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We publish here an open letter from Ross Walker of the Edinburgh Marxists, who appeals to those supporting a “Yes” vote – from a leftwing perspective – in the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence. The letter outlines the position of the Marxists, who call for a “No” vote to retain the unity of the working class across Britain in the struggle for international socialist revolution.
We publish here the fifth and final part of the International Marxist Tendency’s draft document on the perspectives for the world revolution. In this final section, the analysis focusses on the growing inequality in society and the radicalising effect this is having in society, particularly amongst the youth. This has revolutionary implications on a global scale.
It has often been stated that the correctness of Marxist theory – in its ability to predict the general course of development within the economy and society – demonstrates the superiority of foresight over astonishment. Never has this been better demonstrated than by the events of the current crisis, which has left the ruling class flailing blindly in search of an explanation or a solution.
Saturday 15th February 2014 will go down as a historical day for the student movement in the UK, as it saw around 70 student represenatives from 20 Marxist societies across the country, along with international visitors, meeting in London for the founding conference of the Marxist Student Federation. The conference was a great success, and marked an important step forward for the Marxist students in Britain.
Ordinary working people have faced an onslaught against their living standards over the past five years due to the crisis of capitalism. The leadership of the Labour Party should be offering concrete political proposals to combat this. Instead, however, the LP has spent the last four years concentrating on a reorganisation of the Party. Darrall Cozens examines the recent focus of the Labour leaders on organisational changes rather than political alternatives.
As the rain continues to fall and the storm winds continue to blow, in what has proved to be the wettest winter for decades, the Tories have continued to shout and bluster in the face of a crisis to which they can find no solution. Felix Lighter looks at the floods in Britain, which are exposing the hypocrisy of the Tory Coalition and the tensions in society.
With less than seven months before Scotland goes to the polls over its future, the “No” campaign to keep together the 300-year old Union with England has once again been put on the back foot due to the clumsy intervention of the English Tory Prime Minister, David Cameron. Rob Sewell, editor of Socialist Appeal, looks at the latest developments in the question of the referendum on Scottish Independence.
It is now three years since the Labour Conference voted to go into coalition with Fine Gael in Ireland. In the opinion of Gilmore, the Irish Labour Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Ireland has been to “hell and back”. While we – Fightback, the Irish Marxists – would agree that the capitalist crisis has put the Irish working class through hell, it is not at all clear that the process has ended.
Today we publish the fourth part of the IMT’s analysis of the world situation, which deals with the ongoing revolutions in Latin America and the Middle East, the movements in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Egypt and Iran, as well as world relations and the decline of US imperialism.
We publish here statements by Hands Off Venezuela and the Marxist tendency of the PSUV, which call for a defence of the Bolivarian revolution in the face of recent violent demonstrations by the opposition in Venezuela that have openly stated their intent to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Maduro.
Reform or revolution? This has been the main ideological debate in the labour movement for the past century. Today, the crisis of capitalism poses the question sharply. Unlike in the past, however, the material basis for reformism has been eroded. The cupboard is bare. Austerity, heightened class struggle, and revolutionary upheaval are on the order of the day.
No one with any sense believes Cameron’s lie that “we are all in this together”. The class nature of this government’s austerity programme and its effects on poor and working people is inescapable. Ben Curry of the Leeds Marxists looks at the geographical distribution of the cuts and discusses how the poorest and most disadvantaged areas are suffering the most. The effect is the sharpening of already glaring disparities.