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The crisis in the
Scottish Socialist Party hit the news when judge Lady Smith jailed SSP policy
co-ordinator, Alan McCombes, for 12 days on May 26th, after he
continually refused to hand over the minutes of a meeting from November 2004.
This was the latest in a series of crises which has stretched the party almost
to breaking point.
The Editorial of the latest issue of Socialist Appeal (July/August
2006) calls for a socialist candidate to oppose Brown in a Labour
leadership election. "The idea of a handover – with no election – that Blair and Brown had
imagined is clearly now dead in the water. There is a rising tide of
opposition to Brown’s succession.
What an ideal opportunity to raise socialist policies throughout the
labour movement!"
Today, Tuesday 17th June, around 1,500 trade unionists gathered at
Westminster Central Hall, London, to launch a fight-back over the
privatisation of public services. This was an excellent turnout for a
weekday rally.
Peugeot is planning to move production from its Coventry plant in the UK
to Slovakia, where labour costs are one quarter of what they are in the UK. Capitalists
have no concern for their workers. They go where they can maximise profits. The
only answer is nationalisation under workers’ control.
The concluding section of British Perspectives 2006 looks at the state
of the British economy, which has been propped up by colossal debts for
some time, but is now grinding to a halt. The decline of manufacturing,
and the domination of banking and financial services is an expression
of the enfeeblement of British capitalism. This lies behind the attacks
on the welfare state, on jobs and conditions, and on democracy. All the
conditions are being prepared for a new outbreak of class struggle that
will have a profound impact on British society in the next period.
As the 2006 World Cup kicks off in Germany Steve Jones looks at the
commercialisation of football and the impact of profiteering on the
sport and the fans.
There
is no greater threat to democratic rights than a capitalist system in fear of
its future. British capitalism has long been in decline, and this decline is
accurately reflected in the crises of the Tory Party. The sickness of British
capitalism also means a growing class polarisation of British society, which at
some stage must be reflected in the Labour Party.
Despite
the almost incessant rainfall we are officially in a drought. There
can be no doubt that climate change is contributing to changing
weather patterns to adversely affect our water supply. This is a
foretaste of what conditions will be like here in the not too distant
future if something is not done to halt and reverse the destruction
of our environment on a global scale.
Following the hugely successful visit to London by
Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, where he addressed audiences of hundreds,
the Hands Off Venezuela campaign is to be launched in Scotland with a press conference
at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, 31st May.
After being labelled a “butcher” by
the British press following last week's bad election results for the
Labour Party and the subsequent Cabinet reshuffle, Tony Blair
suffered another blow, this time not at home but abroad. In Basra the
British army lost five soldiers, including the first female casualty,
as their helicopter crashed and British soldiers came under attack.
In Part One of
British Perspectives Phil Mitchinson looks at the general trends in
British politics, with an eye to the international situation, the war
in Iraq, and the decline of Blairism.
Labour suffered a heavy defeat in England's local council elections,
but Blair is desperately clinging on to office for now. In an attempt to
cover up Labour's losses and to shore up his support Blair quickly moved
to sack several high ranking ministers and promote loyal supporters.
What Blair has installed is a Final Days administration. It is a bunker
cabinet. Blair is finished and so is Blairism. These elections
illustrate a growing class polarisation taking place in British society.