Union to back its own candidates in general elections Where they do not, the union will consider supporting candidates or working with others to stand a candidate in national elections. Examples include backing an anti-cuts candidate in a parliamentary by-election where none of the main parties are opposing closures of local public services, or targeting prominent ministers whose mainstream opponents are refusing to campaign against cuts. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This is a historic vote giving us another weapon in our fight against cuts and for the alternative to austerity. It will allow us to directly challenge the Westminster cuts consensus that is making scapegoats of public sector workers, the unemployed, pensioners and students, and destroying our communities. We know austerity isn't working and we know there is an alternative based on investment in decent public services, tackling the tax dodgers and redistributing our nation's wealth to the millions instead of the millionaires. The union, which has 290,000 members, has been running a Make Your Vote Count campaign since 2007, asking local election candidates where they stood on key issues and publishing responses to members in advance of polling day.