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PRESS RELEASE As activists gathered for the Progressive London conference at the TUC Ken Livingstone today said that the latest polls showed that there was no groundswell of support for the Tories - and said the latest examples of a single digit gap between the two parties indicated they could be beaten if progressive political forces shift the terrain onto a fight between those who will protect the majority from the consequences of the recession and the Tories who will put only a rich few first. Ken Livingstone said: "Today's polls show the Tories have no groundswell of support. The shape of what a Tory government would be like after the general election gets clearer and more unpleasant every day. The core of Tory policy is that those not responsible for causing the financial crisis must pay for it. Those on average incomes, the least well-off, public sector workers and others would suffer the effects of a savage attack on social and public spending. Those with large sums of money to pass on as inheritances, and to a major degree bankers, would be protected. These are the real open class-war policies – with a vengeance. The Tories have reverted to Thatcherism II. "We had a further warning this week of just how feeble the economic recovery is in the GDP figures, but the Tories threaten even that by reining back the stimulus to demand created by public spending. "Despite strong media support and despite Labour being in office in the worst economic crisis for 70 years, the Tories have scarcely succeeded in raising their level of support above 40 per cent. "The crucial issue is the need to develop and implement a progressive alternative to the Tories. Such progressive policies, to be effective, must support both those on middle incomes and the less advantaged. These together constitute a large majority of the electorate. That's quite different from concentrating on attempting to win over the best-off. The reason policies like the 50 per cent tax band, or the taxes on bankers’ bonuses, are popular is because they transfer resources from a small privileged minority to people on middle incomes and the least well off. "The key terrain on which the election must be fought is the need to protect those on middle incomes and the least advantaged against the Tories who would transfer resources from the average elector to the well-off." Ken Livingstone is hosting the Progressive London conference today. The cross-party event - "Progressive agenda to stop the right in 2010" - takes place at the TUC headquarters in central London. ENDS |