Cameron and Osborne appear oblivious to the crisis unfolding in front of
their very noses. While standing on the edge of a precipice, they are
busy reassuring everyone that Britain has nothing to fear from the
European financial crisis. They are the modern equivalent of the emperor
Nero, who fiddled while Rome burnt. British banks, they say, are sound
and with enough capital to insulate themselves against a sovereign debt
crisis across the Channel.
As the flames of economic crisis spread across Europe, it is essential
public services such as fire and rescue that are now being cut as a
result. All 49 fire services across Britain have seen their funding from
the government reduced by 25% as part of the Tory-led Coalition’s
programme of austerity. Despite already having one of the most efficient
and affordable fire services in the country, Cambridgeshire is seeing
huge attacks on its fire and rescue services.
Socialist Appeal notes with sadness the untimely deaths of Andy Viner and Brian Haw at the weekend and sends condolences to their families and friends and the many people who knew them. Here we pay tribute to them and the role they played.
June 30th is building up to be one massive day of action by public sector workers and others. UCU, PCS, NUT and ATL members have already voted to take strike action on the day. Many other workers and students will be joining them in participating in protests, marches and rallies up and down the country. Here are some details, compiled by PCS on their website, of events taking place on the day:
As Britain’s largest care home provider teeters on the brink of
bankruptcy we examine the underlying causes of the crisis and explain how not
even the care of elderly people is immune from the ravages of capitalism.
The crisis which has hit the care home company Southern Cross continues
to get worse and worse. Already 3,000 jobs losses have been announced
and today the FT leaked the news that the company intend to "return to
their landlords" 132 of their homes – about 20% of the total holding.
We are being
constantly reassured that the financial crisis gripping Greece cannot reach
Britain. Many facts and figures are provided to back this up. However, a
closer look at the situation reveals the real underlying financial
crisis that sooner or later must surface in Britain also. In this
article Adam Booth looks at the situation in Greece and Europe as a
whole and shows how Britain cannot escape the inevitable.
It would be remiss of us not to mention this year’s Sunday Times Rich
List, which was published during April. The opening article is headed
‘Wealth goes through the roof.’ It starts with the blurb: ‘While Britons
feel the pain of spending cuts, high-rollers march onwards and
upwards…’ What! Didn’t the government just tell us that We Are All In
This Together? Well it seems not.
Plans by Royal Mail management to slash around 40,000 jobs over the next five years have been leaked. Clearly the plan is to make the company an ‘attractive option’ for buyers following privatisation. In reality this will turn RM into just another courier service – offering poor service for high prices.
At
its annual Congress held at the Harrogate International Centre, from
Saturday 28 May to Monday 30 May 2011, the University and College Union
(UCU) passed a unanimous resolution condemning US sanctions against
PDVSA.
“From Scotland to Spain, the problem is the same!” was one of many slogans being shouted from the streets of Edinburgh today (29th May) as around 200 – 300 people (most from Edinburgh’s sizeable Spanish
community) organised to demonstrate in solidarity with revolutionary
movements in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.
To get the perspective of the NHS reforms from a
healthcare worker, Socialist.net talked to Martin Booth, Chair of the Unison health branch
at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge and Secretary of the Cambridgeshire
Against the Cuts campaign.