![](/web/20160512002448im_/http://www.tusc.org.uk/images/furniture/masthead/background.jpg)
23 April 2013
TUSC candidates march to defend Stafford Hospital
![Stafford TUSC with banner Stafford TUSC with banner](/web/20160512002448im_/http://www.tusc.org.uk/images/2013/staffordTUSC2.jpg)
TRADE UNIONIST and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidates are standing on 2 May in all the four divisions covering the centre of Stafford and across Staffordshire – in Rugeley, Burton-on-Trent, Leek and Newcastle-under-Lyme. Last weekend TUSC supporters joined the 50,000-strong march to defend Stafford hospital and to stop the privatisation agenda pursued by the previous Labour government and the Con Dems.
Disability activist Josie Shelley is standing in Stafford North, alongside NHS worker John Barbrook in Stafford South East, local teacher Jim Reading in Stafford Central, and former Stafford Borough Labour councillor Scott Wilson in Stafford West.
Josie Shelley explained why she was on the march: “As a TUSC supporter and candidate in Stafford North I'm supporting this magnificent march and the fight to save Stafford hospital but I also believe that we need to remind people of the damage that Labour, Tories and Lib Dems have done to our hospital.
![Stafford TUSC with banner Stafford TUSC with banner](/web/20160512002448im_/http://www.tusc.org.uk/images/2013/staffordTUSC3.jpg)
“It would be great if we save acute services but the issue still remains about under-funding and the threat of privatisation that will now be easier with the help of the Health & Social Care Act. We need to get rid of it”.
TUSC had four campaigning stalls at the march and rally. Over 1,000 people signed a petition calling for an end to the Health and Social Care Act which opens the door for even greater privatisation of the NHS. Five thousand TUSC leaflets were snapped up.
For other TUSC candidates across Staffordshire checkout www.tuscstafford.org.uk