The coming to power of a new Tory government opens a new stormy chapter in Britain. The stage is set for a turbulent period ahead of instability and upheaval. Rob Sewell looks at the explosive situation that is developing in the wake of the election and in the context of the world capitalist crisis.
Over the last week since the general election, David Cameron has lost no time in announcing yet more reactionary laws. Emboldened by their parliamentary majority, and freed from the ballast of coalition with the Lib Dems, the Tories have rushed to introduce further measures to stick the knife in against the working class.
For a layer of radicalised, working class youth, the result of the general election has shattered illusions in bourgeois, parliamentary democracy and intensified their fury against the whole rotten system. This was demonstrated by the thousands who gathered in London at short notice on Saturday 9th May, determined to fight this latest Tory government from day one.
Today, big business and the fat cats of the City of London are celebrating the victory of their friends in the Tory Party. Working people, in contrast, will be despairing at the thought of years of further attacks. The responsibility for Labour’s defeat lies with the right-wing policies of the leadership. Britain is set for a turbulent period ahead of crisis and struggle.
Russell Brand is a figure who has a habit of throwing cats amongst pigeons. As Britain goes to the polls, the latest stir up has been his change of opinion on the importance of voting. Having previously abstained, the comedian-turned-activitst has now supported a Labour vote. Is Brand right to change his position?
In a recent National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) poll, 84% of those questioned reported that they were providing additional support to students from poverty-stricken homes. In the face of mass austerity, schools have had to try and plaster over the wounds left by the crisis of capitalism.
The General Election 2015 takes place tomorrow. Whoever finally walks through the door of Number 10 will find civil servants ready to present the bill to enable the next government to meet the agreed legal spending caps on welfare spending. In turn this bill will be paid by the poorest and most needy sections of society.
It is clear that the Tories must be kicked out; and it is only Labour that has the power to do so. However, with his endless series of political somersaults, Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, risks allowing the hated Con-Dem Coalition to continue with its programme of cuts for another five years.
With just one week to go till the British General Election, polling in Scotland, and the SNP in particular, has been at the forefront of reporting. Polls have shown that rather than Labour closing the gap, the SNP’s dominance in Scotland has solidified and even extended. Labour faces complete annihilation north of the border – a result that will send tremors across the entire British political landscape.
We publish here a letter from Darrall Cozens, longstanding member of the Coventry NW Labour Party and President of the Coventry TUC (personal capacity), who comments on the upcoming elections and points out the options facing the Labour leaders: either fight for a genuine socialist alternative, or carry out cuts and see support for the party wither even further.
As the general election approaches, the working class face a bleak future. The Tory party promises to “finish the job” through increased austerity. The Labour leaders, meanwhile, want to continue the austerity but in a more “humane“ fashion. A clear alternative to austerity is needed. The leaders of the Left and the labour movement must fight for bold socialist policies.
Alan Woods provides a Marxist analysis of the national question in the context of Scotland. Despite the defeat of the Yes campaign, the referendum on Scottish independence was a political earthquake, which has transformed the landscape of British politics for years to come.