Please note, this is an archived story. Please check the date above.

Karen Reissmann

The Socialist Alliance is standing for the first time in Blackley on a platform of redistributing wealth and power with candidate Karen Reissmann, a nurse working in the area for 20 years.

Party aims include ending Private Finance Initiatives, such as the scheme being used to centralise specialist children's services in the city, ending council house sales and raising pensions.

The party also wants to abolish Clause 28, which restricts discussion of issues relating to homosexuality in schools, take water services back into public control, and prevent the Post Office being privatised.

They would reduce the working week to a maximum 35 hours and secure a ?7-per-hour minimum wage as well as abolish anti-trade union laws and repeal the Criminal Justice Act and the Terrorism Act.

Socialist Alliance would also scrap the Trident nuclear weapons programme, withdraw from Nato and scrap the World Trade Organisation, International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

In her campaign leaflet, Karen Reissmann says, "I have a long tradition of fighting for ordinary people in north Manchester.

"I have led strikes in defence of our NHS, for decent pay for all, against ward closures, and against privatisation.

"New Labour has let us down. My record shows I would be the best candidate to stand up for the rights and needs of all working class people in Blackley."

The Socialist Alliance can be contacted on www.manchestersocialist.fsnet.co.uk
For all candidates standing in the General Election see our election page.