May 2025 - Social Justice Party

Helen’s pitch to voters

Helen has worked for a variety of youth empowerment and mental health charities since 2005 and currently runs literacy events and programmes supporting children and families across the local area, including at schools in Eastfield.

In a speech to local SJP members, Helen said that she felt driven to stand because of her work in the community at Eastfield “For four years I’ve been helping Eastfield’s children to find enjoyment in reading and writing. But sadly, attainment figures show that children in Eastfield are at risk of getting left behind. This is because schools have lost funding and families have lost opportunities to enjoy learning outside of school time. As a councillor, I’d want to make the most of opportunities to revitalise the community, not just in education but in accessing healthcare, in providing housing and pushing forward with the high-street regeneration.”

The next generation of Councillor

Helen praised Tony Randerson, who represented Eastfield on Scarborough Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council for 12 years, and promised to replicate his commitment to the community “Eastfield desperately needs a representative who – just as Tony Randerson did – will stand up to Labour and the Tories in County Hall and who will be a constant presence in Eastfield; someone who engages and responds to every resident and who will always put the needs of the community first.”

She continued “Tony’s re-election two years ago shows that when you put in the hard work you can make peoples’ lives better and win their support. Let’s prove to Eastfield that Tony wasn’t a fluke and that socialists will always do right by those they represent.”

The Social Justice Party knows that communities like Eastfield suffer when the mainstream parties and careerist politicians take them for granted. Tony Randerson showed us that socialist councillors put in the hard work and win the trust of their constituents, only Helen Williams can continue Tony’s legacy.

On Friday 2^nd May, Social Justice Party Councillor Tony Randerson announced that he would be standing down as a representative on North Yorkshire Council:

“This notification will come as a surprise to most if not all in the Eastfield community, with immediate effect Friday 2 May 2025 I have “stood down” as your North Yorkshire Councillor, the reasons for this are very personal and certainly not political in any form.”

Tony was elected to represent Eastfield at a by-election in 2013. Ten years later, Tony Resigned from the Labour Party citing disgust at the party’s adoption of a right-wing policy platform and in protest of Labour blocking a local left-wing councillor from applying to become their parliamentary candidate in Scarborough & Whitby. Tony stood at the subsequent by-election for the newly formed Social Justice Party and won – with turnout even higher than at the regular election the previous year.

“Practically, this victory isn’t just for myself, it’s a victory for all those on the left who are sick to the back teeth of one-party politics. Starmer has stated ‘Labour are the new conservatives’ which confirms what we all already knew. I had no idea what support I would attain when I decided to stand again. The fact that I had 10 years under my belt most certainly will have had a massive effect ultimately on the votes I received.”

– Tony after his by-election victory

Given his astonishing victory only two years ago, Tony’s decision to stand down came as a sad shock to local SJP members when it was announced. But given the incredible commitment Tony gave the role (something that sadly can’t be said of so many councillors), we understood that this was not a decision he had made easily.

NCC Chair Eric Barnes and Scarborough & Whitby Branch Chair Rob Cruse thanked Tony for his commitment to Eastfield and the cause of socialism in a joint statement:

Time for the next generation

What this all means is, there will be another by-election in Eastfield in the next month or so. Following this year’s local elections, it is reasonable to expect that the Reform Party will be salivating over the chance to get their hands on this proud but disadvantaged working-class community. The Lib Dems too – if they can be bothered to stand someone – will want to build on their second place position they achieved 2 years ago. What is certain is that Labour and the Conservatives wont have any chance in Eastfield this time.

The job of ensuring that Eastfield continues to be represented by someone who is committed, contactable and will work tirelessly to make the community a better place is left to the Social Justice Party.

Working class places like Eastfield, residential Scarborough and the suburbs of Whitby suffer as a result of the indifference and austerity of Tory-controlled North Yorkshire Council. It is crucial that there continues to be a voice in Northallerton who is on the side of Workers, who believes in a vision of community investment instead of expensive, outside contracting and believes in the sanctity of democracy.

Following the solid result achieved by Eric’s energetic campaign in Northstead, the Social Justice Party has never been in a better position to run a barnstorming campaign led by a youthful and dedicated candidate.

Watch this space…