Why you should vote Labour

The choice is clear: five more years of a Conservative assault on our health care, education system and our own futures, or a Labour government that will stand up for the most vulnerable in society and ensure a bright and secure future post-Brexit.

In Cambridge, it’s between Labour’s Daniel Zeichner and the Liberal Democrat who, as an MP in the coalition government, voted with the Tories 782 times. Before losing his seat in 2015, he was as loyal to the Conservatives as Theresa May, helping them to pass cruel legislation such as the ‘bedroom tax’. He may talk left, but the record shows he voted right.

Over the past two years Daniel Zeichner has proven himself to be a fantastic MP. His voting record speaks for itself. Daniel voted against triggering Article 50, against replacing Trident with a new system, against reducing funding for local government, and for a more proportional voting system. He fought to keep the streetlights on in Cambridge so that everyone could feel safe at night, and has worked with the City Council to ensure that the living wage is paid to their public and private sector employees.

Daniel Zeichner has been MP of Cambridge since 2015

For many people in Cambridge and across the country, the deal we get from Europe is a top concern. Labour will immediately secure the rights of EU nationals living in this country and will put jobs and the economy first in any Brexit negotiations. Keir and his team will prioritise barrier free access to the Single Market and will maintain current workers’ rights and environmental protections.

Crucially, Labour will work with our European partners to reach a deal and will never walk away from the negotiating table like the Tories are threatening to do. Having pro-Remain representatives from one of the two major parties like Daniel only strengthens his position. With only nine MPs and the polls predicting that they could lose seats, the Lib Dems’ promise of a second referendum is about as meaningful as their promise to scrap tuition fees.

However, although Theresa May has tried to make this the ‘Brexit election’, Labour won’t allow other issues to be swept under the rug. People care about having enough food to eat, whether their children are going to receive a good education, and if they’ll ever be able to buy a home. Any student in Cambridge will know that the University is not the full story. Poverty and homelessness are prominent issues. CULC are proud to be voting for a candidate who demonstrates his values through his activism in our community – putting in shifts to collect provision for local food banks and supporting Wintercomfort and Jimmy’s night shelter.

Zeichner has always been a strong advocate of Jimmy’s

This general election is a battle over our public services and the direction in which our country will be headed for many years to come. Labour has run a fantastic campaign, and Jeremy Corbyn has risen to the challenge throughout. Besides failing to turn up to TV debates, when May appeared on Question Time she patronisingly told a nurse who hadn’t received a pay rise in eight years that ‘there is no magic money tree’. This is a glimpse of a future I do not want for our country. If it’s not one you want either, I would urge you to vote Labour.

Finally, as this is a piece after all addressed to students, it would be wrong not to mention education. Labour believes that education is a right, not a privilege. We will be starting work £44,000 in debt – students of the present should vote Labour to ensure that those who come after us do not face this burden. Labour will scrap tuition fees and restore maintenance grants, which enabled so many young people from lower income backgrounds to access education. Labour will reintroduce the Education Maintenance Allowance for sixth form students, which the Liberal Democrat candidate voted to scrap in England. Furthermore, Daniel will support the reintroduction of bursaries for student nurses in NHS wards and stand up for proper funding of mental health provision. These are the tangible steps that Labour will take to strengthen education and our public services.

The difference between having a Labour MP and Liberal Democrat MP in Cambridge, and a Labour or Conservative government, is huge.

If you want a brighter and more secure future, to fight for our public services and to stand up for the most vulnerable in our society, please – vote Labour.