Victory to SYRIZA

8th June 2012 Socialist Action 0

By Nicky Dempsey

The Greek general election of June 17 will be closely watched by all the main political forces and classes in Europe. It marks the next phase in the struggle against the offensive to cut wages, public services and the incomes of the poor in order to restore profits.

Workers and the oppressed throughout the whole of Europe and beyond have a direct interest in a victory for those parties that oppose the current offensive.

Two classes, two responses to the crisis

1st June 2012 Socialist Action 0

By Nicky Dempsey

Martin Wolf, the chief economics commentator for the Financial Times, has laid out a devastating critique of current government economic policy in Britain. In a widely-reported article titled ‘Cameron is consigning UK to stagnation’ he says it is a scandal that the government has cut its own investment, especially when it can in effect borrow for free, as real interest rates are at zero.

The Redmond O’Neill Lecture 13 June

23rd May 2012 Socialist Action 0

Redmond O’Neill Memorial Lecture
7pm Wednesday 13 June
Bolívar Hall
54 Grafton Way, London W1T 5DL

Organised by: the Redmond O’Neill Memorial Lecture

Speaker: Gerry Adams TD, President Sinn Féin

Chair and Introduction by: Ken Livingstone

Author: BigonL

Welcome defeat of Sarkozy, but French left has to prepare for new struggles

22nd May 2012 Socialist Action 0

By Najete Michell

At last Sarkozy has been defeated! A relief for the French population after 5 years of a huge Thatcher-like offensive against the French welfare state, and the daily injection of racist and Islamophobic poison.

However, despite the opposition to Sarkozy, Hollande only won by 51.6 per cent and with only 1.1 million more votes than Sarkozy – a narrow victory, especially compared to what the polls had previously predicted.

Photo by endiaferon

Europe’s economic crisis

19th May 2012 Socialist Action 0

By Jane West

As the Euro-crisis unfolds and Greece heads to new elections, the left party, Syriza is capturing the support of most of those in Greece who want to reject the austerity programme imposed by the EU.

It is striking that the impact of the world developments, and particularly the growth of the left in Latin America, has clearly interacted with this political leadership of resistance to austerity in Greece. It was recently reported in the Guardian, of Syriza’s leader, Alexis Tsipras: ‘one of his heroes is Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez, with whom he shares the same birthday.’

The myths surrounding the London elections

16th May 2012 Socialist Action 0

By Joe Collins

Following Ken Livingstone’s defeat in the mayoral contest in London there have been a range of attacks on him from the usual quarters claiming that he underperformed the Labour Party and that on this basis that with ‘any other candidate’ Labour might have won.

The aim of the attacks is to discredit the progressive strand of politics that Ken Livingstone stood for, and to present any attempt to stand up to the offensive of the Tory-led government and its media backers as electorally suicidal.