Conscience or careers?
A few weeks ago, a group of 104 Labour MPs wrote a letter to Kier Starmer urging him to lower the cost of food, housing, and childcare.
This display of disunity within the parliamentary party came shortly after Starmer’s embarrassing failure to pass his bill on welfare reforms following a rebellion of Labour MPs.
Known as ‘The Living Standard Group’, they hope that changing some policies will catch working class voters who have drifted over to the Greens or Reform.
“It’s also a little bit less talking about the G7, a little bit more about groceries,” said MP Andrew Lewin.
It is unlikely that this group operates solely as a result of their consciences. Rather, the simple fact that if Starmer continues down this path of deeply unpopular attacks, the chances of reelection for these careerists are, at best, dwindling.
Starmer came into power on a set of contradictions, making promises to the working class to fix the issues that the Tory government left behind, whilst also making promises of growth and stability to the ruling class.
Unfortunately for him, as a representative of the bourgeoisie, he had no choice but to unleash austerity attack after austerity attack on the working class.
The demands for accessible food, living and childcare for all are most certainly demands that we make in the Revolutionary Communist Party. However, we do not put any hope in spineless puppets like Starmer to achieve this.
In fact, it is the likes of Starmer, and the system which they represent that are the working class’ biggest obstacle to realising these demands.
Joe Faithful, Merseyside
Chivalry for charlatans: A fairytale rescue for crooked lenders
Last October, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that means car dealers and the banks who provided loans for their customers may have to pay up to £44bn in compensation for hidden fees.
The bourgeois media called this a ‘shock verdict.’ One might wonder, did the court fail to apply the law? Far from it! The problem is that, for once,the state applied the law against the rich and powerful. We can’t have that, can we?
Luckily, Rachel Reeves, the lending industry’s chancellor in shining armour, is looking at potential solutions. The most likely plan of action? Changing the law to make them retroactively less liable, and reduce the load on her embattled banker and financier friends.
We say, if £44bn is too much for them to pay, let’s expropriate ALL their wealth!
Hugo Verge, South-West London
Arrest the real criminals!
Four people were arrested at the weekly Liverpool Palestine demonstration, one of whom was veteran activist Audrey White. The four each had signs which had slogans expressing solidarity with Palestine Action.
The police were brutal in how they handled these four and the protestors who were blocking them and their vans, brutally shoving several young protestors aside and, in at least one case, into the road.
The four were taken to St Anne police station, where a group of protestors went to show their support until the four were released on bail just after midnight.
This blatant repression of the Palestine movement by the Labour government is absolutely disgusting. It is they, who grease the wheels of Israel’s war machine that should be behind bars!
View this post on Instagram
The Liverpool comrades extend their solidarity to the four people arrested and anyone else intimidated or threatened by the state for showing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Liverpool Communists
Not a pawn for their politics!
On 26 July, we attended the Trans Pride protest in central London. Whilst the ruling class attempts to make such occasions just solely focussed on individual identity the atmosphere was highly politicised.
When we arrived, a crowd of around 100,000 protesters had gathered. Banners and flags filled the air, but what stood out most were the political slogans and placards. Many directly criticised the Labour Party for its reactionary response to the Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman.
Some protesters made clear connections between the attacks on trans rights and the broader struggles facing the working class – such as affordable housing, decent working conditions, and the impacts of austerity.
The Palestinian cause was also prominently supported, with chants like: “One struggle, one fight – Palestine and trans rights!” echoing throughout the crowd.
As communists, we want the liberation of all oppressed groups. To do so, we need to fight on a class basis and do away with the divisive culture wars orchestrated by the ruling class.
The fight of the oppressed needs to go hand in hand with that of the working class.
No solution under capitalism, fight for revolution!
George Williams & Alen Yerinkov, personal capacity
