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So& Wloirkdersa’ Lirbeirtty y No 262 26 October 2012 30p/80p www.workersliberty.org For a workers’ government Savile and Class struggles Hobsbawm on the BBC in South Africa democracy page 3 page 5 page 11-12 Planned for 2013 AVALANCHE OF CUTS! Fight back: see pages 8-9 2 NEWS What is the Alliance for No way to create police accountability Workers’ Liberty? By Robert Theakston have the power to stop the the elections and poured Today one class, the working class, lives by selling its labour power to police from crushing vast resources into cam - another, the capitalist class, which owns the means of On 15 November, people strikes, arresting and ha - paigning for them. production. Society is shaped by the capitalists’ in England and Wales will rassing trade unionists, as - This is at a time of mas - relentless drive to increase their wealth. Capitalism have the opportunity to causes poverty, unemployment, the blighting of lives saulting workers and sive cuts and worsening vote for a Police and students on demonstra - poverty. by overwork, imperialism, the destruction of the Crime Commissioner in environment and much else. tions, or murdering people Labour Party activists’ each of the 41 police Against the accumulated wealth and power of the in custody. time would be better spent capitalists, the working class has one weapon: solidarity. forces across England Nor can the Police Com - building the fight against The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build solidarity through and Wales. missioners end the sys - the cuts and privatisation, temic, institutional racism on campaigning in the struggle so that the working class can overthrow capitalism. We want The PCCs replace the ex - of the police. party for Labour Councils socialist revolution: collective ownership of industry and services, isting Police Authorities Lord Prescott: clean hands? workers’ control and a democracy much fuller than the present system, Unbelievably, the Labour to refuse to implement any and will be in charge of with elected representatives recallable at any time and an end to Party have stood John cuts and for Labour to com - holding the police fund, bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. Prescott as their candidate mit to rebuilding the NHS producing a “Police and Commissioners are “the We fight for the labour movement to break with “social partnership” for Humberside Police as was agreed at its confer - Crime Plan” — which in - most significant democratic and assert working-class interests militantly against the bosses. Commissioner; a man al - ence. cludes policing priorities reform” to policing in Eng - Socialists should also Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, legedly responsible for the and objectives — and a set land and Wales “in our life - be using this time to supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, helping cover-up of the racist mur - of policing targets. That in time”. counterpose the work - organise rank-and-file groups. der of Christopher Alder turn is supposed to be used We know this is a lie. The ing-class alternative to We are also active among students and in many campaigns and by Humberside Police 14 to hold the chief constable police cannot be “democra - the police and to demand alliances. years ago. to account. tised”, and Police Commis - that institutions such as While claiming to oppose We stand for: The Conservative Party sioners have no real MI5, MI6, TSG, and other the establishment of PCCs, G Independent working-class representation in politics. — who created the role — powers to “hold the police special forces be imme - Labour has nonetheless G A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the labour have argued that Police to account”. They do not diately abolished. movement. stood its own candidates in G A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, to strike, to picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. Tony Osborne G Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, education and jobs for all. G A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. Full By Janine Booth tempts by the Council to Tories tell poor: equality for women and social provision to free women from the burden privatise and/or “rede - of housework. Free abortion on request. Full equality for lesbian, gay, I’m sad to report the velop” it. bisexual and transgender people. Black and white workers’ unity death of Tony Osborne. He was also active in the against racism. “stop breeding” borough-wide tenants’ Some comrades will re - G Open borders. movement. member Tony coming to G Global solidarity against global capital — workers everywhere have Tony was liked by every - more in common with each other than with their capitalist or Stalinist AWL events before he be - one on our estate, with the By Clarke Benitez think they can afford,” he rulers. came too infirm. Others will unusual quality of being re - said, while criticising the G Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest workplace or remember him as our elec - spected by all generations. Iain Duncan Smith has “clustering” of larger fami - community to global social organisation. tion agent when two AWL He was also a popular char - announced that the gov - lies on welfare and bene - G Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal rights for all members stood as Socialist acter with Hackney’s anti- ernment is considering fits. nations, against imperialists and predators big and small. Unity candidates in the cuts activists, and with the capping children-related Fancy words only thinly G Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. 2006 council elections in the many campaigning and benefits at two children, disguise social prejudice. G If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity to sell — Hackney Central ward. community groups that reg - essentially telling poor and join us! Tony was a tireless com - What he means is: “the ularly used our community families to stop breeding. munity activist, particularly poor breed like rabbits.” hall. passionate about working- He explicitly said the The move is estimated to Residents are asking the Contact us: class people’s right to de - move is being considered save £200 million, a tiny Council to consider renam - G 020 7394 8923 G [email protected] cent housing. in order to disincentivise fraction of the new £10 bil - ing the hall the Tony Os - The editor (Cathy Nugent), 20e Tower Workshops, Riley He was the Secretary of poor families from having lion cuts currently being borne Community Hall. Road, London, SE1 3DG. our estate’s Tenants and He was also a great more children: “When you sought from the welfare G Printed by Trinity Mirror Residents Association until friend of me and my fam - look at families across the buTdhgeetT. ories are deter - his death, keeping the TRA ily. We’re gutted. board across all incomes, mined to make procre - going through a decade- you find the vast majority ation — like education, plus of improving the es - make decisions about the • If you’d like to send a travel, and decent hous - tate’s facilities and number of children they Get Solidarity every week! message email solidarity@ ing — an area of life ac - environment, winning im - have, the families they workersliberty.org and we cessible only to the rich. G Trial sub, 6 issues £5 provements to homes, and want, based on what they will forward it on. G 22 issues (six months). £18 waged fighting off various at - £9 unwaged G 44 issues (year). £35 waged £17 unwaged Bed cuts plan in NW London G European rate: 28 euros (22 issues) the eight-borough area. or 50 euros (44 issues) closure plans has just fin - elective cases — and outpa - Tick as appropriate above and send your money to: The A&E units are at ished. Their plan, “Shaping tient attendances by a Healthier Future”, sug - 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG Charing Cross, Central 600,000 a year. gests that patients could be Health Emergency also Cheques (£) to “AWL”. Middlesex, Hammersmith and Ealing hospitals. The diverted from hospitals claims that there are addi - into more treatment in the Or make £ and euro payments at workersliberty.org/sub. campaign against closure tional plans to axe more By Vicki Morris community, but union rep - has included local marches, than a quarter of the 3,449 resentatives have pointed Name . Health Secretary Jeremy available beds in the NHS including one march of at out that community health Hunt will take the deci - least 2,000 people in Ealing services are themselves NoInrththWe elisgthLtoonfdtohnisa, rea. Address . sion in 2013 on whether where the local council has being cut. to close four A&E units in Health Emergency is call - delivered leaflets opposing According to Health . North-West London, ing for the consultation to closure to all of the resi - Emergency, the plan is to be re-opened so that the I enclose £ . against a backdrop of dents. massive bed closures in reduce hospital admissions bed cuts can be factored NHS North West Lon - by 158,000 a year — 148,000 into plans. don’s consultation on the emergencies and 10,000 3 NEWS Pay-outs to Jobs massacre wealthy on the rise Dividends are the portion of profits which companies at Ford plants pay out to shareholders instead of investing in expansion, holding the money in reserve, or By Darren Bedford More than 4,000 workers handing it over in the guise lost their jobs. of top bosses’ pay and Ford has announced Justin Bowden of the bonuses. plans to close two UK GMB said: “Ford’s track Dividends paid out in plants, with unions put - record in Britain is one of 2012 will total around £78.6 ting estimates for the re - broken promises and fac - billion ( Financial Times , 22 sulting job losses at tory closures.” October).