Britain

Tories take on UKIP’s policies to win UKIP voters. Vote Labour!

8th May 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Ian Richardson

The run up to the local elections on 4 May saw a clarification in Theresa May’s election strategy – or more accurately Lynton Crosby’s strategy: a pitch to mop up the UKIP vote by rebranding the Tories as the anti-European, ‘hard Brexit’ and anti-immigration party. Her ‘strong and stable’ mantra is of course chiefly inflected against the alleged ‘dangers’ presented by a Labour-led coalition government, but it also works as a banner for a reinvented hard right Tory party that promises to drive through a full and thorough Brexit.

Vote Labour! Defend Corbyn! For the many, not the few! Stop the Tory Hard Brexit!

25th April 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Ian Richardson

The General Election on 8 June is a classic ‘cut-and-run’ election, called on the back of mounting evidence of the economic squeeze that is already beginning to result from Brexit and the fact that the false promises about Brexit are unravelling, including that Britain could dictate the terms it chose for a Brexit deal. This means the Tories are at a high water mark, which will now recede. Theresa May knows this and has gone for a snap election before things start to run downhill.

Livingstone and anti-Semitism: it is defending Palestine that is under attack

11th April 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Robin Jackson

Israel has suffered some serious reverses in international opinion as a result of its wars on Gaza in 2008/9 and 2014, illegal settlements in the West Bank, displacement of Palestinians in Jerusalem, apartheid-style internal discrimination and Netanyahu’s refusal to compromise or entertain meaningful negotiations. Its supporters are attempting to launch a counteroffensive. At the centre of this has been the attempt to silence expression of support for Palestine by conflating criticism of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism.

Supporting Corbyn and opposing Brexit

20th March 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Jane West

There are two distinct projects in Britain to drive down the living standards of the working class and so drive up profits. One is the project of European Union big capital, which is to drive down the share of the economy that goes to the working class and raise profits, through slow attrition meaning a permanent squeeze on public spending, reducing the welfare state and wage decline or low growth. The other is the Brexit project which is an immediate and ferocious assault on living standards, trade union rights and public services.

There is no ‘People’s Brexit’

10th March 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Tom O’Leary

The certainty that Brexit will push living standards lower is not really a forecast- it is already happening. Immediately following the referendum the pound fell sharply and has more or less stayed at that lower level since. The 13 per cent decline means that CPI inflation is moving remorselessly higher and will continue to do so. Higher inflation means lower wages and incomes in real terms.