Recent polls have revealed that people are clearly not thinking the way the Tories and big business would like them to, confirming that the crisis of the system has had a profound effect on people and how they view society. Trust in the bankers to run the economy has fallen, whilst trust in the trade unions has risen. This represents a damning indictment of the capitalist campaign to discredit the organisations of labour.
Around 150 students crammed into the Revolution Coffee Bar at Sheffield University on Monday 30th September to hear John Dunn – Socialist Appeal supporter, ex-miner, and current member of Unite the Union – debate a motion about Thatcher’s real legacy. Richard Vivian of South Yorkshire Unite Community branch reports.
Figures recently published by the Office for National Statistics have revealed that those living in the wealthiest London boroughs enjoy their good health for, on average, 18 years longer than those living in the poorest areas. Capitalism is literally making life a misery for an increasing number of working class people in Britain, and what is becoming clearer and clearer is that if we don’t break capitalism’s hold on society, then it will be capitalism that breaks our society apart even more.
At the International Marxist Tendency winter school 2013, hosted in London by the UCLU Marxist Society with a theme of “130 years since the death of Marx: the life and ideas of Karl Marx”, Rob Sewell – editor of Socialist Appeal – gave a tour of London from the viewpoint of Marx’s life, highlighting the places where this great philosopher, economist, and political theorist, lived, worked, and socialised.
The recent speech by shadow Education Minister, Stephen Twigg, should ring alarm bells for anyone expecting any significant change from the current state of affairs in the event of Labour winning the next election. John Pickard of the NUT argues that the Labour leaders must make a radical break with the Coalition’s education policies.
In a year’s time, on 18th September 2014, Scotland will go to the polls over a key constitutional change – over whether to support an independent Scotland or not. This will be a vital issue, the outcome of which will have profound consequences for the fight for socialism in Scotland and the rest of Britain.
On Saturday 7th September the English Defence League (EDL), a far-right racist organisation, had planned to march through Tower Hamlets in London. Such a march, had it gone ahead, would have been sensationally provocative. But faced with the prospect of thousands of anti-fascist workers and youth confronting the EDL, the police stepped in and banned the EDL from entering Tower Hamlets. Ben Gliniecki and Niklas Svensson, present at the anti-fascist demo, report.
Sharp and sudden changes in the situation – that is the nature of the period. In the space of 24 hours, Cameron and the coalition government have gone from banging the drum for military strikes against Syria to a humiliating parliamentary defeat. This marks a new disaster for the coalition government, and in particular for the credibility of Cameron. The Emperor has been exposed without any clothes. This episode clearly reveals that the days for the Coalition are numbered.
We publish here a letter from a Socialist Appeal supporter about his experiences of a recent local Labour Party meeting, which reflects the beginnings of a mood change within the Party. As the Coalition’s cuts take effect, and with the Labour leaders failing to provide a fighting, socialist alternative, many ordinary Party members are beginning to raise the voices in concern and demand a genuine opposition to austerity.
This week, The Guardian newspaper published evidence of police collusion in the blacklisting of building workers. We present here the latest statement from the Blacklist Support Group, which accuses the Met Police and Information Commissioners Office of deliberately withholding information that proves the link between the police and the blacklist.
The crisis of capitalism has led to cuts across the board. The Tory-led Coalition have, despite their desires, been forces to attack the conditions of the police – a vital pillar of the capitalist state – leading to tensions between the police and government. The consciousness of rank and file police officers has begun to change, leading to demonstrations of the Police Federation and demands for the right to unionise and strike. Richard Baywood asks what attitude should Marxists take towards such developments?
In 1908 a top Tory grandee, informed that there was to be a new, socialist party coming into being which would threaten the status quo in Britain, responded “Don’t worry – we’ll have our own people running it.” Today, this right-wing role within the Labour Party is played by the Blairites and the Progress group. Bob Stothard examines the various well-funded groups that have voiced the interests of capitalism inside the Labour Party over the decades.