by Lamiat Sabin
in Southport

THE days following May’s general election were the Labour Party’s darkest in decades, two guest speakers told food workers at the annual conference of catering union BFAWU yesterday.

Left-wing Labour MP John McDonnell said that the Conservatives’ shocking win had made May 7 and 8 the worst for his party since the second world war.

He condemned the Tories’ scandalous policies such as finding £12 billion more in “savings” from welfare and diminishing unionised workers’ right to strike by setting draconian new ballot rules.

This was hypocritical and akin to “electoral dictatorship,” as the Conservatives only received 24 per cent of the vote, the MP added.

And the cash starvation of public services had driven many people into devastating situations, with some tragic cases having resulted in death.

Mr McDonnell described the plight of Daniel Gauntlett, a homeless man who froze to death on the doorstep of a house he had been squatting in 2013.

Mr Gauntlett had tried to stay on the right side of the law following the anti-squatting laws, but at the cost of his life.

However, despite the horrific effects of austerity, Mr McDonnell said that former Labour voters were feeling left out and that members, supporters and trade unions should unite to bring them back to the fore to assist social recovery.

He told the conference: “The most common theme on the doorsteps was: ‘I didn’t leave Labour, Labour left me.’ We heard this over and over again all over the country.

“We have to be part of that resistance movement. Let us get together to educate our members about what the Tories are doing. Let’s have one common front against austerity.”

Civil servants’ union PCS leader Mark Serwotka echoed his call for activists to form one organised army to campaign, lobby MPs and protest.

He said that unions and individuals should take direct action together rather than waiting for Labour to get back on its feet. This way, the party would be forced to follow “to the left, rather than to the right.”