- No to a massive assault on jobs, wages, pensions and welfare!
- For a joint socialist left General Election Campaign in Birmingham!
- Support the Respect Candidate in the Sparkbrook by – election!
A government commission in the Irish republic has recommended cutting 17,500 public sector jobs (equivalent to a cut of 300,000 in Britain), cuts in wages, pensions and a 20% cut in child benefit. These measures are supported by all the mainstream parties including the Greens.
David Davis, former shadow Home Secretary writing in the Sunday Times 26.7.09 proposed axing “middle class welfare” including child benefit and the pensioners’ winter fuel allowance – starving the kids and freezing the pensioners!!
These policies will be implemented with a vengeance by a future Tory or Tory/Liberal coalition government or even by a New Labour government in the extreme unlikelihood of it being elected.
The capitalist politicians have really no alternative since they accept the existing distribution of wealth and income which is inherent in the British capitalist system. They will not propose a real distribution of wealth and power but will allow the bankers and big capitalists to get fat bonus and enormous dividend payments as usual.
There have been various moves towards left unity in the past; from the Socialist Alliance to Respect, the call from the Socialist Party and more recently from the Socialist Workers Party and the unity shown during the recent No2EU campaign. This had the vital backing of the most militant trade union, the RMT, as well as other left forces. Yet it must be recognised that Respect still has the largest electoral footprint, with one MP and 10 councillors nationally, and is a serious electoral force in this city.
We think it is urgent the socialist left come together to mount a serious challenge to the consensus for the need for drastic public expenditure cuts at the next general election. Even a campaign standing in 20 -50 constituencies, stating opposition to these cuts and promoting workers’ action such as the Vestas occupation, will encourage resistance to these austerity measures when they are introduced by a future Tory government.
The main themes of the socialist election campaign should be as follows;
1. Opposition to the planned austerity measures; cutting jobs, wages, pensions and social benefits. Support for workers action, legal and illegal strikes and occupations.
2. Defence of the environment; urgent and radical action to combat global warming.
3. Troops out of Afghanistan and Justice for the Palestinian people.
4. Opposition to racism, fascism and Islamophobia.
5. For a proportional system for the election of MPs.
We also are making two specific proposals;
1. Mobilise now to support the Respect candidate, Shokat Ali, in the by- election in Sparkbrook due in September. Match words with action! Ring 0781 217 2885 to help.
2. A meeting should be called between all organisations and individuals who support a joint socialist electoral challenge in Birmingham at the General Election. If progress is made with this, a launch rally featuring national speakers from the organisations and individuals involved could be held.
