The second round of the French presidential elections present workers and youth with the “choice” between a banker and xenophobe. Neither offers any alternative for the working class. The focus must now be on transforming the Rebellious France into a mass political movement that fights to break with capitalism.
Alan Woods, editor of In Defence of Marxism, discusses the recent results of the first round of the French presidential elections. Above all, these results represented a shattering of the status quo, with a complete collapse of the traditional parties of the centre left and the centre right.
An examination of the latest data on the register of donations at the Electoral Commission throws up some very interesting information. What it reveals is a well-organised and well-funded Labour right wing, with anti-Corbyn MPs and organisations in possession of a sizeable war chest thanks to their rich and wealthy friends.
Royal Mail bosses have put themselves on a collision course with postal workers after announcing their intention to slash the pensions of around 90,000 workers. This scandal – and the fightback against it – was one of the main discussion points in Bournemouth this week at the conference of the CWU, the union representing postal workers.
With the upcoming general election to be fought primarily over the issue of Brexit, Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary yesterday outlined Labour’s confused position on this key question. The only way forward for Corbyn and Labour is to draw a clear line in the sand and fight this election on the basis of a bold alternative of socialist policies.
Tensions over North Korea continue to simmer as Donald Trump adopts a more bellicose and belligerent stance. This imperialist sabre-rattling is a threat to everyone, raising fears of a Third World War. With a maverick in the White House, far-right demagogues on the rise, and the world economy in crisis, it is clear that we are in an epoch of profound instability.
The crisis in adult social care is deepening. A recent report found that 338,520 care workers left their jobs in the industry last year – an average of over 900 a day. As a result of austerity and privatisation, the social care system is on the verge of collapse. A socialist programme of public ownership and control is needed to save this vital service.
After months of turbulent campaigning, the drama of the first round of the French presidential elections has come to a close, with Macron and Le Pen left to face each other in the run-off. Most notable in these elections was the unprecedented collapse of the traditional parties and the rise of the radical left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his “Rebellious France” movement.
The possibility of a Corbyn-led Labour government was given a boost last Friday with the announcement of the election result for the position of Unite the Union general secretary. Len McCluskey’s narrow victory in the Unite leadership contest, however, provides some cautionary lessons to the Left about the way forward for the labour movement.
Theresa May shocked the country this week by announcing a snap general election on 8th June. This is a fight that Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party can win, provided they offer a bold, socialist alternative. The meteoric rise of far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon across the Channel provides valuable lessons on how to fight this campaign.
The brutal lynching of 23-year-old student Mashal Khan by a fundamentalist mob is a new and shocking example of the reign of terror that is being waged against progressive forces in Pakistan. We are appealing to our readings for donations to the Pakistan Trade Union Solidarity campaign and the Progressive Youth Alliance to fight this menace.
Members of both the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unison, as well as non-unionised staff in the NHS, are becoming increasingly frustrated with ongoing cuts in conditions and pay. As a result, for the first time in its history, the RCN is polling its members about their willingness to go on strike. Nurses, doctors, and all NHS staff: unite and fight!