MANCHESTER, England—Peter Clifford, at microphone, Communist League candidate for U.K. Parliament in the Nov. 15 Manchester Central constituency election, debates 10 of 11 opponents at a Nov. 6 meeting. The event was hosted by Greater Manchester 4 Greater Democracy and Friends of the Earth.

“Which of the parties over the last 40 years is most responsible for poverty?” was asked of each candidate from the floor.

“The Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition has been wrong, they are unfair,” Labour candidate Lucy Powell, at Clifford’s left on photo, answered. Conservative candidate Matthew Sephton laid the blame at “the one party state in Manchester,” referring to Labour’s control of the city council.

“The root of the crisis is not who is in government,” said Clifford. “We face a worldwide crisis of capitalist production for which working people are being made to pay.” In response to a question on taxes and social programs, Clifford said working people need to fight for a massive government-funded public works program to create jobs.

An Oct. 29 article in the Manchester Evening News featured Clifford’s jobs program, as did a statement posted on the Public and Commercial Services union website and circulated to their members in the constituency. Clifford had two radio interviews on Peace FM, and coverage in the Guardian, Mancunian Matters and Manchester Gazette.

—CAROLINE BELLAMY