British Politics

Tory manifesto is the most right-wing since 1945

22nd May 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Ian Richardson

One of the clearest examples of ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’ so far in the British election campaign has been the media’s flagging of the Tory manifesto as stealing moderate Labour’s clothes by ‘abandoning Thatcherism’ and instead pitching ‘for the centre ground’, allegedly abandoned by Corbyn’s Labour. In reality May’s Tory manifesto is the most right wing Tory manifesto since the Second World War, going way beyond Thatcher in its proposals to deepen the attack on the welfare state, extending austerity’s scope to both the very young – ending free school lunches – and to the elderly with the ending of winter fuel payments except to the very poor and a ‘solution’ to the social care crisis of making those needing it pay for it themselves from the value of their homes.

Labour’s manifesto

14th May 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Ian Richardson

The radical policies outlined in Labour’s manifesto have galvanised wide layers of the Labour Party membership in the fight to defeat the Tories. Beyond committed Labour activists, the broad mass of voters do not care whether the manifesto is labelled too radical by its critics and are only interested in whether policies are likely to benefit them. The manifesto is replete with proposals that will do that.

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.