Introducing Arshad Ali CEC Candidate for Yorkshire and Humber

ABOUT ARSHAD: I left the Labour Party back in 2002/3 after the Iraq war blunder and joined Stop The War Coalition to fight against the illegal and immoral wars instigated and encouraged by the Labour government. In 2005 I joined George Galloways RESPECT party and set up a branch and membership in Bradford together with some good friends and comrades. I chaired the Bradford branch of the RESPECT party for 10 yrs organising many different rallies and demos against various different policies that were not to the benefit of the ordinary working people. I supported and mentored many election candidates, male and female, young and old so that we could challenge the status quo. I always advocated for inclusiveness. As chair, I invited George Galloway to be our candidate in Bradford West to stand as a candidate at the 2012 by election. I served as his election agent and build a brilliant team around him that went on to take a historic victory from the Labour Party. I remained as a member of RESPECT until we lost the seat back to Labour in 2015. I later supported Jeremy Corbyn’s bid for leadership. When JC became leader, RESPECT was dissolved. As a healthcare trainer/Instructor working for the NHS, I have always been a member of Unison and would advocate all workers to join a union to protect their work based rights.

As a member of Stop The war, I helped organise many rallies and demos. As Chair of RESPECT in Bradford, I again organised many rallies and demos for many different issues and causes. I was the local founding member in Bradford for the Viva Palestina aid convoys to Palestine after Operation Cast Lead in 2009. I was a group leader from my region to organise several air, sea and land medical and food convoys from the UK all the way to Palestine breaking the siege of Gaza. Having been to Gaza and seen for myself with my own eyes the misery of the Palestinian people, I will never give up the fight for the rights of all Palestinians. I helped organise and led several aid trips to the so-called Jungle Camp in Calais where we provided food, clothing, tents and other vital supplies such as medical and emotional support.

ARSHAD ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS….

YOUR HOPES FOR YOUR PARTY

1. What does Your Party mean to you, what do you want to see Your Party members doing more, and how would you support that work from within the CEC?
2. What processes and safeguards would you want to see implemented to curb factionalism in the party and ensure that members remain sovereign when it comes to important decisions.

1. For me, YOUR PARTY is the last remaining political hope for many millions of working-class people who have nothing but only the burden of shedding their blood, sweat and tears for the benefit of the bosses and the multimillionaires. When all the other political parties are in cahoots with each other to keep the poor in their place, it is a duty upon us all to come together and create a political home where we can all belong, succeed and prosper. I would advocate all members to actively take much more participation in political policy formation so that everyone can feel that their grievances and needs are being taken into the equation. As an Independent CEC member, I would continue to encourage everyone to take ownership of politics and make it work for the many, not for the few. I would have regular monthly meetings in the region in order to gather as much feedback from the membership so that I can represent them at the CEC.

2. YOUR PARTY was always meant to be different from the other existing parties. YP will be a bottom-up party that listens to its membership and is instructed by the membership to fight for the membership and not for the political careers of those in the CEC. I would not be part of any faction. I would see myself as working for those who send me as their delegate. As someone who spent some years working as a relationship therapist for RELATE, I fully understand that people can have many differences but we must remember that we really have far more in common, than that which divides us. We must get over our egos and give a little more for our mutual good and come to some mutual understanding and agreement.

LET’S TALK POLICIES

On Disability

1. A disabled person’s care needs don’t end when a parent or carer reaches retirement age but the carer’s allowance does. What do you think the CEC and Your Party could do to address this injustice?
2. Are you committed to the social model of disability?
3. How do we ensure the rights of disabled people are taken seriously?
4. How will you ensure accessibility and inclusivity for disabled people in Your Party?

1. Parents/Carers play a vital role in looking after the most vulnerable often with very little emotional and financial support. Having worked in the nhs for many years i have seen for myself the effect on carers as well as other members of the family who often suffer quietly, just getting on with it as a duty. There should be much more support for carers and parents who often have to not only give up their employment but also need to adapt their normal lives in order to become carers for a loved one. We must invest more in social healthcare in parity with physical healthcare.

2. People are born with disabilities but this cannot define people. In my experience as a healthcare worker in the nhs and also in the community, I know that people with disabilities can lead normal lives if they are supported with overcoming the obstacles and barriers that are faced every day. It is perfectly reasonable for a caring society to do everything to enable those who need support rather that put people in boxes labelled “DISABLED” and restrict their life chances. People with disabilities are experts in their condition and should be involved in decision making and policy making that will affect them directly. We must listen and do everything that we can to give people the respect and dignity that everyone deserves. 

3. Disabled people can be supported in many ways such as including disabled people in decision making, providing opportunities for participation in policy making, providing adequate advocacy so that disabled people know their legal rights and any support that might be available. People with disabilities and their lived experience can be a vital part of policy making and should be encouraged to speak up as experts and their suggestions should be implemented as much as practicable.

4. Disabilities can come in many various and different forms ranging from physical to emotional. Humans are not just one or the other, but both. I would support disabled people to have a strong voice in all decision and policy making so that they are not treated unfairly or disadvantaged by the decisions made by everyone else who may not have the lived experiences of disabled people.

On Benefits

1. What is your vision for sickness, disability, carer, child and unemployment benefits?
2. Do you support a Universal basic income / Universal basic services?
3. Currently, Amnesty International calls the social security system in the UK ‘Consciously cruel’. What do you think needs to be done to tackle this?

1. All healthy and able-bodied people should work and contribute to society and help build a country that can afford to live at a comfortable standard of living. Most people want to work and support themselves and their families at the same time paying taxes for publics services. There are those among us that want to work but are not able to do so due to physical or emotional disabilities. This often leads to disabled people feeling lesser or unuseful in society leading to further frustration leading to a spiralling pattern of unwellness. I strongly believe that a kind society should look after those that need a little more support. Benefits are often the last choice rather than the first choice. A sure sign of a sophisticated society is the way it looks after the weak and infirm. Even cave men did this.

2. Yes. It gives dignity and self-respect to those who cannot work.

3. People on benefits must never be made to feel that they are a strain on society, especially if they have contributed to the system. There are times when we all need some support either when ill of after an accident or when we lose our jobs. People on benefits and pensioners often live very unhealthy lives due to low benefits. Many are assessed and put through lengthy processes that make people feel embarrassed. This can result in benefits being taken away or stopped. Many don’t even claim to save themselves the indignity of having to go through such processes, often living in dire poverty which can have negative outcomes for their own health as well as the health and wellbeing of those that depend on them.

On Jobs

1. How do we generate more well paid jobs in this country?
2. Do you believe the wealth gap between employers and employees needs to be addressed and, if so, where would you cap it?
3. Do you think the real living wage should continue to be voluntary or obligatory?
4. Do you think we should introduce a ‘back-to-work’ scheme in this country where people are given an annual allowance, instead of fortnightly benefits (for a period of time), so that they can become self-employed instead?
5. Do you think think the Employment Rights Act is adequate and, if not, why not, and how would you want to improve it?

1. We should encourage more manufacturing in this country rather than import everything from abroad. We could encourage more cooperatives to form profit sharing businesses. The problem often is that the fat cats take the lions share of all the profits. Profits should be fairly shared with those who work hard. Rather than pay the bosses millions, we can reward the working people with a better share of the profits.

2. The gap is astronomical and has to be looked at in a serious way. Of course, those who invest expect profits, but the profits should not be obscene. I would cap it at a fair ratio.

3. Definitely obligatory.

4. Sound good on the surface but I can foresee issues. An allowance would need to be complimented with proper support and guidance to stop people failing and falling back onto benefits. Some may want to venture into using their allowance to set up as sole traders or go into business for themselves in which case full support would need to be provided in order to make sure they succeed.

5. There are some positive aspects to the Employment Rights Act but it does need some reform. Having worked in zero hrs contracts I know that there were times when that suited me much better, and at times I felt I could do with more pay when work was short. Workers need to be protected against unfair dismissal from the very first day not much much later. I am completely against the practice of firing staff and then rehiring then under lesser conditions. This is an exploitation of workers value and as to be challenged.

On Housing

1. How do you think we can improve housing in deprived areas, so as to tackle the urgent issues of rising rents, unaffordable housing, shortage of social housing and, in some areas, Airbnb or developers taking over all free properties that could become homes for people? This issue is badly affecting young people who can’t afford the rent on their low wages and also older people 50+ who also can’t find enough work
2. When we win an election, and if it’s within your remit to do so, what measures would you implement to address the homelessness crisis.

1. There definitely needs to be a big house building project in this country in order to get over the housing crisis. We see homes being bought up and rented at very high unaffordable rent. Often people cannot afford to pay and are priced out of renting as well as buying. Housing should be a human right and Govt should see this as a priority. A lot of the rental properties are of such low standards that children and the elderly as well as the sick can develop respiratory issues further preventing people from working. There must be a duty upon councils to build much more housing stock in order to stop greedy landlords taking the lions share of the wages from the workers who can not afford the extortionate rents. I would advocate for much higher council tax for second and third homes often kept empty rather than rent out. Those who hoard housing should be made to pay, not the poor working man and women who have to decide weather they will pay rent or put food on the family table.

2. More new home building projects as well as preventing housing being bought out by large companies. Using and utilising the many empty and derelict properties that have been left to rot away. The council could compulsorily buy properties left empty for years and offer accommodation to the hundreds that live out on the streets in cities such as mine in Bradford. I would encourage much more social housing for those who are in crisis through either ill health be it physical health or mental health. The safety and wellbeing of everyone must be the prime duty of any government.

On Inequality

1. Where do you stand on Trans rights and do you believe a woman’s place on the CEC should also be open to Trans women?
2. What is your stance on a youth/student wing, Disabilities group, BAME group, Women’s group or a LGBTQIA+ group within the party?
3. If it were within your remit, what measures would you want to see put in place to combat Transphobia, gender stereotypes, racism, religious intolerance and the general ‘fear of the other’ within our communities, for example in education, in health, in the work place and in negative media portrayals.
4. How do you think we can tackle the centuries-old culture of blaming poor people, and address the real causes of poverty?

1. I believe that everyone has equal rights regardless of their identity. I do not believe in identity politics where we go and divide ourselves into ever smaller groups. Everyone has different needs and we must be sensitive to minorities of all shapes and colours. The best way we can all support each other is to want the best for each other in spite of all our individual differences. Having said that, I feel that women are already under represented and need to be encouraged a lot more to come forward and participate in decision making in politics. I agree with the supreme court ruling on this that has clarified the matter.

2. I don’t think we constantly need to divide and subdivide ourselves into smaller and smaller groups. We should encourage everyone to stand for each other as we would for ourselves and understand that we are not all the same but we all want the same from our lives, respect, dignity and equal opportunity to thrive in our own individual ways.Encouraging minority groups should be an important step to understanding their needs and expectations so that we can make sure no one is excluded or marginalised. Having a collective voice is an important way in which change can be brought about.

3. Better education to learn more about that which we fear from each other. More integration and social activities to learn from each other in a respectful way.

4. The poor are often poor because the rich take all the pickings. I would say, it is the poor working people who produce the wealth and should have a fair share of the profits. The real causes of poverty is the system that is weighed heavily against the ordinary working people. WE must not be cowed by the rich, we hold the real power in our labour. I would advocate for a wealth tax that can address the vast inequalities in the workplace.

The Environment + Green & Renewable Energy

1. Consider the challenges of building renewable energy. What is your view on how we should handle the trade‑offs between industrial growth, renewable construction, environmental impact, and the concerns of local people, for example, in the proposed Morgan & Morecambe Wind Farm?
2. What do you think should be done to tackle global warming and environmental degradation?
3. How do we achieve a just transition from the fossil fuel extraction industry to carbon neutral occupations?
4. How do you think we can tackle the lobbying power of the fossil fuel and animal agriculture industries?

1. This is a subject that has not been taken very seriously due to the big business in fossil fuel companies and the enormous profits that they make. There is only so much fossil fuels left in the earth and while we use it, we are also hurting and scaring our home, Earth. There must be an serious effort to build new green energy sources such as solar power, wind power with consultation with communities. More nuclear power as well as recycling and cutting down on waste. We can make our homes more energy efficient in terms of water, electric and gas use.

2. We only have the one Earth, we must protect it in any way we can. Short term profiteering cannot be the justification to destroy the planet. We have a duty to pass on a better world to our children. We must strive to produce less waste and find ways to recycle what we can. Our air and water systems must be protected in order for the survival of many different species of plants and animals that are on the brink of extinction. Preventing environmental degradation will also help improve health for all living things. We must find ways to produce sustainable green and clean energy and gradually stopping or at least reducing the use of fossil fuels.

3. It is vital that we aim to take the energy companies into public ownership and not let them extort sky high energy bills from ordinary working people who struggle to pay. WE must end this dependency on fossil fuels. The energy companies have for too long made too much money out of the misery of the whole nation making eye watering profits. Energy companies have paid enormous dividends whilst the poorest in our society freeze in their homes. Energy companies should be made to pay a windfall tax in order to build green energy for the future.

4. Taking the big energy companies away from the profiteers and nationalising it. Legislation to stop MPs and other taking bungs from those that lobby them. Legislating to prevent any undue influence on policy making that gives even bigger profits to the capitalist system through higher energy prices for the public.

The Economy

1. Imagine Your Party has just won the General Election. How do you think Your Party could best manage the hostile economic reaction of the capitalist markets and hostile hyper capitalist countries?
2. What is your view of economic growth versus de-growth, and what do you think the key economic policies of Your Party should be?
3. Do you support the Wealth Tax?

1. Those who hold the wealth will not give it up willingly. Capitalism has been rewarding super-rich people and super-rich counties. We must strive to change the system within which such big profits are made leaving just crumbs for the ordinary working people. We have got to advocate for a more social system that can redistribute wealth in a just and equitable way.

2. Big house building project can help the economy as well as taking the profits from nationalised industries rather that pay big profits to profiteers only in it to make money. Investing much more in renewable energy sources as well as investment in better public services including public transport.

3. YES. Those with immense wealth should be forced to contribute much more than those who have very little.

Foreign and Defence policy

1. Do you commit to a complete arms embargo on Israel and ending all military cooperation, and what do you think about the global militarisation of foreign policy generally, including the planned defence of Ukraine.
2. Do you believe the UK government is complicit in the Palestinian Genocide (named as such by the UN 9/25).
3. If it were in your remit, would you reverse the proscription of Palestine Action?
4. What are your thoughts on defence expenditure in general, but also in light of the fact that we’re going through a cost of living crisis in this country and our taxes could instead be used to ease the financial burden on households and support our public services?
5. What does a ‘free Palestine’ look like to you?

1. The full arms embargo on the genocidal state of Israel should have taken place long ago. Many lives would have been saved by now. In my lifetime, our country together with its master, the USA have caused havoc around the world and continue to do so. The war in Ukraine is the most current example where people are needlessly dying because the UK is complicit in egging on Ukraine into a war that it cannot win. We must push our UK Govt to stop this double standards. As a lifelong member of Stop the war, I am against any war that is unjust.

2. YES, No question about it. Keir Starmer said it himself that Israel has the right to starve and take away fuel and water from the Palestinian people. Starmer said in his own words that he was a Zionist. It couldn’t be clearer.

3. YES, Immediately. It should never have been proscribed in the first place.

4. The world is different now to what it was 70 yrs ago, warfare has changed too. We don’t need the so called trident nuclear defence system for which we are paying millions and don’t even control fully. We need to invest in the people who are suffering the effects of the cost of living as a result of bad decisions made by respective Govts of all colours. It seems that the Govt are always complaining that there is not enough money for public services but somehow it can always find billions to fund wars and warfare in other countries while the poor and elderly have to decide weather they will eat or heat their homes many dying every year as a result.

5. Free from Israeli control, free to elect their own representatives, return of all Palestinian lands from the river to the sea, return of all refugees to their rightful land and homes, no further interference from the west and free trade and relations with the rest of the world.

General Questions on policy

1. What are the key policies that you would like to see in the Your Party manifesto for the next general election?
2. Imagine Your Party has just won a general election, what’s the first action or policy you would work to implement?
3. What do you think our taxes should be spent on?
4. What should, or should not, pension funds be invested in?
5. What are your thoughts on mass surveillance? Mandatory ID might be on ice but what about future attempts to reintroduce it, and what do you think about live facial recognition?
6. What are your thoughts on full public ownership of vital public services?

1. I have supported the Palestinian cause all my life but I am not a Palestinian. I am a Kashmiri and Kashmir is under occupation by India. I would like YOUR PARTY to stand with the Kashmiri peoples struggle for freedom just like we do for the freedom for Palestine. I would advocate for better workers rights, better housing, rent controls, privatisation of utilities, Healthcare, transport..

2. Fully recognise Palestine and take those responsible for and enabling the genocide to stand trial.

3.  Public services and public welfare. NHS, National Education System, Industry, Housing, Social services, better mental health services.

4. Any except companies that exploit workers or those that are complicit in activities that we do not agree with should be boycotted. Any company complicit in human rights abuses.

5. Totally against this Orwellian dystopian world where we lose all privacy and are suspects unless eliminated. We must stop this control freakery of our Govts plan to make us just a number rather than a human being with human rights. This kind of mass surveillance in its various forms is an attack on our freedoms and considers everyone a suspect until proved otherwise.

6. Not a good idea at all.

YOUR PARTY RULES & MANAGEMENT

1. In your opinion, what would be the most effective and fair way for Your Party to decide on and write policy (i.e. proposed and written the by CEC, by branches, by individual members, or by Sortition Assembly, for example)?
2. What are your thoughts on how the CEC, and other Your Party structures, could be made to function more effectively and in the interests of its members?
3. Do you support dual membership and, if so, which other parties would you approve?
4. ⁠Will you ensure that ‘one member, one vote’ is enshrined into the party’s constitution?
5. Voters do not want to see discord in Your Party.  What processes would you want to see put in place to allow members to raise grievances, have them addressed fairly and expediently, and for lessons to be learnt?
6. Would you ensure the CEC provides members with a contact number and email so that members can contact you with suggestions and questions?
7. Taking cybersecurity concerns and obligations into consideration, at a time when there is serious concern  that member’s data could be hacked, leaving members exposed to harassment and other risks, what protections, other than those provided by cybersecurity tools, would you want to see put in place when sharing membership information with local branch executives?
8. How do you see Your Party operating in areas where people are fundamentally right wing and any kind of public street stalls can be very dangerous for those involved, and how should Your Party CEC and the party centrally support comrades in those areas?
9. Do you support the party investing, on a targeted and financially sustainable basis, in permanent and visible local spaces to enable branches to hold meetings, run public-facing events, and engage with citizens outside of election cycles? Please also explain why you support, or don’t support, this initiative.
10. Given the fact that politics is rife with self-serving careerists who priorities their own interests and the interests of their donors, over the interests of party members, and British voters, to the extent that they are prepared to lie their way into office and then break every promise they ever made, would you support a simple mechanism that allows party members to call an immediate vote of confidence in any Your Party elected official, including MPs, councillors and staff on the CEC (or other party structures)? Also, in the event that they lose that vote of confidence, that they are immediately removed from that office (ideally triggering a by-election in the case of MPs and Cllrs)

1. Branches delegating to their reps on the CEC as well as delegates agreeing on policies at conference.

2. Most influence at branch level fed up to the CEC. Local branches know best what their needs are. No two branches are ever the same so there has to be some consideration to this and the needs of each branch.

3. On the whole I do not support dual membership. I see it as political bigamy. You either have a sense of belonging and a sense of loyalty to one or none. You cant be 50% loyal to one and then 50% loyal to someone completely different. That’s no loyalty to one or the other. If you believe that YOUR PARTY is a party you can trust and help build, then lets put all our energy into it. No divided loyalties. In for a penny and in for a pound.

4. Yes!

5. On the whole I do not support dual membership. I see it as political bigamy. You either have a sense of belonging and a sense of loyalty to one or none. You cant be 50% loyal to one and then 50% loyal to someone completely different. That’s no loyalty to one or the other. If you believe that YOUR PARTY is a party you can trust and help build, then lets put all our energy into it. No divided loyalties. In for a penny and in for a pound.

6. Yes!

7. Full compliance with GDPR and training for all staff in how information should or not be shared. Data security is vital and all sensitive data must be kept in a safe place and be encrypted for extra safety.

8. Ideally not go into risky areas alone, but rather in groups for safety. Make sure that you have a fairly good local knowledge of the area can be very useful. Good teamwork and good communication channels. Good planning and having a plan if things escalate. Sharing live locations and knowing where colleagues are can be useful. Working closely with police and letting then know of any potential issues.Keeping a log or a recording of events can make any potential investigation a lot easier.

9. It is only through regular contact with members of the public and having open and honest conversations that we can really learn and plan policy accordingly. This ensures that policies are informed by what is discussed in the public contact. People are very suspicious of politicians turning up at the door step every election time. Having those conversations away fro election periods will give the impression that we do really care what the public think.

10. Yes!

GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. How would you distinguish democratic socialism from social democracy, do you identify with either, and, if so, why?
2. Should there be an electoral alliance with the Green Party?
3. Please sketch how you would fight an election campaign paying particular attention to the voting base you would attempt to mobilise, the messages you would try to get across, and the means you would employ to promote such messages.
4. Do you think we should keep the Monarchy?
5. Do you think it’s important for Your Party to have strong animal rights policies? If so, can you provide examples?

1. I’m leaning more towards Social Democracy.

2. No. There are too many differences between the two. YOUR PARTY is unique and needs to keep its own identity and not formally ally with any other party. This does not mean that we cannot at times work strategically with other like minded parties when it is crucial to do so in order to keep Reform OUT.

3. As someone who has been involved with political and social activism for most of my adult life, I fully understand that speaking to people face to face is the best way to persuade people into taking political and social action. Having public meetings and rallies can help get the message out and a call for action for engagement from those who would normally not take much interest in politics due to their loss of trust in all parties. I would engage with the public in as many ways as possible including social media, newsletters, public meetings, door knocking, delivering leaflets and creating posters both physical and digital. Most people are feeling disengaged from politics, it will be our job to help people build some trust and start re engaging. This can only occur if we are seen to be on the side of ordinary people and not on the side of those that have their own political aspirations.Most members of the working class public feel that their grievances are not addressed, we must change that and put people first.

4. NO. Time to abolish the monarchy. In this day and age we don’t need this outdated institution.

5. Of course. It goes without saying that animals should be protected and their welfare should be a concern for everyone. There should be legal consequences for maltreatment and cruelty towards all animals, especially in captivity and those animals that are taken as pets and then discarded like old boots.

YOUR PARTY YORKSHIRE & HUMBER HUSTINGS (8th February 2026)….

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