So& Wloirkdersa’ Lirbeirtty y Volume 3 No 199 30 March 2011 30p/80p For a workers’ government

Middle East Open letter to a direct Marx on the Paris round up page 3 action activist page 6 Commune page 10

After “March for the Alternative” See page 5 Now make our movement fit to fight! • POLITICALLY: REMAKE THE LABOUR PARTY • INDUSTRIALLY: STRIKE NOW! • IN IDEAS: FIGHT FOR EVERY JOB AND SERVICE; MAKE THE RICH PAY! EDUCATION

What is the Alliance Victories for anti-cuts student candidates

for Workers’ Liberty? By Sacha Ismail student revolt in London, in London), where Coun - One election not yet con - Today one class, the working class, lives by selling anti-cuts activists are now terfire/Coalition of Resist - cluded when we went to In recent student union its labour power to another, the capitalist class, firmly in control. ance activist Clare press is Westminster Uni - sabbatical elections we which owns the means of production. Society In other places where Solomon lost re-election to versity, where left-wingers, have seen many more the left did not win any an unpleasant right- including AWL member is shaped by the capitalists’ relentless drive to left candidates — the re - increase their wealth. Capitalism causes sabbatical positions, left winger by a very narrow and incumbent Vice Presi - sult of an upsurge in stu - candidates received good margin. dent Education Jade Baker, poverty, unemployment, the blighting of lives by dent anti-cuts activism. votes, and many part-time The ULU figures were, are battling Islamists Hizb overwork, imperialism, the destruction of the While there have not officers were elected. Vic - in fact, not bad for the left. ut-Tahrir in an extremely environment and much else. been dramatically more tories have been on the Left candidates won the tight race. A HT victory Against the accumulated wealth and power of the left victories, there have basis of a strong grassroots two other sabbatical posi - would be a disaster. The capitalists, the working class has one weapon: solidarity. been some interesting anti-cuts group, almost all tions and Clare’s vote election will close and the The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build solidarity developments. of which have revived went up quite a bit from result be known on Thurs - through struggle so that the working class can overthrow after the new year lull be - last time, when she only day 31 March. The left has won elec - Getting elected is one capitalism. We want socialist revolution: collective ownership cause of the UCU strikes, won because her opponent tions at some very unex - thing. What is crucial is of industry and services, workers’ control and a democracy new occupations and the was disqualified. With pected places, including that the new crop of left- much fuller than the present system, with elected run-up to 26 March. Such more left-wing officers right-wing bastions. These wing sabbaticals con - representatives recallable at any time and an end to groups played a particu - than before, ULU may well include Royal Holloway, tinue to be integrated bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. larly important role in continue to be a base for Bristol and Liverpool uni - into the activist groups Royal Holloway and Liv - activism. But the headline We fight for the labour movement to break with “social versities (see article which helped elect them, erpool. is a left-wing president partnership” and assert working-class interests militantly below). Left-wing, anti- and act as a lever to The most dramatic de - being thrown out after a against the bosses. cuts candidates were also continue the revival of feat came in the University right-wing witch-hunt Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, elected at Southbank, Ed - student activism. of London Union (the fed - against her in the media — supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, inburgh and Birmingham. eration of the posher unis a definite setback. helping organise rank-and-file groups. At UCL, the centre of the We are also active among students and in many campaigns and alliances. We stand for: Continuing the G Independent working-class representation in politics. G A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the labour movement. G A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, to anti-cuts fight strike, to picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. G Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, education and jobs for all. Bob Sutton, a Workers’ The election was fought G A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. Liberty member at the in the same week as the Full equality for women and social provision to free women University of Liverpool two days of strike action from the burden of housework. Free abortion on request. Full has been elected to a full- by the UCU on campus. equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Black and white time sabbatical position The combination of get - workers’ unity against racism. as a Vice-President of the ting people to lecturers’ G Open borders. Liverpool Guild of Stu - picket lines and demon - G Global solidarity against global capital — workers dents for 2011-12. Maev strations, and getting peo - everywhere have more in common with each other than with McDaid, also of the anti- ple out talking about the their capitalist or Stalinist rulers. cuts campaign, beat the election has served to rein - G Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest incumbent, Josh Wright vigorate the campaign UCL drops court threat workplace or community to global social organisation. into second place to win after a relative lull in the G Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal the presidency. Turnout new year and pull in a new over solidarity occupation rights for all nations, against imperialists and predators big was 4726 — 27% of the layer of activists. and small. student body, beating a Most candidates con - record that has stood since fined themselves to giving The management at University College London has G Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. 1981. Bob reports. out sweets, building up dropped its decision to take twelve students and one G If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity worker to court for their part in a three-day occupa - I stood as the candidate personalities and relying to sell — and join us! on the loyalties of “their” tion of the University Registry in solidarity with UCU of the anti-cuts cam - strikers last week. 020 7394 8923 [email protected] paign, UoL Against Fees various societies, sports teams or whatever. 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, and Cuts, set up at the The UCU strike received very strong and widespread university in October in We went out and talked student solidarity. After the anti-cuts/fees upsurge, stu - London, SE1 3DG. response to the findings big politics, convinced peo - dent-worker solidarity is axiomatic among student ac - of the Browne review. ple of the basic argument tivists. NUS’s equivocation on the UCU action was that the student movement almost universally regarded as a disgrace. A big student We were the ones who can and must fight the cuts presence on most picket lines was crowned by flash oc - GET SOLIDARITY helped organise the mas - rather than accepting what cupations in support of UCU at a number of universities, sive student walkouts on has happened. including Edinburgh, Kent, UEA as well as UCL. the 24 and 30 November in To my knowledge or that UCL management’s climbdown comes after a solid, EVERY WEEK! Liverpool against the rais - of any comrade in the mass-mobilising campaign by both student and workers ing of the cap on tuition AWL or the wider labour in the targeted occupiers’ defence. This is a victory for Special offers fees to £9,000 and cuts to movement, this is the first student campaigners against a growing climate of re - higher and further educa - time in living memory that pression, symbolised not only by events at UCL but by G Trial sub, 6 issues £5  tion, and who subse - a left-winger has got in at the violent eviction of the occupation at Glasgow Uni on quently initiated the Liverpool. Now the real work 22TMhearceha. re other disciplinary matters and unspeci - G 22 issues (six months). £18 waged  £9 unwaged  Merseyside Network starts in making sure we Against Fees and Cuts, fied “legal costs” outstanding, so the campaign con - 44 issues (year). £35 waged £17 unwaged use this mandate and tinues, but UCL’s retreat is a victory that should give G   which has pulled together space to organise to help the anti-cuts campaigns at everyone in the student movement a boost to keep G European rate: 28 euros (22 issues)  or 50 euros (44 issues)  the fight for the fate of fighting. different colleges and education. schools across the area. Tick as appropriate above and send your money to: 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG Cheques (£) to “AWL”. Protests push Tories back on EMA Or make £ and euro payments at workersliberty.org/sub.

Immediately after the TUC anti-cuts demonstration, Name ...... All this is very limited — a 60 percent cut in EMA rather Tory education secretary Michael Gove announced a than a 90 percent cut. It is also far more vulnerable to arbi - concession on the government’s abolition of Educa - Address ...... trary decisions and manipulation, with money distributed tion Maintenance Allowances for sixth form students. by college principals. Nonetheless, without the huge protests by school and college students last year, and the The so-called replacement for EMAs was planned to ...... protests on Saturday, it is unlikely the Tories would have amount to only about 10 percent of the £560 million the made even these concessions...... old scheme cost. Now Gove has produced funding of £180 The Save EMA campaign is a very mild, Miliband- million. He also announced that those who began their Labour, respectable outfit, and played no real role in the wave of action last year. But it drew the right con - I enclose £ ...... courses in 2009-10 will receive EMA at full value for their clusion when it commented: “Tonight we can cele - second year, and a more generous “phase out” deal than brate but tomorrow the fight continues!” before for those who began their courses last autumn. 2 SOLIDARITY NEWS Israeli left: “We Oppose Egypt strike ban Tomlinson inquest are not loyal to a Extracts from a 23 March Egyptian Penal Law, which not recognise the fairness statement from the Centre criminalised the right to of the labour movement’s A jury inquest into the for Trade Union and strike, was witness to the demands. Their stance was death of newspaper ven - Workers’ Services and the old regime’s reactionary not so different from the dor Ian Tomlinson is fi - government of Federation for Independ - nature. It violated the in - regime of Mubarak. Their nally underway, two years ent Unions. ternational labour conven - idea of democracy means after he was killed during The Egyptian cabinet of tions which are ratified by only elections under the the G20 demonstrations ministers approved a the Egyptian government supervision of the judici - in London. racists” and put in the rubbish bin. ary, and openings towards draft law which crimi - A criminal enquiry previ - nalises sit-ins, protests …The Center for Trade the Muslim Brotherhood, Union and Workers’ Serv - while they disregard the ously ruled that Tomlinson and gatherings which died of natural causes. It hamper work in public or ices (CTUWS) and the need to liberate civil soci - By Sacha Ismail Egyptian Federation For ety and establish workers’ did not press charges In Britain, as things cur - private paces. It decided against the cop who, in am - rently stand, the issue of to submit the draft law to Independent Trade Unions rights. The Israeli Knesset [Par - have been calling since 14 Real democracy does not ateur video footage from boycotting the settlements the Supreme Military the scene, was clearly seen liament], dominated by is difficult to separate from Council for final consid - February for the establish - stop at the level of repre - Israel’s extreme-right ment of suitable mecha - sentation. It is not a parlia - striking Tomlinson. the reactionary and eration and adoption. However, the primary coalition government, is nisms for resolving the ment or a consultative counter-productive drive pathologist in the case (Dr engaged in a flurry of [This] is a legal disaster. problems facing the work - council. It is the independ - for a general boycott of Is - Freddy Patel) was later sus - racist, anti-democratic It is a return to penalising ers (especially those re - ent unions and civil society rael. In Israel itself it is pended for “deficient pro - law-making. the right to strike. lated to wages and organisations which ex - quite a different matter. fessional performance” in Gush Shalom initiated a The Egyptian workers informal workers). press the demands of the Last year Israel’s Citizen - have struggled for decades The government of workers and fight for their other, unrelated, cases, boycott of settlement prod - bringing his judgement in ship Act was amended to ucts thirteen years ago as for the right to strike. They Egypt is still far from deal - reaWliesactiaolnl .u..pon the gov - require new, non-Jewish Is - paid the price by being im - ing with the Egyptian the Tomlinson case into part of a more general po - ernment to withdraw the doubt. raeli citizens to swear their litical campaign against Is - prisoned, transferred or workers as citizens and draft law, and call on the loyalty to Israel as a “Jew - killed. There were martyrs partners in decision-mak - The inquest will cover raeli colonialism in the Supreme Military Council the role of the police, ish and democratic state”; Occupied Territories. Re - in the Iron and Steel strikes ing who have the right to to refrain from imple - in January the Knesset of 1989, the Kafr el Dawar access knowledge and dis - pathologists and coroners cent years have seen actors menting it. in the investigations that launched an “investiga - refuse to perform in Ariel, strikes of 1994 and the cussing their conditions. tion” into Israeli left and Mehalla el Kobra strikes of It is unfortunate that the took place after Tomlin - the largest Israeli settle - son’s death. human rights organisa - ment in the West Bank, and 2008. transitional governments • CTUWS: Many, including Tomlin - tions. Both were passed academics refuse to deal Article 124 of the old after the revolution could http://alturl.com/uejdd son's family, have ac - over big protests, many- with the “University Cen - cused authorities of a thousands strong. tre” there. cover-up. And on 26 March, Israeli The original draft of the anti-occupation organisa - law mandated criminal Protests in Morocco tion Gush Shalom re - charges and fines for those Inquiry needed ported: “The Knesset has who broke it. Left activists finally adopted two obnox - welcomed this, because it By Ziyad Economic demands such into Smiley ious racist laws...directed would have meant the pos - (Revolutionary as increased wages, unem - against Israel’s Arab citi - sibility of going to prison Marxist Current) ployment benefit, national - Culture’s death zens, a fifth of the popula - in defiance of the law. isation of public services tion. Now, instead, anyone who The ideologues of the (which are often under the By Ira Berkovic “The first makes it possi - feels hurt by a boycott will control of big imperialist ble to annul the citizenship Moroccan regime were be given the right to sue its multinationals) are also The family of dancehall- of persons found guilty of convinced that Morocco organisers — a process brought to the fore, at the reggae pioneer Smiley offences against the secu - would escape the wave which the well-organised same level of importance Culture are demanding a rity of the state. Israel of struggle which is and well-funded settlers as the prosecution of the full and open inquiry into prides itself on having a sweeping the Middle can use to paralyse solidar - East and North Africa. corrupt judiciary. the circumstances sur - great variety of such laws. ity activists by tying them The revolutionary Marx - rounding his death. Annulling citizenship on up in thousands of law This pretence of Moroc - ists are playing an impor - such grounds is contrary to suits. can exceptionalism was tant role in this movement After the police raided international law and con - This is a question of based on the one hand on with the aim of radicalis - his home in connection to a ventions. democratic rights in Israel, a broad spectrum of trade ing it and pushing it to - drugs bust, Smiley Culture “The second … allows but it is also about making union, and political and wards the maximum allegedly stabbed himself communities of less than solidarity with Israelis who youth organisations, which programme of our class — in the heart with a kitchen 400 families to appoint ‘ad - knife. make solidarity with the create an illusion of plural - youth as hooligans, as soFcioarlisums .this is only a be - mission committees’ which Since the end of his Palestinians. Clearly the ism; and, on the other “atheist Marxists” or “Is - ginning, and we have can prevent unsuitable music career, Smiley Cul - law is aimed against anti- hand, on the King’s false lamists”, in order to divide great need of interna - persons from living there ture (aka David Em - occupation boycotts, not announcements of “demo - the movement. The second tional support. ...it specifically forbids the manuel) had become any others (not, for in - cratic opening-up” and po - lever is the King’s declara - rejection of candidates be - involved in the African dia - stance, religious boycotts litical and social reforms. tions. He has promised to cause of race, religion, etc. mond industry and had against non-kosher shops!) The struggle of the change the government, a • Over the last week, a — but that paragraph is links to some unsavoury This is part of a general youth, organised around concession which was dis - major movement has forces in countries such as tantamount to a wink. An stepping up of repression the “20 February Plat - missed by the 20 February blown up in the education Azerbaijan. But the police’s Arab applicant will simply against pro-Palestinian Is - form”, threw all of these movement. sector in Morocco. story of his death is bizarre, be rejected because of his raelis — symbolised by the calculations. It proved that The phosphate workers In the capital, Rabat, claiming that Emmanuel many children or lack of case of Israeli anarchist the masses of Morocco, the of Khoribga, the Tangier teachers struck for better asked to make a cup of tea military service.” Jonathan Pollak, in jail for workers, peasants, the car workers, and then the wages and conditions. The before the police took him When AWL members taking part in an anti-occu - poor and the students, had refuse workers in the north strike culminated in a four- away and, while alone in and supporters visited Is - pation protest. long been waiting for the of the country have joined day occupation of the Edu - the kitchen, stabbed him - rael and Palestine in No - The law is also, as Gush signal to come out into the the movement. Panic- cation Ministry. The self to death. vember 2010, we took part Shalom puts it, “blatantly streets. stricken, the King was occupation was broken by Quite why the police in a demonstration against annexationist”. It is part of The demands of “20 Feb - forced to announce his the police, who cleared out would allow a suspect to this law. That it has passed a drive to establish the set - ruary” didn’t even reach support for a consitutional the strikers and beat one wander off unescorted dur - is very bad news indeed. tlements as a permanent the level of minimal demo - change, and to set up a teacher so badly that he ing a raid on his home, or The Knesset is also dis - part of Israeli territory. cratic demands, but the committee to oversee the died of his wounds on 27 why Emmanuel would not, cussing another law which And even as it oppresses Moroccan regime reacted change. March. if he was suicidal, choose is almost certain to pass — the Palestinians, the occu - with violent repression, ar - This announcement On 28 March teachers an easier method than stab - to ban boycotts of Israeli pation corrupts Israeli soci - rests and even murders proved to the people that and teaching unions in bing himself with a kitchen settlements. ety. when faced with 70 Moroc - the movement represents a Morocco declared a three- knife, are not clear. According to Gush In January, when 20,000 can towns which came out real opposition force. This day national strike to sup - A campaign has been set Shalom, “the law will pun - people protested in Tel into the street. This repres - encouraged the movement port the Rabat teachers. up to demand an inquiry; it ish any person or associa - Aviv against the witch- sion created a determina - to call new demonstra - Since 23 March, students organised a meeting of tion publicly calling for a hunt of human rights tion among the youth. tions, on 20 March, raising in 70 colleges across Mo - more than 1,000 people in boycott of Israel — eco - groups, Gush Shalom de - Over the course of the the level of demands: con - rocco have been striking Brixton, where Mike nomic, academic or cul - clared: “We are not loyal to demonstrations, the au - stitutional-parliamentary and demonstrating. The students demand free pub - Franklin of the Independ - tural. ‘Israel’, according to a gBoovtehrnthmeenPtaolefsrtaicniisatsn”s . thorities have changed monarchy, dissolution of lic education; improved ent Police Complaints this law, means any Israeli and the Israeli left will their strategy, using two the government and par - quality of teaching; the Commission was heckled. enterprise or person, in Is - need maximum solidarity levers. liament, abolition of the The campaign has a right to work after gradua - rael or in any territory con - in fighting that govern - The first lever is the current constitution, and, Facebook page: “Cam - tion; they demand the res - trolled by Israel. Simply ment in the months print and audiovisual above all, the election of a paign for Justice for Smi - ignation of the Education put: it is all about the set - ahead. media, which has pre - Constituent Assembly. ley Culture.” tlements.” sented the struggling Minister, as he is corrupt. SOLIDARITY 3 REGULARS The press and 26 March Letters

ment against cuts has a duty to spell out what the alterna - tive is. The same piece made clear that the paper’s alterna - Views on tive would mean accepting some of the cuts and “the need for a radical approach to delivering public services when Press Watch the Exchequer is cash-starved” (code for “privatisation”). 26 March By Pat Murphy The Mirror , whose placards decorated the rally route more than all the left groups combined, was more celebra - The size of demonstration showed why we are right to It was fascinating to observe the British media try to tory and uncritical. They described it as “a massively uplift - say the anti-cuts movement needs to be trade union deal with the scale and breadth of the TUC March for ing day — it made you proud to be part of something so based. the Alternative on 26 March. For the first time I can re - huge and positive”, and ended their main report with the member there was a good deal of reasonably fair and exhortation “Remember the date — Saturday March 26th, If CoR or RtW had called the demo it wouldn’t have been accurate reporting. 2011 — the day Britain found its voice.” anywhere near as big and probaby with worse politics — Even on their best behaviour, however, the right-wing with the pro-Qaddafi people and George Galloway speak - Two papers who had openly supported the demonstra - press cannot repress their peculiar and familiar obsessions. ing and maybe a Liberal just for balance... tion, the Mirror and Observer/Guardian , set aside at least four In its lead story, the Sunday Express said what the bosses Elaine, Merseyside pages of their Sunday editions to pictures and comments. The more dramatic photos of smashed windows and should worry about next is not a general strike or mass The section of the demo I spent most time with — the walkouts across the country. No — what the march has (teachers) NUT — was characterised not by “visceral” hooded anarchists were there but prominence was given to interviews with marchers and scenes which confirmed the done most has been to “raise fears for the security of the anger, as you could have expected, but by a “celebra - Royal wedding”. tory” mood. all-inclusive make-up and the sheer size of the main event. Even in much of the right-wing press a distinction was The Express claim that anti-royal protesters plan to occupy Yes, people are pissed-off with the government but there made between the violence and the main march. Estimates five separate locations on the wedding day “to represent a is as yet no “hook” to engage this pissed-offness. of numbers varied between over 250,000 and at least 500,000 five-pointed star or pentacle”, adding, in case you didn’t My guess would be that NUT members have some vague but there was no obvious political relationship between the know, “a symbol revered by Satanists”. notion of the pensions issue but no firm hold on the issues. high and low estimates. In general the coverage was much The Sun and the Star focused almost exclusively on the Tom, Nottingham more sensitive and discriminating than during the student violence, dusting off the terms “angry mob” and “masked When Climate Camp came to the City of London, they protests last year. thugs” for fresh use. decided that they wanted to “take on capitalism”. But Those bits of the press prepared to consider the real signif - Of the serious Tory press the worst was the Telegraph , who the only way they could think of doing this was to pour icance of this event identified questions not so far off those played the very old trick of linking Ed Miliband with anar - a bucket of paint over it — to do spectacular stunts asked within the labour movement and the socialist left. chist violence. “The violence began”, they told us, “as Ed which would show everyone how crap capitalism is and What did this march tell us about the ability of the British Miliband, the Labour leader, addressed a TUC rally.” how much people hate it. labour movement to mobilise its members? Was it essen - And in case the connection might have escaped the con - tially a mobilisation of the public sector, and how relevant fused reader they pointed out that “as he spoke, an appar - They didn’t have a clear idea of how to actually destroy is that? What is the relationship between the many-thou - ently co-ordinated attack began on shops and police in capitalism, so they did the next best thing: showing that sand strong peaceful march and the various forms of direct Oxford Street as a mob tried to storm into shops including they were pissed off with it. action, from UK Uncut’s occupation of Fortnum & Mason to I think that’s exactly what’s going on with the UK the more incoherent lashing-out at banks and posh hotels? Topshop, BHS and John Lewis.” Do they mean co-ordinated Uncut/direct action people. Some young people will have And the biggest question of all, of course, what next? Is with his speech? Co-ordinated by him? gone on the 26 March demo just because they wanted a ruck this the start of a co-ordinated campaign of action involv - Maybe, just maybe, Miliband is a modern-day British with the police. But the “big ideas” behind fighting the po - ing millions or an impressive but futile gesture of protest? Manchurian candidate. Behind that geekish, mild-man - lice and smashing up a shop is the way you fight capital - So, for example, the Observer editorial declared “Protest nered and, let’s admit it, robotic surface is a scheming anti- ism. fine. Now for a proper debate” and argued that the move - royal and, worst of all, Satanic anarchist of the most Some quite developed anarchists I know are getting dangerous sort. Cecil? Fetch the birch! swept up in the “riot-fever”. Lots of students, who went through the student movement in autumn, have become very enthusiastic about property damage for its own sake. A lot of these students are from the posher institutions like D is for democracy Cambridge and UCL — but a lot aren’t. Ed, London The demo was better than expected in terms of num - bers, and we shouldn’t be afraid to be “optimists”. within capitalism. Marxists defend bourgeois democratic gains (such as the The turnout gives us a reason to fight and to urgently right to “trial by jury” or for a free press) against the dangers work out the next steps industrially and politically. of those right being taken away. We hold no truck with “rad - Paul, south London ABCs of Marxism ical” critics who dismiss the hard-won gains as falling too The ludicrous action of the SWP of petitioning for a By Tom Unterrainer short of the “communistic” ideal to be worth defending. General Strike, is cheap and dishonest rhetoric. No At the same time, we are irrevocably opposed to capital - union executive has adopted that position. “Without democracy there can be no socialism and ism and work for its overthrow, which means overthrow - A general strike would be illegal and the TUC General without a socialist society, there can be no real and ing the democratic set up in bourgeois socity. How can this Council are hardly going to call one on receipt of a petition complete democracy.” This simple idea is central to make sense? Only if your politics is concerned first and fore - from the SWP/ Right to Work. To my knowledge, no-one in Marxism and inseparable from the work of revolutionary most with the the interests and future freedom of the work - any union executive, including SWPers, has even proposed socialists. But it is by no means uncontroversial. ing class. The right wing of the labour movement — up to and in - putting that to the TUC. The most basic facet of a socialist society is that owner - cluding every single leader of the Labour Party — has furi - The Socialist Party position is more practicable; at least ship and control of the means of production — workplaces, ously defended parliamentary democracy against public sector unions may be able to co-ordinate strike action machines, tools and processes — will be taken out of the legally. But again, are their supporters advocating that in hands of a small group of people and be taken over by the extra-parliamentary political action (protests, strikes, etc.). the unions in which they have presence? No. whole of society. But if collective “ownership” is unaccount - When in power, they have used the forces of the state — While drawing attention to such hypocrisy we also need able and the control undemocratic, then by any measure it law, courts, police and armed forces — against such action. to practically come up with answers about co-ordinating cannot be “progressive” when compared to capitalism. During the miners’ strike 1984-5, the then Labour leader trade union protests. In the different ways the majority of the Trotskyist move - Neil Kinnock failed to defend the miners against all-out In the UCU (college lecturers’ union) we had a reasonably ment pushed to one side or eliminated the need for democ - class war from the Tory Government. He was equally successful strike on Thursday 24 March. In my own union racy in their conception of the collective ownership of the treacherous during the poll tax rebellion in the early 1990s. branch there has been a growth of militancy on the left, means of production. In short, they accommodated to and In such situations “democracy” is more about what hap - more pickets out (about 30) than we had previously, but embraced the Stalinist states which emerged in the course of pens outside the confines of Westminster. Our class would scabbing was there — possibly as high, if not higher, than the 20th century. benefit from champions within the parliamentary chamber, we had during our last strike in 2006, despite us being far Yet Marx and Engels expended a huge amount of energy but our need to organise in whatever way makes sense, in better organised. arguing against strains of “socialism” which subordinated whatever way ensures that we can win class battles, takes Pete, Nottinghamshire the question of democracy to what were seen as “anti-capi - precedence. This is worth remembering given the battle talist” imperatives. lines being drawn by the present Tory government. Marxism argues for complete democracy throughout the Marxists define “consistent democracy in socialist terms, whole of society — economic, social and political — and at and consistent socialism in democratic terms”. Any ideas each and every point in history. posing as Marxism, socialism or in any way “radical” that Marxists have a particular understanding of the demo - fail the democratic measure damage our movement. cratic content of a future socialist society. But we are also Further reading: not indifferent to the struggle to defend and extend democ - Karl Marx’s Theory of Revolution, Volume 1, State racy in the here-and-now. Hal Draper, Marxists advocated and championed great democratic and Bureaucracy upheavals of the 1800s — political revolutions in Europe, August H Nimtz Jr, Marx and Engels: Their Contribution to the the Chartist movement of British workers. They supported Democratic Breakthrough universal suffrage, the right to trade union organisation John O’Mahony et al, Socialism and Democracy (Workers’ Lib - erty pamphlet) 4 SOLIDARITY EDITORIAL The working-class political alternative

Last Saturday’s TUC-called demonstration was the biggest show of working-class strength in the recent history of the labour movement. In itself, it is not enough. But it is a beginning. The important thing about Labour Party leader Ed Miliband’s presence on the Trade Union Congress platform was not the mealy-mouthed and inadequate character of the speech he delivered there, but the fact that he was there at all. It is many a long day since something like that has hap - pened. Blair wouldn’t have been there, and neither would Gordon Brown. The situation the working class faces now is stark and sim - ple. British capitalism, like world capitalism, is experiencing a convulsive economic crisis. The likelihood that the crisis will grow deeper and more prolonged seems to be increas - ing. To solve their difficuties, the capitalists want to make the working class pay the cost. They are cutting and squeezing wages, conditions and social entitlements. The choice the working class faces is also stark and clear: resist, or be forced to pay for getting the ruling class out of the mess which they, with their greedy, reckless, remorseless pursuit of profit, have got us into. The March 26 demo showed that there is a real working-class appetite for a fight - back. Resisting government attacks is not enough; the working class needs to fight for our own vision of how to organise society Our strength now is in workplaces. There we can fight di - rectly and immediately, section-by-section or, better, in a united, union-wide or cross-union fight. The high point of able” and not force them into a corner, leaving them with no • That for this to become possible, the existing labour such a developing working-class fightback would be a gen - choice but to talk an anti-Tory fight. Anarchists on the movement must transform itself organisationally, by a eral strike — either for a day, to muster and test our strength, fringes, rightly impatient with the leaders of the labour process of democratisation and by breaking the undemocra - until we had won a limited demand, or an all-out strike that movement, act as if they think the capitalist system can be tic power of cliques, bureaucrats, and uncontrollable Parlia - would be part of a labour movement offensive to win a either changed or brought down by a small minority of brave mentarian elites within the organisations of the labour workers’ government, and settle with the bosses once and young women and men attacking a few shops in central Lon - movement. That the Labour Party, gutted by the New for all. don. Their numbers will have been swelled by the feeling Labour gang of Blair and Brown, must be restructured, re - This fight against the Tories and Lib Dems is now prima - that the labour movement doesn’t offer a credible political built and reclaimed by the unions. rily a political fight. It cannot be adequately waged other alternative to the government or capitalism. They will have • That, simultaneously, the labour movement must re-arm than as a political, a society-wide, fight (combined with, or been swelled too by the disgusting spectacle of the May 2010 itself politically with the ideas and the immediate goal of a backed by, industrial direct action). General Election and its aftermath, in which the coalition is revolutionary socialist transformation of society. But a fight for what? Minimally, to stop them forcing us to ignoring the expressed will of the electorate, which is against • That because socialism is impossible until the working pay for their crisis. And beyond that? We need a workers’ what they are currently doing. class acts to realise it, and because there is only one working government! A government that stands towards the work - And there is the “revolutionary left”, primarily the Social - class and one mass labour movement, revolutionary social - ing class as Clegg and Cameron stand to the ruling class of ist Workers’ Party and the Socialist Party, seemingly calling ists must work and organise within the existing labour which they are a part. A government that will serve our in - for immediate general strike. But when you read the SP’s movement, built by many decades and even centuries of terests as the coalition serves the bosses’. That will make the small print, you twig that they are actually calling for a one- working class struggle, to help the movement achieve this bankers and the other fat-cat capitalists pay, not the working day public sector general strike. And the SWP call for a gen - political and organisational self-renovation. people. That will begin to take control of industry, transport, eral strike on their placards and in their slogans only. Both of • That if those who hold to the basic ideas of revolutionary banking and communications. them are demagogic, unserious and above all irresponsible. socialism refuse to do this, they condemn themselves to There are very great difficulties in the way of our doing The labour movement right now is not ready for such an sterility, by way of impotent sideline carping at the move - that, as Saturday’s march, which showed that people want to action and there is no urgent focus in the class struggle that ment as it has been shaped by history so far, and to sectarian fight, also demonstrated. would allow such a call now to make some sense, even if irrelevance in the irreplaceable work of changing the move - people did not believe they were fully ready for it. ment. GOVERNMENTAL ALTERNATIVE “Anti-Toryism” and “anti-Lib Demism” is the beginning • That there are in stark logic only two alternatives: either To fight the bosses’ government, we must have a gov - of political wisdom right now. But even so, it isn’t much wis - to fight to change the existing labour movement, including ernmental alternative to the coalition. Between now and dom. It will in the period ahead become the common wis - its old organic political wing, the Labour Party. Or, to adopt the labour movement being in possession of such an al - dom of the vague left, of uneasy trade union leaders, of the project of building one’s own “pure” labour movement ternative, there is politically and industrially, a long way careerist would-be Labour MPs, and of militant workers who from the ground up, in parallel to the one the working class to go. who haven’t thought too much about politics. It is the line of has so far created. And therefore that those who reject the least resistance. Socialists can and should use it with newly- former, and, implicitly, accept the latter, are in fact pessimistic We need to force the trade union leaders to fight now. We arousing people. But we must also explain to them its limits, and defeatist about the prospects facing the labour move - need to create, re-create, a working-class political instrument. and its demagogic misuse. ment in the next historic period... no matter how “left” and A working-class, trade union based, political party. In the past, vague anti-Toryism has served to camouflage “revolutionary” be their talk and their view of what they On a certain level, the Labour Party used to be that. It is the de-facto Toryism of the Labour, supposed “alternative” to themselves are, and however “intransigent” and “uncom - not that now. It is still financed by the unions, but since the the Tories in power — most recently in 1997. We need to get promising” their denunciations of the existing labour move - Blair-Brown “New Labour” coup in 1994, carried out with the labour movement to discuss and understand what an ac - ment are. the active support of the then-trade union leaders, and im - ceptable working-class alternative to the Tories would be. For if we do not, in the relatively short period ahead, suc - possible without that support, it has functioned as a neo- We must not let what happened in the mid-1980s and the ceed in reorganising and politically transforming the existing Thatcherite party. For 13 of those years it was in government. early 1990s happen again, when anti-Toryism came to drive labour movement, which is the only mass labour movement, It did various bits of more-or-less important redistribution out all thought of the need for a working-class alternative to and which holds the allegiance – often reluctant and by de - of wealth in the interests of the poor. But in political, class the Tories. Right now the Labour Party is the up-front alter - fault — of millions of the most advanced workers, and if we terms the measure of Blair and Brown is that they did not native to the Tories. It is essential that socialists, sharing the fail to win it for revolutionary socialist politics, methods, and even rescind Thatcher’s early 1980s anti-union laws (which widespread “anti-Toryism”, explain the need for a socialist perspectives, then the working class will face another his - outlaw solidarity strikes). The measure of the two genera - alternative, and the need for a workers’ government. In this toric defeat tions of trade union leaders in control of the bedrock labour situation, the educational work of Solidarity and Workers’ • That therefore there is great urgency about the work of movement, the trade unions, over that time, is that they did Liberty is irreplaceable. organising a non-sectarian and anti-sectarian left wing in the not insist on their repeal. labour movement, to help it make itself ready to answer the To consolidate their control, the New Labour leaders, and WORKERS’ LIBERTY needs of the situation which the working class faces in capi - their trade union backers destroyed or silted up the proce - Workers’ Liberty and Solidarity are dedicated to the fol - talism’s crisis. dures and membership structures that had allowed the lowing basic propositions: • That because such a left wing must unite the revolution - Labour Party to function as a forum and platform for trade • That capitalism is a system of exploitation of the vast ma - ary left around a perspective of winning the existing labour unionists in politics. In the present situation, the unions need jority by a small class who own the means of production. The movement to revolutionary socialism, it must also be a left urgently to reclaim and reconstruct the Labour Party, within capitalists use their ownership of the means of production to wing which fights (by reason and argument) the sectarians whose structures the unions still carry immense weight, as extract and store up wealth for themselves, not hesitating, who counterpose political shibboleths not in consonance well as being the party’s chief financiers. for example, to put millions of people on the dole if it is nec - with the class struggle or who counterpose their own organ - We need to organise an effective class-struggle left to fight essary for that purpose. isations to those of the mass labour movement in a way in the broad labour movement for such policies. And, of • That a progressive alternative to capitalism is possible wh•iTchaits tdheistrluecftivmeuosftthsetwitosreklfthtahtengeeodasl toofbweidnonnineg. the course, to build industrial solidarity action for any section of — socialism, a socialist society, in which the economy is labour movement to fight immediately to drive the To - the labour movement in conflict with the government and owned collectively by producers, living in a self-controlling ries out and install a workers’ government. This will dif - the employers, that fights to ensure that no section of the and self-administering socialist democracy. fer from even the best Labour governments so far. It will working class is allowed to fight alone. • That here and now the alternatives are either the contin - be based directly on the organisations of the labour Saturday’s demonstration gives us a sharply-focussed pic - ued deterioration of working-class living standards, and of movement. It will be under the labour movement’s direct ture of the state of things now. The mass of the demonstra - the working class itself, as capitalist crisis erupts around us, control (at least to as full an extent as possible). And it tors react as traditional labour movement “anti-Tories”, or such a socialist system. will fight to serve the working-class interest against the without any very clear notion of what, positively, needs to • That only the working class can create such a system, by bourgeoisie. be done. The trade union leaders are timid and cautious, and taking control of society out of the hands of the capitalists. probably wishing that the Tories would be more “reason - SOLIDARITY 5 MARCH FOR THE ALTERNATIVE Open letter to a One dem direct-action activist By Rosalind Robson There were around half a million people on Saturday 26 March’s TUC demonstration against the cuts, the biggest mobilisation of the labour movement for many Comrade, legitimate targets for symbolic direct action. years. But we also think that such action is only symbolic. Sym - The turnout showed beyond doubt that there is wide - We are sympathetic to the direct action taken against bolic actions have their place, but they are not enough. A spread and deep rooted opposition to the Government’s aus - banks, Fortnum & Mason, the Ritz Hotel and other lo - mere proliferation of symbolic action, counterposed to tra - terity drive. It should, if we build on it, act as a lever to cations throughout central London on Saturday 26 ditional demonstrations, will not in itself give us the move - further action — industrial and political campaigning. March. We will not join in with moralistic condemna - ment we need. To get that movement we will need a serious tions of your “violence”, nor will we go along with at - political campaign to build it, the frontline of which will tempts to “disown” you or pretend you are not part of not be in the exciting and dangerous cut-and-thrust of a our movement. Indeed, some Workers’ Liberty mem - ruckus with the cops but in the day-to-day lives of our fel - bers were involved in the direct actions which took low workers in workplaces and communities. place on Saturday. We think there’s a problem with the way in which direct We will not join in with attempts in the media and else - actions of the kind undertaken on Saturday can create un - where to create a division between respectable, non-violent necessary and unhelpful, even hierarchical, divisions be - direct-action activists and “bad”, troublemaking “anar - tween the mass labour movement and direct-action chists”. activists. If activists meet in secret, have special direct-ac - We share many of your instincts; you have our sympa - tion “skills”, and undertake their actions without any ac - thy, our solidarity against any police repression. countability to mass labour movement organisations they Like you, we see the conservatism of the labour move - risk becoming an “elite”. Wouldn’t it be better to organise ment leaders as an obstacle. Like you, we know that the direct actions which took with them, or had the sympathy working-class anti-cuts movement will need more creative of, sizeable sections of the main movement against cuts? tactics than “A to B” marches followed by long rallies if we The labour movement is frequently a politically dull and are seriously to threaten this government. And, like you, conservative place to spend your time. Smashing up some The march was joined by several feeder events around we think that places like the Ritz Hotel and Fortnum & ostentatious symbols of capitalist excess certainly makes a London, including a some thousands strong education Mason — symbols of the opulent luxury the rich continue more immediate impact than plugging away within most feeder march and a 6,000-strong feeder march from Ken - to enjoy while we lose our jobs, homes and services — are trade union branches to democratise and radicalise them, nington Park in south London. The demonstration organ - and it usually feels a lot better, too. ised by the anti-cuts groups in Southwark, Lambeth and But means condition ends, and if your end goal is a mass, Lewisham marched over Westminister Bridge to join the class-based movement capable of mobilising not just sea - main demonstration, accompanied by an anti-cuts Trojan soned direct-action veterans but hundreds of thousands of horse! ordinary workers (the sort of people who, for the most part, stuck to the main route of the march on Saturday and prob - ably wouldn’t have known how to get involved in the di - rect actions even if they’d wanted to), then means other than taking those actions in a unilateral and unaccountable way will be necessary. We believe that many of the people who see radical direct action as a primary focus (some of whom identify as anar - chists) share with us some form of class politics; you be - lieve that the working class is the social force capable of changing the world. If that’s true, we think you should con - sider what relationship your activism has to the organised movement of that class — however politically inadequate its leadership may currently be. The labour movement needs your energy and innova - tion. For want of better words, it needs your “courage” and daring. The size of Saturday’s demonstration shows us that Even by 1pm not all of the march had yet to set off, so we could now be entering a period where mass action of great were the numbers. The usual mix of “official” and working-class people becomes a more viable possibility. home-made banners and placards were in evidence. Report - This means we need to be creative and innovative and edly a large number of people were new to marching. come up with direct-action tactics that are accessible to the A huge contingent was in the colours of Unison — if that “mass” of people and are not the exclusive property of translates into more people actively involved in the union it those with the skills to undertake them. To develop those will have to be matched by a renewed drive by the left to de - tactics, the dynamism and creativity of the direct-action mocratise and renew the union. movement and of activists like you will be needed. But, conversely, you “need” the labour movement. Your revolutionary anti-capitalist instincts cannot become a po - litical reality without an agency capable of giving them meaningful content. That agency is the working class. This doesn’t mean that it’s only legitimate to take radical direct action if some labour movement body sanctions it or if there’s a critical mass of workers taking part. But it does mean that without mass working-class direct actions, sym - bolic direct actions can ultimately only serve to create di - rect-action “elites” and provide ammunition to the right wiOnguraanidmthise astmateo.vement of workers capable of taking over shops, banks and other buildings — not just smashing them up. If you want to build that movement too, direct-action organising is at best limited and inad - equate. You should become — or, if you are already, On some of the different sections of the march there was more consistently see yourself as — a labour-move - an almost jubilant mood. The GMB’s orange vuvuzelas ment activist. added to that atmosphere. On the other hand, the mood of the main demonstration was not very “angry”; AWL com - The labour movement needs young activists and the energy of the direct-action movement Ira Berkovic rades reported a marked lack of chanting. By early afternoon alternative direct action was starting to 6 SOLIDARITY monstration or many?

happen around central London. Small breakaway marches occurred. UK Uncut organised action in a “tax avoiding” Boots store, outside Top Shop, a comedy venue in Soho Square and, later, an occupation at Fortnum & Mason. Throughout there were serious scuffles with the police who, in this section of the day’s events — in contrast to the main demonstration — were acting with their usual heavy- handedness. For example, a police van rammed a group of The events in the Middle East formed another backdrop to the march. acrobats and spectators! Both anti-Qaddafi and pro-Qaddafi campaigners were on the march. The latter included British leftists as well as Libyans. “Hands off Libya” was support for a victory to Qaddafi... and they were using Stop the War posters.

Both police and shops were “paint bombed”. The outside of the Ritz Hotel was trashed. Anarchist-organised groups also gave the police the runaround in the West End. A samba band also made its way around the area. UK Uncut have distanced themselves from the damage to property were reaching the park. At about the same time the police caused in and around these actions. began to kettle the people doing actions elsewhere. The Fortnum & Mason occupiers were surrounded by police, ar - rested, and shipped off in a coach. Late into the evening a few hundred protesters remained in Trafalgar Square in a party atmosphere. Others were around Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Street. Around 9.30pm large numbers of riot police found a pretext to kettle the people in Trafalgar Square and, according to reports, the worst acts of police violence of the day took place. As we go to press around 150 people have been charged with public order offences. The Government has announced a review that will look into granting the police more pow - ers including banning named people from going on demon - strTahtieonAsWanLdhoarddearisntgalpl eaotpSlepetoakreemr’sovCeofarnce rcoovnertihnegsd. ay, and our members sold between 4-500 copies of Soli - darity .

Ed Miliband and all of the main trade union leaders spoke at the TUC rally in Hyde Park. Miliband told the crowds that the Government’s cuts are too deep but that he did not oppose all cuts. This contrasted sharply with the speech from Mark Ser - wotka, the leader of the civil service union PCS, who called for no cuts at all. Yet Serwotka’s call for co-ordinated strike action is pure rhetoric unless he and other “left” union lead - ers begin to seriously organise for that. Instead of waiting on all unions to fight on pensions Serwotka could organise to fight the massive job losses facing his members. Around 5pm the rally in Hyde Park was ending and peo - ple starting their journeys home as the last of the marchers

SOLIDARITY 7 REVIEW Chronicler of Russian life

By Russell Carr Paris, 1925, and “The School of Communism”. The most vibrant and dynamic examples of Rodchenko’s Alexander Rodchenko, having achieved international art are to be found in the photographs of the bustling, hec - acclaim as an avant-garde painter, sculptor and graphic tic activity of the Moscow streets. Whether the photogra - designer, took up the cause of photography in 1924 with pher is perched perilously atop some apartment block to novel and thrilling results. record the movement of the individual or the mass, or adopting a more static, street-level position to document the His trademark shot was taken from high above or “bot - mercantile activities of “Street Vendors, 1929” — “liberated” tom-up”, the lens tilted to create an angular, jarring effect. by Lenin’s NEP to stimulate the small market — his art Whether focusing on the anonymous individual, the Soviet serves to both engage and enthral the spectator. masses at work, or at play, or radical new forms of architec - The most unsettling images of the exhibition are to be ture, Rodchenko was able to reflect back his images in bold, found in Rodchenko’s visual records of the construction of memorable and often unusual, geometric perspectives. In a the White Sea Canal (1933). Two hundred thousand criminal post-Tsarist society in which over 70% of the population (dissident!) slave labourers would be worked to death in the were illiterate, the medium of photography was as demo - service of “the Revolution” on this one “project” alone. The cratic, relevant and accessible an art form as any other at photographer, almost unemployable at this point after hav - that point in time. Rodchenko’s “White Sea Canal” ing been denounced for bourgeois formalism, captures the “Rodchenko and his Circle” is an exhibition grouped endeavour in a flat, lifeless photo-journalistic style. This around the key themes of: Lenin, Stalin, architecture, the or - stands in sharp contrast to his pioneering, free-wheeling ganised masses, industrialisation, the photographers (“his servative” works from the culturally stultified era of the camera work from earlier and more revolutionary times. circle”), the central Asian republics, and the Pioneers (Lenin - 1930s, a period in which Socialist Realism had become the Unlike many of his comrades, who were to face prison, ist youth corps). It is a compact yet potent collection of more official, state-sanctioned art doctrine. show-trials and execution, Rodchenko was not devoured by than 600 images — 200 are on display for the first time — Stand-out stills from this grouping of photographic inno - the Revolution. Instead, in later years he was to lay aside vators include: Zelima’s portrait of a Stalin who leans for - drawn from his family’s personal archive as well as a vari - his Leica and return to the medium of painting. Needless to ward into the camera’s range (notable for the etched-out ety of other institutional sources. say, the results could not match the adventurous, photo - faces of the three figures sat behind him!); the ethnographic The walls of the gallery have been graffitied with Con - graphic handiwork, many examples of which are contained studies of Uzbek citizens whose village lifestyles are about structivist slogans, of which my favourite is: “Down with within the space of this exhibition. to disappear forever before the sweep of collectivisation and art as a stone amid the dirty, dark life of the poor man.” “Rodchenko and his circle: constructing the future through pho - industrialisation; and the radical new architectural forms, Striking images from the turbulent, experimental days of tography” has been extended until April 16. It is a free exhibition as evidenced in Rodchenko’s images of the Soviet Pavilion, the revolutionary 1920s jostle for position with more “con - and is at Art: Sensus, 7 Howick Place, SW1P 1BB. The British state against the Bolsheviks

By Mark Catterall Savinkov of the SRs, and making links with apparently dis - affected officers of the nascent Red Army, especially those “Document” is a BBC Radio 4 series that attempts to around a Latvian Division. shed light on murkier aspects of history, that have ei - Using the divisions within the Soviet government over ther been forgotten or covered up. Brest-Litovsk, they hoped to overthrow the Soviet govern - ment and bring to power a government prepared to bring Using recently discovered documents, previous series Russia back into the war. The middle of 1918 saw a series of have brought to light many interesting historical docu - events that were key to what was the start of the bloodiest ments. These have included such nuggets as the plan by period of civil war. Tom Wintringham and other socialists associated with the May saw the Czech Legion (exiled Czech soldiers who newly formed Home Guard to turn their weapons on any wished to carry on the war against Germany) seize large quisling type government that attempted to come to a Vichy stretches of Siberia. In July, Left SRs assassinated the Ger - type arrangement with Nazi Germany. man ambassador in Moscow hoping to start a popular up - Last Monday’s episode (21 March) covered the British rising against Bolshevik rule. Fighting now broke out across government’s attempt to overthrow the new Russian revo - Soviet Russia. In August 1918 Fanny Kaplan, who had been lutionary workers’ state in 1918. a member of the now banned SRs, attempted to kill Lenin. From 1918, first the Soviet government under Lenin and Lenin was left fighting for his life. then the Stalinist regime accused Britain of organising a plot Within hours of Kaplan’s assassination attempt, Lockhart to kill Lenin and overthrow the Soviet government. Succes - was arrested. In his lurid memoir, published in the 1930s, sive British governments have denied involvement in the he recounted how he was able to dispose of his list of paid assassination and coup attempt. However, from the 1950s oppositionists as toilet paper before the Cheka (Soviet se - there has been some partial admission of limited British in - cret police) could discover any of the information. Sidney volvement through the “renegade” MI6 agent Sidney Reilly. Reilly was able to escape capture until 1925 when he was Recently Robert Service, the establishment’s expert on the lured to his death in a Cheka trap, as was Boris Savinkov. Russian Revolution, has found new evidence that confirms Bruce Lockhart, later exchanged for a Soviet representa - Britain’s close involvement in an attempted assassination of tive, on his return distanced himself from the assassination Lenin and counter-revolution. attempts and limited his admissions to paid subversion. Sidney Reilly The Soviet government formed after the Russian Revolu - Sidney Reilly was fingered as exceeding his brief, if not tion of November 1917 was, in the main, made up of Bol - going renegade. sheviks under the leadership of Lenin and Trotsky, but also The documents found by Robert Service now confirm spect, it is obvious that the Bolshevik campaign of self-de - included the Left Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs). what had been obvious to the left for many years, that fence made many mistakes, the alternative of doing noth - In 1918, with the country in ruins, with the Imperial Ger - Britain had decided on an active campaign to overthrow the ing would have led to the collapse of Soviet power. man army advancing into the Ukraine and the East, the new Soviet government. In May 1918, under the pretence of pre - Robert Service has also recently discovered a document Soviet government reluctantly signed the Treaty of Brest- venting arms stored at Archangel falling into German of Bruce Lockhart’s son confirming his father’s involvement Litovsk with Germany. hands, 5,000 British troops were landed. Documents now in the events, and that Sidney Reilly was not renegade but The new treaty ended Russia’s involvement in World War reveal that their main role was to link up with opposition working as part of a government operation to overthrow One and, the Bolsheviks hoped, would give the new Soviet forces and turn over the supplies. the Bolsheviks. government some breathing space. However, the SRs op - Documents also reveal that in June 1918 Arthur Balfour, Nearly 100 years later, many of the documents that would posed the Treaty and broke with the Bolshevik-led govern - the Conservative Foreign Secretary in Lloyd George’s coali - tell the full story of British intervention in the Russian Rev - ment. tion government, asked that the money urgently requested olution are still secret. The recent discoveries have been Britain and France, now faced with the full undivided at - by Bruce Lockhart be supplied and that Boris Savinkov’s found in US archives or by accident. Robert Service’s view tentions of the German army, looked to overthrow the So - plan of assassination and counter-revolution be supported. is that successive British governments liked the cosy myth viet government. Right-wing commentators have often pointed to the reac - that Lockhart’s assassination and subversion plots could Bruce Lockhart, the British government’s representative tion of the Bolsheviks to these events as the “Red Terror”. neOvefrcboeucrasrerieBdriotiusthbeysBtraibtilsihshgmoveenrtnm“faenirtsp. lay” is just a in Soviet Russia, and the MI6 agent, the sometime arms These documents show that the nascent workers’ state faced myth, as Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran and others dealer Sidney Reilly (born Georgi Rosenblum), began fi - a campaign of assassination and armed uprising, paid for have found out to their cost. nancing opposition groups, including those around Boris in part by the Lloyd George government. While in retro - 8 SOLIDARITY DISCUSSION

Left By Alex Irving General strike everywhere There were hundreds of placards on the TUC anti-cuts demonstration with the words “General strike” — pro - duced by the SWP and, in a new development, the So - Demonstration during the Iranian revolutiohn cialist Party. Workers’ Liberty has criticised the SWP’s use of this slo - gan because it is not the right demand to take the movement forward from where it currently is. If the TUC did “call a general strike”, it would almost certainly flop. The battle for “democracy” But the SWP don’t believe this is a serious possibility ei - ther. Therefore it is deeply opportunistic; it brandishes “gen - eral strike” to sound left-wing and attract recruits, but nowhere in the labour movement do its activists propose the unions adopt this demand. in the Arab revolution Now the Socialist Party has added its own sectarian and opportunistic twist. The SP placards on 26 March shouted GENERAL STRIKE ments preparing an alternative to the ruling Stalinists — or NOW! in big letters. Much smaller, and difficult to see from to bourgeois democracy. Western Europe and US democ - any distance, were the words above, “One day public sec - racy and liberty was their model and goal against the old tor”. regimes. Intellectuals influenced by the West were politi - But a one day, cross-public sector strike is not a general Reason in Revolt cally and intellectually dominant. The churches offered no strike — an ongoing mobilisation breaking across both legal By Gerry Bates other system or goal. and institutional constraints and sectional boundaries. But In the Arab world now vast numbers of young people see the SP cannot let the SWP sound more “left” than it does — hence the placards. The Arab revolution, the inspiring mass popular move - on the internet and on the satellite TV stations the ideal they And the SP is just as opportunist as the SWP. It does not ment for freedom and democracy, sweeping across the want. But what “democracy” means in these countries is un - use its considerable influence in the unions to fight for its Middle East might be compared to the “Springtime of defined and has different dormant meanings. Islamist demand, but instead uses it to ward off the possibility of ac - the Peoples”, in 1848, when mass popular revolution movements are powerful — movements which politically tion by individual unions or groups of workers (for exam - spread from France to Germany, then to other coun - as well as religiously demand the remodelling of society ac - ple in the civil service union PCS). tries, such as Hungary and Italy. Most of them were cording to Sharia law. The age-old mix of custom and reli - Such demagogy hinders a struggle against bureau - quickly defeated. gion demands the subordination and suppression of crats who do not want to seriously fight any battles. We women. With them, religion is also a political programme. should demand the unions champion and fight to win Today the nearest modern equivalent — so far — is the Despite the near-uncritical accord in the Western media every dispute currently in the offing, and encourage collapse of East European and Russian Stalinism, in 1989- that these are “democratic” movement, it is impossible that rather than hinder the development of further struggles. 91. A tremendous mass movement demanding and em - political Islam is in these societies as insignificant as it seems bodying “democracy” and demanding “western standards” now, where the cry for “freedom” and “democracy” seems swept from country to country and finally to Russia, Stalin - to unite the people. Within that cry there are many differ - ism’s heartland. ent definitions of democracy. The Islamists are for “free - Our critique... and European Stalinism which had seemed solid, congealed, dom” now, but they mean freedom for their religion. And to immovable faded to next to nothing in a very short time. As deny freedom to sin against Allah. By “democracy”, they many of the Arab regimes seem to be doing. mean freedom for their “majority” to impose their ideas on theirs There is something else that, in its early stage, also had society. The EDL blog “English Defence League Extra” has re - much in common with the Arab revolution now: the Iranian When the most powerful mass movement in Egypt, the revolution of 1978-9. There too a tremendous mass move - published, with critical comments, a recent Solidarity Muslim Brotherhood, says that it no longer aspires to con - ment brought down the autocratic regime of the crowned article on David Cameron’s 5 February speech on mul - trol Egypt, only political fools will take their word for it. king, the Shah. ticulturalism. The EDL writer uses our article as a stick The outcome of the Arab spring will be shaped by the in - The great and for now unanswerable question hanging to beat the SWP. teraction and conflict of political-social movements. Central over the Middle East is whether the Arab revolution of 2011 is the fact that the old states, and the old army regimes — in We have heard reports that a few SWP students have leapt will culminate in the East European model, the established Egypt, for example — remain in being. In that conflict Is - on this as evidence of the AWL’s political closeness to the if flawed bourgeois democratic regimes, or the Iranian. lamist politics have a tremendous advantages. The Shia EDL. They should read Trotsky’s response to Stalinist accu - In Iran — which, though Muslim, is not Arab — the great have clerical hierarchies that can — as in Iran — function as sations that, because right-wingers cited his attacks against mass movement in which workers struck, and set up fac - the Soviet bureaucracy, he must be in league with them. tory councils; and in which women played an important a powerful political party, (as the Catholic churches some - times did in Europe). In fact a large element of the EDL commentary on our ar - part, quickly led to mass-based Islamist totalitarianism — a ticle is incoherent rambling. Then there is the Trot-bashing: clerical-fascist regime that has been in power now for a third They can harness the rural population, including the rural poor. They can gain strength, as they already do, from those apparently, “getting Workers’ Liberty to sort out the Social - of a century. ist Workers Party” is like getting “extremist Muslims to sort In terms of the treatment of women and levels of repres - disoriented by the “Western values” and the dislocation and by horrors of that capitalist system which accompany bour - out extremist Muslims”! sion, that regime has been worse than the Shah’s. It was not Then, after a bit of demagogy about “easily agreeing” that something imposed on the people, a contending political geois “democracy” and “liberty”. Their medievalist criticism of modern bourgeois society all non-white people in Britain face racism, there is anti- movement that overthrew and suppressed those who made Muslim racism galore, including a particularly hideous the 1978-9 revolution. It was there in the revolutionary can win support for an Islamist political programme. It is here a variant of what Marx and Engels called “reac - paragraph in which the blogger casts French Arabs, and not movement all along. racists like the Front National, as the real problem in France. tionary socialism” — the desire to go back from an existing Its proponents had led the revolution. They had talked of But the core of the EDL Extra commentary is connected bourgeois system to an idealised Middle Ages and beyond. “democracy”, denounced the Shah’s “repressions” and led our attitude to political Islam and to “multiculturalism”. It can and does amalgamate Islamist criticism of Western many in Iran, as well as outside it, to think they were against The commentator for example is enthusiastic about our de - society and its sinful systems with “anti-imperialism” — an repression per se. They talked of “democracy” which was scription of multiculturalism as “the orthodox bourgeois anti-imperialism as reactionary as its “alternative to capital - understood in the west in terms of bourgeois-democracy, policy in Britain of recent decades”. but by which they meant their own theocratic rule, backed ism”. Of course our article attacked the anti-Muslim bigotry of by mass popular support. By contrast, the labour movements in Egypt and else - the EDL, as well as newspapers like the Daily Mail and Daily In power, they quickly repressed all those who objected to where, are weak, and qualitatively more so than the forces Express noted that Cameron’s policies are playing to the far- the imposition of a Sharia-based regime in place of the mod - of Islamist reaction now being unleashed. right gallery. ernising dictatorship of the Shah. Socialism is what it is everywhere — weak and still trying On multiculturalism, our piece counterposed a “democra - Right now, conditions and forces, and therefore likely re - to get its political bearings. The idea that in the Middle East tic and secularist criticism” of it to “old-fashioned chauvin - sults, despite the common cry for democracy and dignity the “masses” can quickly become socialist, unleash a ist and racist criticism”. When the EDL, and in a different and an end to corruption, vary greatly from country to “process of permanent revolution”, and offer a socialist al - way Cameron, attack political Islam in the name of “British” country. ternative can not but function in socialist observers to dis - culture and values, we attack both in the name of an “evolv - Compared to the outcome in the fall of Stalinism, the dif - solve political standards, critical faculties and sober political ing universalist culture” of democracy, human freedom and ferences between now and then are instructive. Most of the judgment — and replace them with open-mouthed working-class solidarity (one essential element of which is people of Eastern Europe and Russia were very hostile to credulity and naivety towards political Islam. anti-racism). But that is also why we oppose bourgeois Stalinism. Even the ruling class had lost all belief in their During the Iranian Revolution, 1978-9, the left took that “multiculturalist” measures such as more religious schools own system. In Romania, some miners at first rallied to the attWituedme u—stincdriitfifcearellnytadsesgerseessw, bhuattailsl ohfaupsptoensionmge, adnegdrdeeo . — measures which Cameron is promoting and which, old regime, but mostly the working class was very hostile to everything we properly can to encourage and help the bizTahrerelleyf,tthsehoSWuldP nenedveorsbees.afraid to say what is for fear the old system too. labour movements and, though they are far from iden - the right will exploit the truth for its own, dramatically They had as their ideal the freedom and plenty they tical, the socialists in the Arab countries. We have a different purposes. But then the truth is not something thought they saw in Western Europe and America. The na - right to allow ourselves to be inspired. We do not have the SWP are very well acquainted with. tionalism of different identities played a large part, but there a right to switch our political minds off. were no aspirant Stalinist or fascist, or clerical-fascist move - SOLIDARITY 9 FEATURE The first workers’ government

The following text is from Karl Marx’s The Civil War in of the Commune downwards, the public service had to be France . It is an account of the events leading up to and dur - done at workman’s wage. The vested interests and the rep - ing the Paris Commune of March-May 1871 when a radi - resentation allowances of the high dignitaries of state dis - cal democratic government of the people (in the main appeared along with the high dignitaries themselves. Public working class) held power. It is a militant defence of the functions ceased to be the private property of the tools of Paris Commune — it caused a stir at the time — and was the Central Government. Not only municipal administra - written for the “First International” (the International tion, but the whole initiative hitherto exercised by the state Working Men’s Association), the socialist and labour was laid into the hands of the Commune. movement grouping in which Marx was a leading mem - Having once got rid of the standing army and the police ber. The French members of the IWMA played important – the physical force elements of the old government – the roles in the Commune. In this extract, Marx develops his Commune was anxious to break the spiritual force of repres - ideas about the capitalist state and the forms of proletar - sion, the “parson-power”, by the disestablishment and dis - ian democracy that should replace it. This is a book that all endowment of all churches as proprietary bodies. The socialists should read. priests were sent back to the recesses of private life, there to On the dawn of March 18, Paris arose to the thunder- feed upon the alms of the faithful in imitation of their pred - burst of “Vive la Commune!” What is the Commune, that ecessors, the apostles. sphinx so tantalising to the bourgeois mind? The whole of the educational institutions were opened to the people gratuitously, and at the same time cleared of all “The proletarians of Paris,” said the Central Committee interference of church and state. Thus, not only was educa - [defence committee in Paris then under seige by the Pruss - Marx: “the working class cannot simply lay hold of the ready- tion made accessible to all, but science itself freed from the ian army] in its manifesto of March 18, “amidst the failures made state machinery, and wield it for its own purposes.” fetters which class prejudice and governmental force had and treasons of the ruling classes, have understood that the imposed upon it. hour has struck for them to save the situation by taking into The judicial functionaries were to be divested of that their own hands the direction of public affairs.... They have executive with continually increased powers of repression, sham independence which had but served to mask their ab - understood that it is their imperious duty, and their absolute but at the same time to divest their own parliamentary ject subserviency to all succeeding governments to which, in right, to render themselves masters of their own destinies, stronghold — the National Assembly — one by one, of all its turn, they had taken, and broken, the oaths of allegiance. by seizing upon the governmental power.” own means of defence against the Executive. The Executive, Like the rest of public servants, magistrates and judges were But the working class cannot simply lay hold of the ready- in the person of Louis Bonaparte [Napoleon III], turned to be elective, responsible, and revocable. made state machinery, and wield it for its own purposes. them out. The natural offspring of the “Party of Order” re - The centralised state power, with its ubiquitous organs of public was the Second Empire. MODEL standing army, police, bureaucracy, clergy, and judicature The Paris Commune was, of course, to serve as a CHIMERA model to all the great industrial centres of France. The — organs wrought after the plan of a systematic and hierar - The empire, with the coup d’etat for its birth certificate, chic division of labour — originates from the days of ab - communal regime once established in Paris and the universal suffrage for its sanction, and the sword for its secondary centres, the old centralised government solute monarchy, serving nascent middle-class society as a sceptre, professed to rest upon the peasantry, the large mighty weapon in its struggle against feudalism. Still, its would in the provinces, too, have to give way to the self- mass of producers not directly involved in the struggle government of the producers. development remained clogged by all manner of medieval of capital and labour. It professed to save the working rubbish, seignorial rights, local privileges, municipal and class by breaking down parliamentarism, and, with it, In a rough sketch of national organisation, which the guild monopolies, and provincial constitutions. The gigan - the undisguised subserviency of government to the Commune had no time to develop, it states clearly that the tic broom of the French Revolution of the 18th century propertied classes. It professed to save the propertied Commune was to be the political form of even the smallest swept away all these relics of bygone times, thus clearing classes by upholding their economic supremacy over country hamlet, and that in the rural districts the standing simultaneously the social soil of its last hinderances to the the working class; and, finally, it professed to unite all army was to be replaced by a national militia, with an ex - superstructure of the modern state edifice raised under the classes by reviving for all the chimera of national glory. tremely short term of service. The rural communities of First Empire, itself the offspring of the coalition wars of old every district were to administer their common affairs by semi-feudal Europe against modern France. In reality, it was the only form of government possible at an assembly of delegates in the central town, and these dis - During the subsequent regimes, the government, placed a time when the bourgeoisie had already lost, and the work - trict assemblies were again to send deputies to the National under parliamentary control — that is, under the direct con - ing class had not yet acquired, the faculty of ruling the na - Delegation in Paris, each delegate to be at any time revoca - trol of the propertied classes — became not only a hotbed of tion. It was acclaimed throughout the world as the saviour ble and bound by the mandat imperatif (formal instructions) huge national debts and crushing taxes; with its irresistible of society. Under its sway, bourgeois society, freed from po - of his constituents. The few but important functions which allurements of place, pelf, and patronage, it became not only litical cares, attained a development unexpected even by it - would still remain for a central government were not to be the bone of contention between the rival factions and ad - self. Its industry and commerce expanded to colossal suppressed, as has been intentionally misstated, but were venturers of the ruling classes; but its political character dimensions; financial swindling celebrated cosmopolitan to be discharged by Communal and thereafter responsible changed simultaneously with the economic changes of so - orgies; the misery of the masses was set off by a shameless agents. ciety. At the same pace at which the progress of modern in - display of gorgeous, meretricious and debased luxury. The The unity of the nation was not to be broken, but, on the dustry developed, widened, intensified the class state power, apparently soaring high above society and the contrary, to be organised by Communal Constitution, and to antagonism between capital and labour, the state power as - very hotbed of all its corruptions. Its own rottenness, and become a reality by the destruction of the state power which sumed more and more the character of the national power the rottenness of the society it had saved, were laid bare by claimed to be the embodiment of that unity independent of, of capital over labour, of a public force organized for social the bayonet of Prussia, herself eagerly bent upon transfer - and superior to, the nation itself, from which it was but a enslavement, of an engine of class despotism. ring the supreme seat of that regime from Paris to Berlin. parasitic excresence. After every revolution marking a progressive phase in the Imperialism is, at the same time, the most prostitute and the While the merely repressive organs of the old governmen - class struggle, the purely repressive character of the state ultimate form of the state power which nascent middle class tal power were to be amputated, its legitimate functions power stands out in bolder and bolder relief. The Revolu - society had commenced to elaborate as a means of its own were to be wrested from an authority usurping pre-emi - tion of 1830, resulting in the transfer of government from emancipation from feudalism, and which full-grown bour - nence over society itself, and restored to the responsible the landlords to the capitalists, transferred it from the more geois society had finally transformed into a means for the agents of society. Instead of deciding once in three or six remote to the more direct antagonists of the working men. enslavement of labour by capital. years which member of the ruling class was to misrepresent The bourgeois republicans, who, in the name of the Febru - The direct antithesis to the empire was the Commune. the people in Parliament, universal suffrage was to serve ary Revolution, took the state power, used it for the June The cry of “social republic,” with which the February Rev - the people, constituted in Communes, as individual suf - [1848] massacres, in order to convince the working class that olution was ushered in by the Paris proletariat, did but ex - frage serves every other employer in the search for the “social” republic means the republic entrusting their social press a vague aspiration after a republic that was not only to workmen and managers in his business. And it is well- subjection, and in order to convince the royalist bulk of the supercede the monarchical form of class rule, but class rule known that companies, like individuals, in matters of real bourgeois and landlord class that they might safely leave itself. The Commune was the positive form of that republic. business generally know how to put the right man in the the cares and emoluments of government to the bourgeois Paris, the central seat of the old governmental power, and, right place, and, if they for once make a mistake, to redress “republicans.” at the same time, the social stronghold of the French work - it promptly. On the other hand, nothing could be more for - However, after their one heroic exploit of June, the bour - ing class, had risen in arms against the attempt of Thiers and eign to the spirit of the Commune than to supercede uni - geois republicans had, from the front, to fall back to the rear the Rurals to restore and perpetuate that old governmental versal suffrage by hierarchical investiture. of the “Party of Order” — a combination formed by all the power bequeathed to them by the empire. Paris could resist The multiplicity of interpretations to which the Commune rival fractions and factions of the appropriating classes. The only because, in consequence of the siege, it had got rid of has been subjected, and the multiplicity of interests which proper form of their joint-stock government was the parlia - the army, and replaced it by a National Guard, the bulk of construed it in their favour, show that it was a thoroughly mentary republic, with Louis Bonaparte for its president. which consisted of working men. This fact was now to be expansive political form, while all the previous forms of Theirs was a regime of avowed class terrorism and deliber - transformed into an institution. The first decree of the Com - government had been emphatically repressive. Its true se - ate insult towards the “vile multitude.” mune, therefore, was the suppression of the standing army, cret was this: If the parliamentary republic, as M. Thiers [in charge of and the substitution for it of the armed people. It was essentially a working-class government, the prod - suppressing the Commune and President of the Third Re - The Commune was formed of the municipal councillors, uct of the struggle of the producing against the appropriat - public] said, “divided them [the different fractions of the chosen by universal suffrage in the various wards of the ing class, the political form at last discovered under which ruling class] least”, it opened an abyss between that class town, responsible and revocable at short terms. The major - to work out the economical emancipation of labour. and the whole body of society outside their spare ranks. The ity of its members were naturally working men, or acknowl - Except on this last condition, the Communal Consti - restraints by which their own divisions had under former edged representatives of the working class. The Commune tution would have been an impossibility and a delusion. regimes still checked the state power, were removed by their was to be a working, not a parliamentary, body, executive The political rule of the producer cannot co-exist with union; and in view of the threatening upheaval of the pro - and legislative at the same time. the perpetuation of his social slavery. The Commune letariat, they now used that state power mercilessly and os - Instead of continuing to be the agent of the Central Gov - was therefore to serve as a lever for uprooting the eco - tentatiously as the national war engine of capital against ernment, the police was at once stripped of its political at - nomical foundation upon which rests the existence of labour. tributes, and turned into the responsible, and at all times classes, and therefore of class rule. With labour eman - In their uninterrupted crusade against the producing revocable, agent of the Commune. So were the officials of cipated, every man becomes a working man, and pro - masses, they were, however, bound not only to invest the all other branches of the administration. From the members ductive labour ceases to be a class attribute. 10 SOLIDARITY REPORTS Camden teachers College strikes across UK George Galloway By Stewart Ward to staff, students and visi - strike alongside Tower tors can be anywhere near UCU members in around as damaging as this inci - stands against 500 institutions took dent will be for the univer - Hamlets workers strike action last week sity.” as part of a series of par - In many places, student allel disputes over pen - activists organised impres - By Darren Bedford catalyse further action else - cuts? No, just for sions and pay. sive solidarity with their where. lecturers, with student oc - As members of the Na - Camden NUT secretary UCU branches at many tional Union of Teachers cupations at Goldsmiths, Andrew Baisley said, “no institutions turned out UCL and Glasgow being and Unison in Tower teacher votes for strike ac - lively picket lines, particu - himself! Hamlets prepare to strike used as specific bases for tion lightly but the cuts are larly on Thursday 24 organising strike support. on Wednesday 30 March, a historic step backwards. March which saw action NUT members in Cam - LSE Students' Union or - We are ultimately hoping across the further and ganised a mini-festival in den will join them in a the council will reverse higher education sectors one-day strike as anti- support of the strike while By Dale Street its height). these cuts.” throughout the UK. At London UCU members cuts industrial action Strikers will gather at Manchester Metropolitan In February of this year slowly begins to spread. gathered in the LSE quad “We should get George the council’s elected mayor 10:30am at the Crowndale University, management before marching to Down - Centre before marching to Galloway elected so he’s proposed a budget with 85% of Camden NUT used university security to ing Street. Earlier in the a voice which stands up the Town Hall. evict workers from their £56 million cuts. The Re - members voted to strike, day in London, ESOL for people in this city. He spect councillors did not • camdennut.com. own picket lines! In a with 79% also voting for teachers had held an action will stand against the fight this but signed up to union statement, UCU re - further action. Like Tower TOWER HAMLETS in defence of ESOL provi - cuts,” said Socialist an amendment from the gional official Martyn Hamlets, Camden has one Tower Hamlets workers sion. Party Scotland member Lib-Dems which merely Moss said: “I was on the of the highest rates of child will assemble at 11am at As the first national Brian Smith at the press proposed some additional picket line at MMU today poverty in the UK and Weavers Fields before strike in response to the conference held last funding for apprentice - faces devastating cuts to marching to a rally at the and absolutely astounded cuts, the UCU action has week to formally launch ships and social housing. vital services. The borough London Muslim Centre to have been told by the enormous significance. “George Galloway (Re - In a subsequent council is set to lose two children’s as part of the NUT and university's security to Rank-and-file militants in - spect) — Coalition press release the Respect centres, its play service and Unison strike against leave the premises. I am side the union now have to Against Cuts” (GRC). councillors were de - the Cognition and Learn - massive cuts and job not aware of anything like find ways of extending the servedly congratulated by The GRC is an electoral ing team. Local nurseries losses in the borough. this happening elsewhere action, and linking up with the mayor for the role they bloc involving Galloway, are also planning to intro - and I fail to see some other workers moving into had played in facilitating Picket lines will be put the Socialist Party Scotland duce charges, stricter ra - leaflets being handed out struggle. £56 millions worth of cuts. on at schools and local (SPS), the Socialist Workers tioning of places and will In the pages of the local government workplaces Party (SWP), and some or - open for less hours. Teach - press, Respect councillor across the borough as trade ganisationally unaligned ers who specialise in areas Fozol Miah defended the unionists attempt to max - members of “Solidarity — such as special needs, line which he and the other imise the impact of the Scotland’s Socialist Move - music and sexual health Respect councillor had strike. ment” (set up in 2006 could face redundancy as taken. NUT leader Christine when the SPS, the SWP part of a 20% cuts package “We are with the people Blower said, “Cost cutting and Tommy Sheridan split to the council’s budget. and against the govern - exercises such as those from the Scottish Socialist One of the demands of the ment. But the town hall being implemented in Party). strike is for the council to will be prevented by law if Tower Hamlets will see the In this May’s elections operate a policy of rede - it tries setting a budget most vulnerable children for the Scottish Parliament ployment rather than re - which ignores the cut in being deprived of the serv - the GRC will be standing dundancy. government grant. Budget ices they need and their eight candidates for the The strike is particularly decisions will then be teachers of the support Glasgow “list” seats. significant because it repre - taken by officials.” they require. While indus - Brian Smith was right to sents one of only a few live Galloway has failed to trial action is always a last focus on the perspective of industrial actions explicitly criticise the words and ac - resort the NUT cannot George Galloway — num - aimed at opposing and ul - tions of his party’s council - stand by and watch vital ber one on the GRC “list” timately reversing the cuts. Taking action for lors in Tower Hamlets. But education services axed.” — securing a seat in Holy - Despite the massive po - why should he criticise AWL members are active rood. That is the sole func - tential job losses across them? What they have within both NUT and Uni - tion of the GRC. local authorities, very few done is in line with Gal - son in Tower Hamlets and language teaching Ironically, the Socialist public sector unions have loway’s own politics. will be integrally involved Party used to criticise the balloted for strikes against Galloway’s longstanding in the strike. Next week’s On Thursday 24 March Respect Party because it al - the cuts. The fact that the testors walked to Downing advice for councillors con - Solidarity will feature re - the campaign Action for lowed Galloway to enjoy NUT has now moved into St to hand in a petition fronted with cuts in gov - ports and photos from the ESOL called a day of ac - “an exaggerated profile” action, if only in two Lon - with 20,000 signatures. ernment funding is that picket lines and rally. tion against the cuts in and also because it had don boroughs, might help Local actions took place they should adopt “a pos - funding for ESOL (Eng - shown “particularly in other areas including a ture of militant opposition lish for speakers of other through the behaviour of sizeable demonstration in but stop short of political languages) courses. its MP George Galloway, Nottingham. suicide, in order to live to that its public representa - More strikes at BA Government plans will Meanwhile further edu - fight another day.” tives are far from account - see full fee remission re - cation colleges are prepar - This is the exact opposite For the fourth time in two able to the party.” dispute focuses on revers - stricted to students claim - ing to make big cuts and of what is argued in every years, cabin crew work - But now the SPS has re - ing victimisations and at - ing “active benefits”. All job losses and as in the issue of the paper sold by ers at British Airways duced itself to a mere ap - tacks suffered during students claiming “inac - past ESOL classes re being Brian Smith and other have returned a huge pendage of the George previous strikes around tive” benefits, such as in - disproportinately affected. members of the SPS. majority for strike action Galloway (Respect) elec - pay freezes and job cuts come support, disability Funding is not the only Ironically, the Socialist on an enormous turnout. toral bloc. Galloway’s pro - which BA boss Willie allowance and housing issue in this campaign — Party and the SPS have re - 83% of workers voted to file in that bloc is even Walsh wants to impose on benefit will have to pay up some colleges want to set cently taken to attacking strike, on a turnout of more “exaggerated” than it staff. to £1200 a year for their up private language col - the SWP for their alleged 72%. was in Respect Mark 1. Unite leader Len Mc - English classes. Students leges and others are begin - “softness” on councillors Brian Smith was rather Their union, Unite, now Cluskey said, “this vote on low incomes, spouses of ing to use (untrained or who vote for cuts. less right in his naïve confi - has a month in which to shows that cabin crew re - low-wage workers or bene - undertrained) voluntary At the recent launch con - dence that Galloway “will declare action, which has main determined to win fit claimants and refugees teachers. ference of the Scottish stand against the cuts.” elicited predictable bleat - justice. We urge BA’s and asylum seekers will The long-term future of Anti-Cuts Alliance, for ex - Galloway’s approach to ing from the tabloid press boardroom to see this as a also be obliged to pay. ESOL provision will de - ample, the sole item of de - fighting — or not fighting about potential disruption clear message that they Around 500 people at - pend in large part on the bate was one between the — the cuts is far removed to Easter holidays. must think again about tended a teach-in (out!) in ability of college education SWP and the SPS about from that of the SPS. Despite the impressive how to regain the trust and central London with the - workers to fight wider cuts what attitude to take to - In the 1980s Galloway ballot result, the strike is confidence of a significant atre, speakers, and other and job losses. wards councillors who de - was opposed to councils one that sees workers on part of their cabin crew op - activities. At 1pm the pro - • http://actionforesol.org clare their opposition to setting “needs only” budg - the back-foot. The current eration.” cuts, but then go and vote ets and defying the Tories’ for them. cuts. More recent events Now, however, the SPS is Unite, which represents workers in the financial sector, indicate that that remains Northern Rock sheds jobs not only in alliance with described the moves as “simply a step too far for this his position. someone who acts as an Northern Rock, the bank whose near-collapse was workforce.” Despite being nationalised to prevent it from Galloway is the leading apologist for councillors part of the early shockwaves in the financial crisis, is collapse, Northern Rock has continued to make cutbacks. figure in the rump of the who implement cuts but is set to shed nearly a quarter of its workforce in a The announcement comes as figures released by the Respect Party, which still actually doing the spade - move that will reduce its total number of employees GMB union show that there was a net loss of nearly has two councillors in work to try to get him to under 2,000. In 2007, it employed over 6,000. 30,000 jobs across 375 councils in England and Wales in Tower Hamlets (down elected to Holyrood — as 2010. from the twelve it had at the anti-cuts candidate! SOLIDARITY 11 Class war Budget deepens S&oWloirkdersa’ Lirbeirtty y attack on the working class

By Paul Brazhensky cious attack on the work - Endgame in Libya? ing class in this Budget Last week’s Budget was was on pensions. The To - further proof that the ries announced in October Tory government and its they intend to make public Lib-Dem hand-raisers sector workers pay 3% By Martyn Hudson are waging a vicious more contributions to oc - class war against the cupational pensions. That’s As we go to press, the key towns of Brega and Ajd - working class on behalf £500-£1,000 a year for abiya have now been taken by the rebels and Qaddafi of their wealthy friends many workers. forces are everywhere in retreat. Libyan rebel troops and backers. Now they’ve accepted are surrounding Sirte, birthplace and symbolic heart - Lord Hutton’s recommen - Dubbed a “Budget for land of the Qaddafi regime. Their siege positions in dation to make workers in Growth”, its lustre was di - Misurata are also less under-threat than last week. the public sector work five minished instantly when The change of fortunes for the rebels is largely as a or more years longer than Osborne downgraded his consequence of the international air strikes. And that expected — thereby paying own 2011 growth forecast action now seems to be directed at “regime change”. more pension contribu - from 2.1% to 1.7%. But Germany, Italy and Turkey continue to argue for a tions (and taxes). But it’s they hope to turn the crisis softer option. not just the inputs. The into an opportunity. Re - value of pensions paid out There is undoubtedly a huge amount of support in the structuring British capital - will be diminished by liberated zones for the air strikes with accounts of some ism and reconfiguring the using consumer prices rebels chanting “Sarkozy! Sarkozy!” in admiration of the British state, making the (CPI) to uprate contribu - role of France. There are also reports that youth in the Ben system and its components tions rather than retail Ashour and Souk el-Jumaa districts of Tripoli have been fit for profiteering — that prices (RPI). The difference attacking government militias and symbols of the regime was the real rationale for is £50-£100 a year, and with stones. this Budget. grows over time. Certainly without the air strikes the rebellion would This was clear from the And as if that were not have been totally repressed — the threat that the regime favours Con-Dems did for enough, Osborne also ac - would take Free Benghazi back house by house is made the rich. The bosses aren’t cepted Hutton’s demand more tenable in that the air strikes took out a loyalist col - expected to pay for the re - for career-average rather umn just outside the Benghazi city limits. cession they created. In - than the current and There are reports of mass torture, imprisonment and Linked to this is the fate of Qaddafi himself and his inner stead they will get a nice higher final salary widespread executions. The idea that this talk of genocide family circle, now confronted by annihilation or exile. tax break. schemes. If pensions are is just “western” propaganda talking up an imperialist Second is the composition of the resistance movement Corporation tax will be deferred pay, then the pen - war is frankly pathetic. The “Liberated Libya” of “pro- and its rag-tag militia; when it takes Sirte and Tripoli will cut by 2% in April, not 1% sions robbery is the biggest western thugs, Islamists and drug-takers” is itself the con - it play out a similar project to that which Qaddafi had in as previously planned, and sustained slashing of struct of a tottering regime unable to understand its own store for Benghazi? This would largely depend upon the the tax will be cut by 1% in wages seen in the history scale of the pro-Qaddafi resistance to them and whether it each of the next three collapse and the destruction of its “green” anti-imperialist of British capitalism. goes hand-in-hand with a popular uprising of the people years, reducing it to 23%. revolution. In the Budget, Osborne of the capital. Osborne boasted how it Undoubtedly there is an Islamist strand in the uprising, did what was expected of We may see an Iraq scenario of contending forces which was lower than in other as there is a monarchist strand and a democratic strand. him — he represented the are unable to decisively achieve victory, and in which major capitalist states, beg - Worryingly, the leadership in the liberated areas are millionaires. The labour democratic manoeuvres and communal violence might ging international capital largely themselves former acolytes of the Qaddafi regime movement has to be trans - figure significantly. to toss him some crumbs and are themselves complicit with its crimes. There are re - However, experience in “Free Benghazi” does show formed and made ready to ahead of Britain’s major ports of the rebels killing civilians. These are matters of that democracy and liberty have a huge mandate; with fight for the millions of competitors. concern. the development of civil society and freedom for working class people on While oil firms and the The uprising is now faced with two central problems. workers to organise there is great potential. The huge the receiving end of these banks received a little prod First, there is the issue of the pro-Qaddafi resistance in level of sacrifice over the last seven weeks will surely attacks. both Sirte and Tripoli which is substantial and will not mean that the liberty of the Libyan people will not eas - to allay some flack about give up power easily. Even when confronted with military ily be surrendered. It has been bought at too high a petrol prices and bonuses, defeat, it could perpetuate a low-level, possibly terroristic, cost. their profits and their war of resistance against any new democratic settlement. prospects for more were left intact. And energy cap - You are italists avoided a windfall Syria: regime lashes out at protests tax on their escalating prof - £1,000 worse its, while fuel poverty grows. Small capitalists with off! fewer than 10 staff will not By Dan Katz freedom and have targeted where the local hospital more brutal crackdown According to research face new regulations for businesses run by Assad’s treated 90 demonstrators route.” conducted by the three years. Lord Young’s The uprising which relations. On Monday — mostly for gunshot He added, “I do not see BBC’s Panorama pro - attack on occupational began in the southern demonstrators converged wounds — on Friday, the Assad scrapping the emer - gramme (28 March) a safety and health will Syrian town of Deraa on on a main square in Deraa government has also been gency law without replac - British worker on aver - largely decimate the safety 18 March continues to chanting: “We want dig - signalling it will make con - ing it with something just age pay (just over inspectorate and leave em - shake the nasty, brutal nity and freedom!" and cessions. as bad.” £20,000) is more than ployers free to maim and regime of Bashar Assad. "No to Emergency Laws!” Some political prisoners US Secretary of State £1,000 worse off than The protesters also want — mainly Islamists — Hillary Clinton has said injure workers with barely Protesters have been de - they were two years the release of thousands of have been released. There there will be no US inter - the possibility of redress. manding more political ago. political prisoners. are rumours that the State vention in Syria along the What of the so-called On Saturday, demonstra - of Emergency — in place lines of the action in Libya. “non-doms” levy of up to This is because their tors set fire to the ruling for nearly 50 years, since She explained that the US £50,000 on someone resi - pay has failed to keep Baath party’s local head - the Baath party took saw Assad as a “reformer”. dent in the UK for 12 pace with rises in the quarters in Tafas. power in a coup in 1963 — It seems that Clinton is years? For a millionaire cost of living. The aver - Government thugs and will be abolished. responding to Saudi, Jor - that’s 5% — and these peo - age worker's wage has gunmen have killed over Some at the centre of the danian and Israeli pressure ple don’t consider six zeros dropped £1,088, or 5 per 100 people and Amnesty state seem to favour all-out — all these states are wor - to be a fortune. A govern - cent, in real terms. International has listed 93 repression, others a “dia - ried about the threat to re - ment could happily tax Workers in the con - people the state has de - logue”. Bashar Assad has gional stability caused by them 95% and still leave struction sector have tained. not made any public com - the rebellion. plenty to live on. The 50% been hardest hit — their Following the murder - ment since the start of the We, however, champion tax on incomes over take home pay has fallen ous crackdown by state protests. Al-Jazeera ex - the movement for democ - £150,000 will be subject to by £1,188 a year in real forces last week there are plain Assad’s absence by racy in Syria. It will be a review, a prelude to scrap - terms since 2009. signs that the regime is di - quoting a senior diplomat great day for human free - ping it — when they think The fact that people vided about how to re - in Damascus: “I think dom when the Syrian peo - they can get away with it. are fearful of losing their spond to the [Assad] is not decided on ple sweep away their So those who currently pay jobs and are therefore pro-democracy protesters. whether to go on televi - absurd, corrupt govern - £50,000 tax and get to take too afraid to ask for a Although the army has sion and try to defuse the ment. For liberty and home £100,000, will get to pay rise has made the been sent into Latakia, situation or choose an even democracy! keep even more. situation worse. Probably the most perni -