According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), the Government has only implemented 6% of its planned cuts to date. This is an austerity programme that is £10 billion behind schedule and which is set to last well beyond the next parliament. Although 6% is but a small step on a long road of enforced privation, already we can see the devastating effects this is having on millions of people.

Russian
working class women gained much from the October revolution of 1917 and
the subsequent planned economy that was put in place. Later under Stalin
many of the gains were destroyed, although as the economy developed the
conditions of women also improved. The return of capitalism in Russia
dramatically worsened the conditions of women. How does all this compare
to the current situation working class women are facing in the UK?

On Friday,
June 24, 2011, the New York State Senate voted to legalize gay marriage in New
York State in the US. This is a victory for democratic rights!  Marxists oppose
all forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on sexuality
and gender. The fact that marriage laws discriminate against same-sex
partners is just the latest in the struggle for equality and democratic
rights for the LGBT community under capitalism.