, the Tories should go.
We believe that if this type of “soft coup” is attempted there should be demonstrations against it on the weekend of 9/10 May, demanding first and foremost that David Cameron packs his bags; and that Labour forms an anti-austerity coalition with the SNP, Plaid Cymru, Greens and any other left parties in the new parliament, on the basis of a programme that involves, as first steps, an immediate end to the austerity regime and the cancellation of Trident.
We encourage other groups and individuals on the left to support this call. We are willing to do what we can to make it happen. Email stopthetorycoup@gmail.com if you would like to add your support.
• Initiated by rs21. Supported by Glyn Robbins (TUSC/Left Unity Candidate for Bethnal Green & Bow); Richard Seymour, Rosie Warren and Jamie Allinson (Salvage).
It’s highly likely that the Tories, UKIP, the DUP and the LibDems will have a majority in parliament. Certainly they will have a majority of the votes cast (approx 55-60% it looks like). This can be easily presented as a government expressing the ‘pro-austerity majority’; and of course, despite the sentiment of many of their voters and precious few of their candidates, Labour also represent ‘pro-austerity’. It’s dangerous ground to believe that we have more than a minority of support for a radical alternative at present.
We therefore need to be careful when talking about a democratic coup – the left needs to be the foremost advocates of the most representative democracy in institutions of the state, while campaigning hard for alternative to austerity through mass action and extra parliamentary resistance.
The real Tory coup d’etat was back in 1951 when the Tories won a majority of seats and formed the government, but Labour won the vote with around 49% of the vote to the Tories 43.5% (with their allies, they got about 47%). In the local elections a year later in 1952, Labour won 52% of the vote, their highest ever vote, but the Tories continued in government for another 12 years! Labour meekly accepted this as the outcome of ‘parliamentary democracy’. It’s the electoral system that needs to be challenged not just the outcome of who gets to form a government.
If, on Friday, David Cameron should announce he has “won” the election, on the grounds of being the largest single party (despite being outnumbered by parties opposed to him) any such declaration should NOT be heard in silence. Any such declaration would be an attempt at a coup, and should be heckled. Folk should try to get to Downing Street in order to heckle him. I do realise extremely tight security might make it difficult for members of the public to be present to question any such claim. But everybody should say loud and clear at the earliest possible opportunity that such a claim is unacceptable. And presumably there will be some press or television reporters present. to witness such a claim. THEY have a responsibility to heckle him. And, in any case, everybody who can do so should head for central London in order to make their voices heard loud and clear against any Tory COUP D’ETAT.
Reblogged this on daylightdark and commented:
If the Tory’s do not have a majority, we need to ensure they are kept from forming a Government
Good idea, but very short notice.
I do think there will be a coup, but it might not be entirely obvious that that is what is going on this weekend. The papers will gloss over it, and people will still be taking in the result.
An additional later mass demo at a significant point perhaps the Queens speech (scheduled for 27th may, but may be changed), would give a chance for organisations and groups to mobilise, building on this one.
I’m there if need be. Where will the demonstration take place?
Agreed, where and when? Assuming it happens at all and Cameron has more seats than Miliband. Ux