Britain

Tomorrow, Sat April 10th, thousands of trade unionists and Labour
movement activists will unite to march through London in a demonstration
algainst cuts in public services, called by over 20
organisations including a number of trade unions. The March will assemble
at Midday outside Embankment tube and will end up in Trafalgar Sq. for a
rally. Here is what Socialist Appeal has to say about the issues raised by the
march in a leaflet being handed out on the day:

The massive over-reaction of the police and the courts against arrested Gaza demonstrators has come as a shock. Usually people convicted of minor public order offences get
a suspended sentence or community service.This time the judge has been
handing
down savage sentences of up to two and a half years at Isleworth Crown
Court.

The general election of 2010 has been called. To no-one’s surprise, on Thursday 6th May, voters will go to the polls to decide who will form the next UK government.  For a very long time now, the Tories – the party of big business – have enjoyed a sizeable poll lead, backed up by good results in local and Euro elections. Yet the gap between the Tories and Labour has closed sharply in recent months. Why is this?

The centre of Dudley in the Midlands became
a ghost town on Saturday 3^rd April with shops on the
High Street
boarded up, resembling the effects the recession had last year on many
towns .
But this deserted town centre was not the result of an economic
downturn, well
not exactly. It was the overreaction of the Midlands police in occupying
the
town with road blocks in an attempt to prevent trade unionists and
socialists demonstrating
against the venomous EDL who were trying to sow divisions amongst the
workers
of Dudley.

You couldn’t make it up. In a recent report on ‘executive pay’, The Economist
(hardly a champion of equality) has been obliged to admit the (for
them) embarrassing absurdity of ever ballooning capitalist pay-cheques
in the midst of attacks on working class living standards.

Over the last year Cambridge residents have
seen a number of attacks on the industries and public services in the
city. 12
months ago, Cambridge University Press, the oldest publishing house in
Britain,
announced plans to outsource much of its work; Addenbrookes, the main
city
hospital, has recently been told to find £40 million in efficiency
savings; the
workers in the CWU came out on strike last October against modernisation
plans
for the postal service. All of these words – “outsourcing”, “efficiency
savings”, “modernisation” – are clearly euphemisms for attacking jobs
and
services.

Over the last year Cambridge residents have
seen a number of attacks on the industries and public services in the
city. 12
months ago, Cambridge University Press, the oldest publishing house in
Britain,
announced plans to outsource much of its work; Addenbrookes, the main
city
hospital, has recently been told to find £40 million in efficiency
savings; the
workers in the CWU came out on strike last October against modernisation
plans
for the postal service. All of these words – “outsourcing”, “efficiency
savings”, “modernisation” – are clearly euphemisms for attacking jobs
and
services.

On
Saturday 20^th March the ragtag bunch of ex-football hooligans
and far-right activists  who call themselves the English Defence
League (EDL) descended on Bolton, in their latest attempt to stir up
trouble.

On
Saturday 20^th March the ragtag bunch of ex-football hooligans
and far-right activists  who call themselves the English Defence
League (EDL) descended on Bolton, in their latest attempt to stir up
trouble.

Eight months ago the Worcester-based company, Faithful
Workwear, which
was owned by former Tory cabinet minister Stephen Dorrell MP and made
industrial
clothing, went into so-called "pre-pack administration." The assets
were sold
to a new business trading under a new name but without the pension
liability
of the old business.
Now instead of the firm’s pensioners living a well earned
retirement,
after contributing for years to a pension fund, they are set to lose
30 to 40% of
their pension.

Eight months ago the Worcester-based company, Faithful
Workwear, which
was owned by former Tory cabinet minister Stephen Dorrell MP and made
industrial
clothing, went into so-called "pre-pack administration." The assets
were sold
to a new business trading under a new name but without the pension
liability
of the old business.
Now instead of the firm’s pensioners living a well earned
retirement,
after contributing for years to a pension fund, they are set to lose
30 to 40% of
their pension.