Tooting elections. (1912)

Party News from the December 1912 issue of the Socialist Standard

In the recent Borough Council Elections the Tooting Branch ran three candidates for Tooting Ward. The result was gratifying, the figures showing an increase of 80 per cent. over those for our last effort, in 1909.

The branch intended concluding the campaigu with a demonstration at one of the L.C.C. schools, and had made all arrangements for same, hut although we had paid for the use of the school, we were precluded from holding our meeting by being informed at the last moment that the room would be required for polling purposes.

The other candidates included three “indepen­dents,” whose independence consisted of claim­ing to be the People’s candidates. They will, no doubt, now they are elected, demonstrate how they represent the people by supporting any and every measure brought forward in the in­terest of capitalism and to the detriment of the working class.

Another candidate was a Municipal Reformer, and the decrease in the number of votes polled for him was doubtless largely due to the active Anti Socialist Union propaganda carried on in this district

The other candidates were Labourites, whose programme consisted of reforms none of which, had they been elected, could they have carried into effect. Reforms will be passed by the capitalist class when they think fit, and not at the dictation of “Labour” candidates. Minorities do not usually rule the roost.

Besides, they had the assistance of that notorious misleader, Ben Tillett (who, by the way, does not believe in political action), and possibly that accounted for the decrease in the “Labour” poll.

It added to the gaiety of things to find that the Tooting Branch of that party of “unity,” the B.S.P., supported the “Labour” candidates, while the Battersea Branch of the same organi­sation were actually in opposition to the “Lab­our” candidates there.

All the foregoing should act as a tonic and give renewed energy to carry on the propaganda for Socialism. We feel confident that the truth will ultimately prevail.

W. T.

Blogger's Note:

'W.T.' would have been the Tooting Branch secretary, W. Thomas. Sad that the neither the names of the SPGB candidates nor the actual voting figures are listed in the article. Maybe those details are buried away in the SPGB EC minutes. Bob Ambridge does mention an earlier Tooting Branch election campaign in the September 1954 anniversary issue of the Socialist Standard:

"About the same time Tooting Branch put forward Comrades Cooper, Joy and Barker for the Tooting Ward, the result being 60, 58 and 56 respectively. The Socialist Standard’s comment was: “We think we found fifty six supporters for the Revolution, and are encouraged in the hope that it is not altogether hopeless to appeal to the Electorate on the straight issue—Socialism."