Issue 344 � 10 March 2021 socialist.net 2 What We Stand For Issue 344

WHO ARE WE? and WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?

old measures are required to deal reopen should be in the hands debt through government borrow- with the coronavirus crisis. Only a of workplace committees and the ing, the money needed should be Bclear socialist programme can offer trade unions. And it must be based obtained entirely from expropriating a way forward. on the implementation of health and the accumulated profits of big busi- safety measures and a safe working ness. We must have no faith in the Tories or environment. The costs for this must their hangers on, whose worship of ■■If the bosses say they can’t afford be paid by the bosses. the market has brought the country to to pay for workers’ wages, we say: its knees. ■■For safe work or full pay. Any open up the books! Let the working lockdown or restrictions must be ac- class and the labour movement see ■■No trust or confidence in the Tories companied by measures to provide the accounts! If firms plead bank- and their big business backers! for workers affected by closures. ruptcy, they should not be bailed ■■Instead of attacking the left, Labour This means 100% wage support for out, but nationalised under workers’ must provide genuine opposition to those furloughed, as well as full sick control. this shambolic Tory government. pay to those required to isolate. ■■No to austerity! The working class Support workers in the fight to put ■■To fight job cuts and the threat of must not pay for this crisis! lives before profits! mass unemployment following the It is clear that the market has failed The bosses and their craven political lockdown, work should be shared and capitalism is in a deep crisis. The representatives have shown that they out without any loss of pay, in order anarchy of capitalism prevents the will always prioritise profits over to lower the hours of the working planning of society’s resources, in lives. We demand socialist measures day. Britain and internationally. to protect workers, and put health ■■Scrap tuition fees and rents, and before wealth. ■■We therefore stand for the nation- replace these with free education alisation of the 100 biggest monop- ■■For a fully publicly-owned and free and full maintenance grants for all. olies, banks, utilities, landlords and health service, under workers’ Move university courses online. And so on – under workers’ control and control and management. Reverse put staff in control in schools and management – and without com- all privatisation and outsourcing. universities. pensation. On this basis, the econ- All private health services must be ■■Ban evictions and cancel housing omy can be democratically planned nationalised without compensation, debts. Give local authorities the in the interests of the majority, and and integrated into the NHS. power to cap rents at affordable lev- not for the super profits of a few. ■■For a properly funded test and trace els. Requisition rooms at hotels and ■■A Socialist Federation of Britain system, fully under public control. hostels for those sleeping on the should be linked to a Socialist Unit- Boot out parasitic outsourcing com- streets. And bring empty properties ed States of Europe and a World panies like SERCO, and give power and the assets of the big landlords Socialist Federation, in order to plan to healthcare workers, councils, and management companies under resources internationally for the and local communities in order to public control. benefit of all. This would put an end provide mass testing. ■■Many small businesses are faced to barbarism of capitalism and allow ■■Nationalise the pharmaceutical with bankruptcy, with banks resist- humanity to begin solving the urgent companies – without compensation ing any extensions of credit. Many issues of climate change, disease, – in order to ensure that vaccines are squeezed not only by the banks, and poverty that face society and are developed rapidly and made but by the big monopolies. By na- our planet. available to all for free. tionalising the banks we can supply these small businesses with the ■■Reverse the austerity inflicted upon lifeline of guaranteed low-interest public services. Launch a fully-fund- credit and loans. Like what you read? ed training programme for doctors, nurses, paramedics, medical ■■The financial resources required to JOIN US TODAY! staff, with decent pay and hours, fight the crisis must not come from to increase staffing levels across increased taxes or more austerity, [email protected] the board. New hospitals must be but through the nationalisation of the urgently built. banks and finance houses. Rather socialist-appeal than a ‘wealth tax’, we call for the ■■Non-essential workplaces should expropriation of the monopolies. be shut down until it is genuinely socialist.net safe to reopen. The decision to ■■Instead of building up the national

SOCIALIST APPEAL Editor: Rob Sewell Content/Layout: Left Publications LTD [email protected] Khaled Malachi and Victoria Walder [email protected] Next issue date: Queries: Issue 344, March 2021 31st March 2021 [email protected] CONTENTS

Britain

4 NHS pay 5-6 Black Lives Matter 7 Brexit Britain 8 SNP splits and scandals 9 Yemen blighted by British imperialism 10 Proportional representation 11 Marxist Student Federation

Labour Party and Editorial 12-13 Recall conference campaign 14-15 Editorial

Theory

16-19 150 years since the Paris Commune

International

20-21 Myanmar 22 Senegal 23 Hong Kong repression

Letters, Reviews and History 24 Review: Judas and the Black Messiah 25 Review: Adam Curtis documentary 26 Adverts 27 Letters 28 Tell the Truth: East India Company

Trade Unions 29 Schools reopening 30 Unison NEC elections 31 Bus drivers’ strike

Join us today! marxist.com 4 NHS Pay 10 March 2021

tories offer crumbs for nhs staff pay our nurses now! no to wage cuts! Dan Langley shown that the desperate need for massive workers. Tory ministers point to a public investment and expansion. sector pay freeze as evidence that the Royal College of Nursing This means further misery and pres- cupboard is bare, and that demands by sure on those working in the already over- nurses for more than 1% are unreason- (personal capacity) stretched NHS, as well as those who rely able. on these vital services. But the reality is that our demands – e’ve given as much as we can.” Official papers show that the govern- for a 12.5% increase – are more than rea- These were the contemptuous ment had already factored in a bigger sonable. For starters, our pay has fallen “Wwords of Boris Johnson, com- NHS pay rise of 2.1%. This was agreed in by over 12% in real terms over the past menting on the derisory 1% pay ‘rise’ on 2018, and enshrined in parliamentary law decade. At the same time, there seems offer to nurses and NHS staff. in 2020. to be plenty of money when it comes to Health workers and the wider public This shows that workers cannot rely on the bosses and billionaires, who have are rightly disgusted by this insulting offer negotiated agreements and legal protec- increased their already-vast fortunes and – a wage cut, in real terms – to those who tions. The ruling class will always change profits throughout the pandemic. have sacrificed so much throughout the the rules when it suits them. We must We must therefore stand firm, aim our pandemic. The Prime Minister’s words only therefore fight to make our voices heard sights higher, and look to smash through added fuel to the fire. and secure our demands. the public sector pay freeze all together. Now the Tories are facing a backlash This means uniting with public sector of anger. Unions are demanding a proper Burnt out workers across the board to demand a pay increase, warning of an even greater In response to this latest pay offer, nurses decent wage for all. exodus of nurses if this isn’t brought in. organised in the Royal College of Nursing Even some Conservative MPs have (RCN) were soon demanding strike action. Strength in unity come out against the government on this There have always been worries in The Tories have thrown down the gaunt- issue. And no wonder – according to recent the nursing community about how the let. The trade union leaders must answer polling, 58% of Tory voters believe that public may react to a strike. An Opinium this with swift and decisive action. NHS workers deserve more; a figure that poll from 6 March, however, showed that Nurses must not be left to fight on rises to 72% amongst the general public. a majority (51%) would support a strike their own. Instead, a strike by nurses by nurses. must be seen as a spark for coordinat- Corruption and crumbs Over the last year, the public and ed and militant action across the trade This NHS pay offer comes on the back of patients have learned how vital it is for unions. Rishi Sunak’s recent Budget. In it, the Tory everyone that NHS workers receive a The TUC should be organising and government allocated a further £22 billion decent wage; that staffing levels are safe; mobilising workers for a public sector wide to the privatised and failed test-and-trace that we have the necessary PPE; and strike. And grassroots activists in the labour system. that nurses have access to bursaries. movement should be passing motions of This is just one of many examples of These things benefit us all collectively. solidarity with the nurses and NHS work- how this government of the rich has used When we are short-staffed, demoralised, ers, to put pressure on the Labour leaders the coronavirus crisis to siphon off public and burnt out, it is not possible to provide and ensure that they support this struggle. money to fill the pockets of their chums the quality of care that we want to give. United we stand; divided we fall. Only and cronies. Meanwhile, nurses and health To turn Boris’ words back on him: We through united strike action can we win our workers have been left empty handed. have given as much as we can! demands. And only by kicking out the Tories Similarly, while there were further and fighting for a clear socialist alternative handouts for big business, the Chancellor’s ‘Divide and rule’ can we guarantee the pay and conditions Budget essentially ignored public services The government is already attempting to that all workers deserve, and provide the – even when the pandemic has clearly deploy a ‘divide and rule’ tactic against resources needed to save our NHS. ■

Back to Contents socialist.net 5 Black Lives Matter Issue 344 BLM AT A CROSSROADS

For a member-led class-based movement Fiona Lali stifles and prevents the movement from opened up, they could draw committed having a serious impact. The best way to de- class-fighters and organisers from the ranks n 20 February, Black Lives Matter fend ourselves from harassment is through of the labour movement. They could then UK (BLMUK) hosted a discussion building a movement powerful enough to take on the important role of defending the Oon the online platform Clubhouse. protect ourselves. need for anti-racism in any and all labour The premise of the event was to allow However, to build such a movement movement activities. people to ask questions to BLMUK or- you need transparency and democracy. Roughly 200,000 people are said to ganisers, and find out more about the That is what the movement currently have come onto the streets during the organisation since its launch. lacks. protests last summer, making the protests Last summer, BLMUK found itself acci- the largest anti-racist movement in the UK dentally pushed to the forefront of the mas- Structure since the abolition of slavery. sive BLM protests. Although the group has Some time ago, the BLMUK website invit- If the organisers were to use the money existed since 2016, it was a loose network ed activists to ‘apply’ for membership. But raised by this movement to form a genuine of activists. that has since changed. Indeed, on their organisation, then thousands of people After then launching a GoFundMe page, they suddenly amassed a huge sum of donations, culminating in over £1 million. By not forming a proper structure, the group is limiting They also found themselves in the situation of being responsible for bearing the name itself from the offset. If they opened up, they could draw of the biggest anti-racist movement seen in years. committed class-fighters and organisers from the ranks Opaque of the labour movement. Frustrations with the group quickly arose, as it took a long time for them to come current website they describe themselves would surely join, and democratically decide forward explaining exactly who they were, as a ‘member-led anti-racist organisation’. its aims and goals. and where the money would go. But there is no clear information on how to Having now fully launched - over a year join, or what membership actually entails. Which way forward? later - they have announced the recipients of What this suggests is that there is a It is clear that BLMUK has different cur- the first round of funding. £600,000 is being tight-knit group of people who run the or- rents running through it. given out to various organisations, charities, ganisation, who are at this stage, unwilling During the clubhouse event, direct and trade unions. to open it up. But this could, unfortunately, questions were posed on why the group However, to this day, exactly who is run- be its downfall. had not given money to black businesses. ning the organisation is still not clear. Some In fact during the Clubhouse event, the To which they responded “We didn’t agree in the group do not wish to be public due to question was asked “Will you have demo- to give money to profit making organisa- fear of harassment and attacks from the far cratic elections for the leadership at some tions”. right and the state. point?”. To which the organisers respond- What lies at the root of questions such Undeniably, it is important to treat the ed by saying that “at the moment elections as these are class divisions within the move- matter of security seriously. However, we are not possible, but it might be something ment. Is BLM a charity, a career path, or a must assume that the state - with all its tools we consider if the group expands.” political organisation? - is able to find out any information it needs. By not forming a proper structure, the The problem with anonymity is that it group is limiting itself from the offset. If they (continues on next page)

Back to Contents marxist.com 6 Black Lives Matter 10 March 2021

(continues from previous page) Of course not. But let us be clear on the of dispossession that disproportionately logical end point of those that advocate impact black workers. But only a united In some respects, BLM has the the liberation of black people only. working class has the power to overthrow potential of becoming a revolutionary capitalism and implement socialism. organisation, following in the footsteps Class struggle Anything that increases division of those such as the Black Panthers. Part of the money given out was to the between workers is simply a gift to the But to fulfil this potential, it needs a clear IWGB, and UVW - small militant trade bosses. After all, our strength as workers revolutionary leadership, which links the unions which are organising precarious is in our unity. Separating workers into struggle for black liberation to the wider workers. This is because some of the different unions based on the colour of working class struggle for socialism. current organisers understand the intrin- their skin is one of the surest ways to However, the existing leaders ap- sic link between anti-racism and the class defeat. pear only half committed to this. This is struggle. However, for those who view The idea that money should not go to because its leadership is still vague and BLM as a launch-pad to promote their small, militant unions such as the IWGB, divided. It is stretched between two ten- own interests - this has caused upset. because they dare to organise beyond dencies in the movement. Since the IWBG and UVW organise black workers, shows that these people One of which seeks to see the money beyond black workers - they are viewed are simply on a different side of the class and platform be used to promote black by this layer as ineligible for support. war. businesses, black organisations, chari- Not only is this divisive and reaction- And they should reveal themselves ties, and programmes that work specifi- ary, but it is also a failed strategy. Black as such. There are those of us who are cally for the advancement of black people people make up 3% of the population in fighting for socialism, and those who are alone. the UK. There is therefore no black liber- fighting for black capitalism. On the other side however, there are ation without the liberation of the entire We must appeal to the organisers of those that seek to push the movement in working class. BLM to open up, and let the movement a more concentrated political direction - That is because racism towards black democratically decide its goals. The one that involves the class struggle. But people is inherent in the foundations of political debate on which way forward they must do more to win the debate. British capitalism. It is what fuels cycles must now happen, if we are to transform Some may ask, is it wrong to fight of poverty, lack of access to decent these protests into a cause worthy of its for the advancement of black people? employment, and all other forms name.■ police, racism, and violence justice for mohamud hassan! Evan Roberts Just a month later in Newport, on 17 February, another black man, Moyied Cardiff Marxists Bashir, also died after contact with police officers. n 9 March, over 200 people met for a solidarity event as part of the ‘Justice The case of Mohamud is being inves- for Mohamud Hassan’ campaign. tigated by the Independent Office of O Police Complaints (IOPC). However, “Two months after his death, we are no further along in understanding why he died,” Chief Constable Jerry Vaughan has Some have called for the case to be taken stated Hilary Brown, a representative of the stated that this is not because they be- up by the Attorney General. But as promi- family, who have seen nothing but contempt lieve that the South Wales police have nent anti-racist activist Lee Jasper explains: and unaccountability from the police. done anything wrong. For them, there is no case to answer. “Black communities have even less Two months earlier, on 9 January, Moha- trust and confidence in Tory Attorney mud Hassan – a young black man – died at The IOPC is far from impartial. From General Suella Braverman than they his home, the evening after being released day one, they have sought to downplay have in the police. This government from police custody. Mohamud’s death, or any idea of police is ideologically united in refusing to foul play. While formally being inde- recognise institutional racism and black A close friend reported seeing him serious- pendent of the police, the IOPC are in injustice.” ly injured that same day. He was told by fact singing from the same hymn sheet. Mohamud, “look fam, the police have beat It is no wonder that Mohamud’s family are the shit out of me.” IOPC director general Michael Lock- keen to do their own investigation. Ultimate- wood was recently appointed to this ly, there can be no trust in any investigation Mohamud’s death sparked consecutive position by the Home Office. Previously, conducted by the state. The establishment days of protest outside Cardiff Bay police Lockwood had an extremely well paid has an interest in protecting its institutions. station. Demonstrators called for justice, gig with Harrow council. In this role, And racism serves a role in defending their demanding to know exactly what hap- he was at one point given a £168,000 interests, through divide and rule. pened to Mohamud in custody. The police pay-off by the Tory council, only to be have refused to release body cam footage; rehired by the incoming Labour council Ordinary people will not stand for this bla- and the case has been marked by several a year later on a £160k wage. tant police brutality and institutional racism. irregularities. We demand justice now!

Back to Contents marxist.com 7 Brexit 10 March 2021 AFTER BREXIT: ADJUSTING TO LIFE AS THE ‘SMALL GUY’ OF EUROPE Ben Curry Of course, working-class people will care little where these parasites engage ack in January Jacob Rees-Mogg in their orgies of speculation. But for the hailed the most important details of Brexiteers in the ruling class this was the Bthe newly signed Brexit deal. “The whole point of getting out of Brexit! The key thing is we’ve got our fish back,” ex- City of London is leaking business trade claimed the Honourable Member for the left, right and centre. But the EU are in no 18th century, “They’re now British fish and hurry to throw them a lifeline. If the British they’re better and happier fish for it.” government wants to rub their nose in it Two months on and the question over the vaccine debacle, the EU will everyone is asking is: how are our red, make sure no one thinks it’s plain sailing white and blue fish getting along? Not outside their club. too well, I’m afraid. The fishing is good. The problem is, it’s the wrong fish! A power diminished At this time of year cuttlefish are the The Financial Times has a word of advice main catch, most of which are sold to for the Tory government: “Britain must Europe. But while fishermen are adjust to a power imbalance in its trawling more fish than ever, the own backyard, to learn to play the pesky Europeans just aren’t game like the smaller guy.” The buying it in the quantities they message is clear: Britain is in no used to. position to bargain with power There’s only one thing to blocs like the EU on anything do. Forget cod or haddock, approaching an equal footing. if you want to make Brexit a But there’s no sign that success, the patriotic thing to reality is going to hit home any do when you’re next at time soon for the Tory leader- the chippy is to order ship. Just last week the rouille de seiche with government has unilat- deep-fried pommes erally announced that de terre, and make they will be extending sure you ask for it the grace period for with British cuttle- checks on goods fish! crossing the sea But besides the border to and from fish, how are the Ireland. It’s a move other details of Brexit going? It’s better The EU however, has other plans. Boris that is almost inviting the EU to respond that you don’t ask. From conflicts over failed to get a deal on the question of finan- with punitive tariffs. vaccines, financial services, to the North- cial services and now British diplomats are Michael Gove reassured MPs, “When ern Ireland Protocol, relations with the EU scrabbling around, pleading for the EU to an aeroplane takes off, you sometimes get have soured quickly. Outside of Europe, grant them regulatory ‘equivalence’ when an increased level of turbulence. Eventual- the Tory government is discovering that trading in Europe. But the ruling classes ly the crew tell you to take your seats belts Britain is a third rate capitalist power with in Europe are asking themselves, “why off, and enjoy a gin and tonic and peanuts. little to bargain with. should we?” We’re not at the gin and tonic and peanuts Every day that passes, financial giants stage yet.” In response to which one EU EU targets London are moving their assets and operations official quipped, “The UK pilot may have The British capitalist class today is un- out of London to the financial capitals of had a few G&Ts before taking off.” doubtedly the most parasitic and short- Europe. Already this year, Amsterdam has Two months into Brexit and it’s clear sighted in the world. Since the 1970s, they surpassed London as Europe’s largest the deal is a recipe for escalating tensions have been happy to put manufacturing to share trading centre. between Britain and the EU. And in the the wall and have sought other ways to get Derivatives trading and carbon emis- ongoing wranglings, it’s the EU that holds rich. Their thinking is: why invest money sions trading are also hot-footing it to all the cards. in production, when quick profits could be Amsterdam and elsewhere, with EU regu- We may well agree with the EU official made from financial speculation? lators exerting pressure on the continent’s that the British ruling class appear to be The libertarians of the Tory Brexit camp largest banks to make the switch. All of drunk at the wheel. But in this grubby took this logic to its conclusion: let’s get out this is on top of £1.2 trillion of assets that clash of interests, neither side represents of Europe, strip away all regulations to the have already been transferred from Britain the interests of workers, in Britain or in the financial giants, and watch as they rake it to the capitals of Europe since the 2016 rest of Europe. ■ in. It was a Singapore-on-Thames utopia. referendum vote.

Back to Contents socialist.net 8 Scotland Issue 344 salmond scandal and snp splits

Shaun Morris Glasgow Marxists

t has been an explosive few weeks in Holyrood, with Nicola Sturgeon and IAlex Salmond testifying before a special parliamentary inquiry, pitting the current and former SNP First Ministers against one another. Representing rival factions of the party’s upper echelons, the personal break between Sturgeon and Salmond – over the latter’s inappropriate conduct – has had deep political implications. Conspiracy and cover up crisis envelops holyrood Salmond’s appearance at the inquiry has provided an opportunity for him followers of Salmond and Sturgeon among to double down on his allegations of No confidence the party grandees differ only incidentally a government conspiracy to destroy For now, the Scottish Tories have tabled a on the question of how to lead the cam- his reputation. This has found an echo vote of no confidence in Nicola Sturgeon. paign for independence. among opposition MSPs. Without a majority in Parliament, the SNP The relative ‘caution’ or ‘aggressive- The institutions of Scottish devolu- rely on their alliance with the Greens, ness’ of the two camps is based on fun- tion have been thrown into question as who prop up the Scottish government. damentally the same bourgeois interests: a result, with accusations of collusion If the Tory motion is heard, the Greens’ of Scottish independence on the basis of between SNP tops, the Scottish Civil decision would either save or collapse the capitalism and the austerity programme of Service, and government ministers. SNP government – two months from an the Growth Commission. No holds barred, Alex Salmond spoke election. The independence movement must of Scotland resembling a “failed state”, Nicola Sturgeon, however, may not reject this programme, and refuse to side blaming a lack of “strong institutions” even be able to rely on her own camp be- with either wing of bourgeois nationalism. and the plot against him “undermining ing united. Many SNP figures have spoken Whatever the outcome of this scandal the system of government” in Scotland. publicly in defence of Alex Salmond, and for Sturgeon or Salmond, we can expect have become highly critical of Sturgeon’s the Tories to use the situation to further Tory opportunism leadership of the party. argue that the SNP and the Scottish Parlia- Salmond’s accusations have been op- It is no coincidence that these splits at ment are a failure. portunistically seized upon by the Tories. the top have emerged at the present time. In the House of Commons, Tory back- In recent months, the call has emerged Collision course bencher and former minister Liam Fox for a ‘Plan B’ for independence: for the Westminster and Holyrood are already on – who was once forced to resign due to Holyrood government to begin planning course for a constitutional collision. Once public corruption – compared Holyrood for a referendum, regardless of what West- the SNP achieve their fourth election victo- to a “tin-pot dictatorship”, in violation of minster says. In this context, Salmond is ry in May, they will claim a mandate to hold the “rule of law” and the proper “separa- viewed by some as a more ‘radical’ leader a new independence referendum, whether tion of powers”. for the independence movement. Boris Johnson agrees to it or not. The Conservatives themselves, Were the First Minister to be found The Tories maintain that such an act however, have precisely utilised the in breach of the Ministerial Code, and be would be illegal. This raises the prospect machinery of government in their efforts defeated over the confidence motion in of a crackdown similar to the repression in to politically combat the SNP and rising Parliament, some leading SNP figures Catalonia after the October 2017 referen- support for independence – launching may break ranks and add to the calls for dum. Independence movement leaders and plans to brand anything funded by the Sturgeon’s resignation. ministers were arrested or exiled, and the UK government in Scotland with a ubiq- Sturgeon still maintains enormous Catalan government was suspended, lead- uitous Union Jack. popularity in Scotland, however, especially ing to a period of direct rule from Madrid. The Tories’ current plan is to com- among SNP members. Furthermore, The British ruling class have openly pete with the SNP by circumventing polling doesn’t show the inquiry having a considered this option. But this would be Holyrood, and by visibly loosening the significant impact on support for the SNP an enormous provocation and attack on purse strings of HM Treasury. or independence. democratic rights. Sturgeon has warned that Salmond The independence movement should is trashing Scotland’s state institutions Constitutional clash be prepared to fight back against this on a all for the sake of a personal vendetta. The class character of this SNP civil war class basis, with strikes and mass demon- Others question what impact the scandal is that of a split in the bourgeois party strations, and an appeal for solidarity from will have on the cause of independence. leadership. Gathered into separate and workers across Britain. ■ increasingly hostile cliques, the respective

Back to Contents marxist.com 9 Britain 10 March 2021

aid cuts and arms sales Image: Steve Eason yemen, the tories and capitalist barbarism Niklas Albin Svensson that the Saudis and their allies cannot win foreign policy is an extension of his ap- this war; and that American imperialism has proach in general: to prove himself a safe and Khaled Malachi lost influence and control in the Middle East. pair of hands for the capitalists. Lest we forget, Biden himself was vice Like the ‘compassionate’ wing of the ix years of war in Yemen have president in the Obama administration, un- Tory Party, the Labour leadership have brought the country to the brink of an der which US involvement in this war began. also criticised the cuts to overseas aid. Sabsolute humanitarian disaster. The At the same time, they have welcomed Saudi-led alliance, backed by the UK and Tories split the US ‘withdrawal’ in Yemen, and have the US, has imposed tremendous suffering Nevertheless, this US ‘withdrawal’ has put called for an end to arms sales to the on the Yemeni people. And the imperialists pressure on the UK – another key player in Saudis. are unwilling to assist the victims. the Saudi coalition – to follow suit. So far, These are tokenistic gestures, how- The United Nations held a donor however, the Tory government has refused ever. In every other respect, Starmer and conference earlier this month. They were to budge on this question. And it is not the Labour right wing have fallen over hoping to raise $3.85 billion dollars to avert difficult to see why. After all, as Lenin said, themselves in their attempts to demon- widespread famine. In the end they only war is terrible – terribly profitable for the strate to the establishment that they too raised $1.7 billion. capitalists. defend and represent the interests of Many countries cut their aid pledges, Indeed, the Tories are moving in the British imperialism. compared to last year. The UK, which opposite direction, with their promise to cut Sir Keir has been banging the drum has profited handsomely from arms sales the amount of aid sent to Yemen. This is of ‘patriotism’ and ‘national security’. to Saudi Arabia throughout the crisis, part of a wider cut to the UK’s overseas aid This is why he whipped Labour MPs to pledged a paltry £87 million. That is less budget, from 0.7% of GDP to 0.5%. This abstain on the Overseas Operations Bill, than half of what they pledged last year. has provoked a split in Tory Party, with which seeks to let the British military get The truth is, of course, that without former international development minister, away with war crimes. This is also why he these counties meddling in the affairs of Andrew Mitchell, amongst those in the welcomed Tory plans to increase military Yemen, there would be no need for aid in ‘sensible’ wing of the Conservatives who spending, only criticising that the an- the first place. The famine facing the Yem- have criticised the move. nouncement came “without a strategy”. eni people is a manmade disaster, brought Again, however, it is not humanitarian Starmer is positioning himself as the about by blockades and bombings from concerns that motivates these ‘compas- leader of a ‘credible’ opposition – which is the Saudis and their allies. And the bombs sionate’ Tories. Rather, their real concern to say, no opposition at all when it comes were supplied by the US and UK, knowing is that these aid cuts will reduce British to the plight of the poor in Yemen, Britain, full well what their intended use was. imperialism’s ‘soft power’ abroad. After all, or anywhere else. where has their compassion been over the Socialists must fight against the US ‘withdrawal’ last decade of austerity? Tories’ war profiteering and imperialist In a speech last month, new US President In reality, this split in the Tory Party is not ambitions, and against the flag-waving Joe Biden announced intentions to end “all about aims, but methods. One side prefers capitulation of Starmer. Instead, the la- American support for offensive operations the carrot of aid; the other prefers the stick bour movement should be boldly making in the war in Yemen, including relevant of arms sales. But both are ultimately out to the case for genuine anti-imperialism and arms sales”. defend the interests of UK imperialism and socialist internationalism. This policy shift has nothing to do with British capitalism. Ultimately, this can only be achieved ‘moral’ or ‘humanitarian’ concerns, and by breaking entirely with capitalism and everything to do with the interests of US Internationalism vs imperialism imperialism, and fighting for a society imperialism. Withdrawing from the war in What is the Labour Party’s response to based on human need and welfare, not Yemen is just a tacit admission of the truth: this? ‘Sir’ Keir Starmer’s approach to warfare. ■

Back to Contents socialist.net 10 Britain Issue 344 proportional representation IS A DISTRACTION

bold socialist policies are needed! James Kilby movement for a Labour government at from the Liberals and Tories. In doing so, every opportunity. the Lib Dems were reduced to almost and Alex Falconer Most significant to Labour’s defeat was nothing. its position on Brexit, orchestrated chiefly But in 2019, when Labour effectively ollowing the 2019 general election, by none other than ‘Sir’ Keir Starmer. This promoted a liberal position on Brexit, the a layer of Labour MPs have pushed put Labour in the position of defending the result was a victory for the Tories. Fthe idea that it’s somehow no longer interests of big business and the estab- The lesson is that class collaboration possible for the party to win a majority lishment, rather than take an independent around the ‘centre ground’ does not help under the first-past-the-post (‘FPTP’) class-based position. Labour into power. Elections are not de- electoral system. Yet it is the same people who pushed termined by a simple arithmetic formula of They argue that to defeat the Tories, Labour down the path of a second ref- ‘this party plus that party equals power’. Labour must change the voting system to erendum, who are now bangining the By seeking accommodation with the some form of proportional representation drum most loudly for electoral reform. Lib Dems, Labour would instead be ne- (‘PR’). The serious strategists of capital feel glecting millions of workers, who would they can no longer rely on the Tories to be alienated by such an approach. Many ‘Neglected’ represent their interests. Through Keir would either not bother voting, or even be The Labour leadership is set to examine Starmer and the Labour right wing, they pushed into the arms of the Tories. the case for electoral reform, with one in are fighting hard to drive the left out of And by abandoning class issues in four Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) the party, in order to make it a safe pair of favour of what is acceptable to their new recently passing motions calling for PR. hands for big business. But the outcome liberal friends, the Labour leadership The campaign is being pushed by of the civil-war in Labour is by no means would be leaving the ruling class to fight Labour for a New Democracy. This is decided. the election around so-called ‘culture an umbrella organisation that includes a As an extra insurance policy, the ruling wars’, which divide the working class. As number of right-wing Labour think-tanks. class strategists are therefore preparing was seen in 2019, this is simply a gift to According to Labour for a New Democ- the ground for Labour to enter a coalition the Tories. racy, so the argument goes, FPTP puts government – in the ‘national interest’ the emphasis of campaigning on ‘swing of course. A change to PR would in fact Party reform voters’, rather than ‘neglected voters’. increase the strength of the Liberal Dem- The working class makes up the over- It is true that a large number of peo- ocrats in any such coalition. This, in turn, whelming majority of the population. ple do not feel that voting will make any would increase the pressure on Labour to Labour has the potential to get a landslide difference to their lives. Even in the 2019 toe the line of the establishment. under any voting system. But it can only general election, only 67% of the elector- do so if it has a bold socialist programme, ate turned out to vote. Coalition based on radical class demands. But at the root of this problem is a Of course the Labour right wing are not so This was how Labour won in 1945. Not feeling by many that if elected, Labour in open about their true intentions. In order by fiddling with democratic forms, but by power would not fundamentally transform to sell PR, it is dressed up as simply a making bold political demands that trans- their lives. The only way to cut across means for ‘parties on the left’ to combine formed workers’ lives. this is on the basis of a radical socialist to beat the Tories. We must therefore steer clear of the programme. But in reality, this means seeking an trap of electoral reform. Instead the left alliance with parties to the right of Labour. must take up the fight to transform the Class collaboration Most notable of these are the Liberal Dem- Labour Party from top to bottom, starting We must be clear: It wasn’t the electoral ocrats, a party that has proven in practice by clearing out the agents of big business system that caused Labour to lose in 2017, its readiness to save the establishment in the PLP. or in 2019. It was the right-wing saboteurs when required. This means campaigning for open se- in the Parliamentary Labour Party (‘PLP’), Labour came within a whisker of pow- lection, workers’ MPs on worker’s wages, who undermined the leadership and the er in 2017 precisely because it stood apart and a radical socialist programme. ■

Back to Contents marxist.com 11 Marxist Student Federation 10 March 2021 youth services slashed by tories David Zee UEA Marxists

apitalism never fully recovered from the 2008 financial crash. The feeble C‘recovery’ has been wiped in a heart- beat, despite all the hardship shouldered by the working class over the past decade of austerity. Now with the worst economic collapse in the last 300 years upon us, the sickness of the system is most visible by looking at the situation facing the youth. Even before COVID, the youth already had to endure the mental health crisis, floundering youth services, and an unaf- capitalism’s lost generation fordable housing market. Often the only work available for young people is in pre- continue to grow worse, mental health carious, low paid jobs. The crisis is pushing Youth’s dire situation support receives less and less funding, the youth into desperation. We have seen rabid attacks on youth ser- with 8% year on year cuts since 2011. We can see very clearly that all these vices during the pandemic. Having already Tragically, therefore, as the causes problems were built up in the previous peri- been cut close to the bone, the Guardian of the mental health crisis intensify, od, and have now come to the surface with now reports that 83% of youth organisa- the means of solving them are rapidly a bang. The situation has gone from bad to tions have seen a decrease in funding diminishing. The perfect storm is being considerably worse in the space of a year. due to COVID, despite a 66% increase in prepared. demand! Austerity here to stay This comes at a time when funding for Organise the fight back! Recently, the BBC reported a rise in youth organisations that help develop life skills, The best way to overcome feelings of unemployment to 5%, with young workers encourage social life and engagement, powerlessness are through organised, at the largest risk of losing their jobs. Re- and remedy the feelings of isolation is at militant struggle. The youth are by no dundancies have run rife. General insecuri- its most important. Lamentably, the least means powerless, and need not take ty has gripped young people either looking assistance is given by those holding the this lying down. for work, or in work. purse strings. By educating and agitating for better Despite the COVID flagship ‘Kickstart’ In fact, 64% of youth organisations conditions, and linking up with workers in scheme aiming to create 250,000 jobs, the say they are at risk of closure in the next struggle, the youth can play an important reality is far from this. In six months, fewer 12 months. Those that close may well do role in transforming society, so that it is than 5,000 people have started their place- so permanently, making it all the harder for run in the interests of the vast majority. ments - typically on poor pay. young people to access important services. We must demand more - not just Young people are clearly not a priority, as The Tories are therefore pouring petrol on crumbs, but the whole bakery. the Tories have spent the entire pandemic the fire, and the social consequences will The only remedy for these prob- lining the pockets of big business. Cronyism be immense. lems that blight the youth is through is first on their rotten agenda. One such consequence is that of ex- rational socialist planning. We have the The unemployment figure hides a deep- acerbated mental health issues. Feelings resources and capabilities to provide er malaise in the economy. With 4.5 million of stability, empowerment, and content- decent housing, high quality services, people currently on furlough, many more ment are vital to mental wellbeing. These and ensure rewarding work for all. But will find themselves on the scrap-heap after feelings are hard to come by when forced these resources are currently in the lockdown ends. into unemployment or precarious work, wrong hands - those of the bankers and Not to mention the fact that the costs of and an insecure, overcrowded housing billionaires. furlough will be put again onto the shoulders market. Only by ending the anarchy of of the working class. Under capitalism, there To make matters worse, there is the capitalism, and the havoc it wreaks on is no such thing as a free lunch - today’s high possibility of local support organ- the working class, can we end the dire stimulus package is tomorrow’s austerity. isations shutting down. As these issues situation of the youth. ■ International Working Women’s Day event: a great success This year, Socialist Appeal marked In- it. It is clear that to remove oppression, we ternational Women’s Day with a meeting have to overthrow capitalism and class on the Origins of Women’s Oppression. society: “women free from men, both free click here Over 100 people attended to discuss why from capital”. To understand this, we have oppression exists under capitalism, and to educate ourselves on this ever pertinent to watch importantly, how we can bring an end to question.

Back to Contents socialist.net 12 The Labour Party Issue 344 fight for party democracy! rally for a recall conference! Socialist Appeal Supporters trade unionists, a Liverpool city councillor, Guest speakers included Ian Hodson, and representatives from the national recall BFAWU President; Apsana Begum, Labour he campaign to demand an immediate conference campaign. Contributions were MP for Poplar and Limehouse; and Rob recall conference of the Labour Party also made by suspended Liverpool Labour Sewell, editor of Socialist Appeal. Thas been busy since our last issue. members – and prominent left activists – All three speakers spoke passionately Supporters across the country have Audrey White and Nina Houghton. about the need for rank-and-file members to been organising online events as part of Audrey read out a message of solidarity reclaim democracy within the party; and to the Reclaim Democracy Roadshow (see and support from the filmmaker Ken Loach. fight back against the purge of socialists and below), bringing together grassroots activ- The statement denounced Keir Starmer left-wing party members that Keir Starmer ists who are looking to fight back against and his bureaucratic clique for their attacks and David Evans are currently conducting. the right wing and their attacks. on democracy: The speakers outlined how the cam- These culminated in an inspiring rally “Whether inside or outside the Party, paign for a recall conference should be a on Saturday 6 March, with leading figures we will campaign and organise for real rallying point for rank-and-file members; from across the labour movement speaking democracy and for a leadership that really an opportunity to begin a coordinated about how we can organise to take back understands and represents the independ- fightback against the right wing, and for control of our party. ent interests of ordinary working class genuine democracy and a radical socialist “The members should decide, not people. In the end, commitment, strength programme! leaders or fixers or head office,” asserted of purpose and solidarity will win the day.” Richard Burgon MP, opening the rally. North East Richard was followed by Howard Beckett, Bristol and the South West The campaign for a recall conference con- assistant general secretary of Unite the Starmer’s promise of so-called ‘unity’ is tinues to gain ground in the North East. To Union, who stated that: “It is time to reclaim clearly not manifest in the South West. date, three CLP’s – Berwick-upon-Tweed, democracy – to reclaim our Labour Party!” The Labour left in Bristol has been at the Blyth Valley, and Sedgefield (formerly Tony Sarah Woolley, general secretary of the receiving end of the leadership’s purge of Blair’s seat) – have voted to support the Bakers, Food, and Allied Workers’ Union socialist members. demand for a recall conference. (BFAWU) chaired the rally, which saw over Bristol Socialist Appeal supporters On Thursday 5 March, grassroots ac- 400 people watching live at its peak. have no intention of either ripping up their tivists in the region gathered to discuss the Other speakers included Labour coun- cards, or turning the other cheek. Instead, campaign. The online meeting heard from cillor Pamela Fitzpatrick, Streatham MP we took the initiative to organise a local Paul Holmes, left candidate in the recent Bell Ribeiro-Addy, and Socialist Appeal meeting in support of the campaign for a Unison general secretary election, and Rob editor Rob Sewell. Rob closed the rally with recall conference. Sewell, editor of Socialist Appeal. a rousing call to arms, urging comrades to Around 40 people attended the online The speakers stressed the broader get organised and fight to transform the meeting, covering 11 constituency Labour political situation, highlighting the potential Labour Party into a vehicle for socialism. parties. This made the event the biggest that exists to build a genuine opposition The Labour NEC meets on 11 March gathering of local Labour left activists for to the Tories. The campaign for a recall to discuss this question. Whatever they some time. conference represents a concrete, focused decide, this will not be the end – but only Brendan Kelly, elected regional officer demand that the left can organise around. the beginning – of the struggle. of the RMT union, opened the meeting. There is everything to play for. We have a Brendan gave a clear, defiant message world to win. ■ Merseyside – not only backing the call for a recall On Sunday 28 February, around 100 conference, but urging trade unionists and socialist activists in Merseyside gathered party members to recognise the right wing’s online to call for a recall conference. attacks as part of a ‘civil war’. At stake, he CATCH UP HERE! Recent events in the area certainly gave stressed, are the party’s founding socialist this meeting on defending democracy an principles. additional relevance, given the scandalous stitch-up surrounding the mayoral selection London process. On Wednesday 3 March, Tower Hamlets Comrades were joined by leading mem- Momentum hosted an online meeting as bers from local grassroots organisations, part of the Reclaim Democracy roadshow.

Back to Contents marxist.com 13 EditorialThe Labour Party 10 March 2021 Where next in the fight to reclaim democracy? Socialist Appeal

omorrow, on Thursday 11 March, the Labour Party National Executive TCommittee (NEC) meets to discuss the crisis that is enveloping the party. On the agenda will be the question of whether to call an emergency recall con- ference – a means for the membership, not bureaucrats, to decide the fate and future of the party. This is the only way of resolving this crisis: to put power in the hands of members. Grassroots support The demand for a recall conference has found a strong echo across the labour movement in recent months. Local parties Image: Jeremy Corbyn, flickr.com and affiliated organisations have passed dozens of resolutions calling for an immedi- over’ by regional officials, in order to prevent beyond – if necessary. We will not give in ate recall conference. activists from discussing and organising. until we have fully won back the Labour CLPs across the country – from Ber- Reminiscent of a McCarthyite witch- Party for the membership and restored our wick-on-Tweed to Sedgefield; from Islington hunt or Stalinist purge, comrades are even socialist principles. North to Wallasey; from Aberconwy to found to be ‘guilty by association’. The mere Wakefield; from Blyth Valley to Sutton and mention of Corbyn’s name is enough to see Fight for socialism Cheam – have passed these emergency discussion shutdown, motions ruled out of At the end of the day, that is what these at- motions. order, and members thrown out. tacks on democracy are all about. The right It is no accident that six local parties in Furthermore, tens of thousands have wing are attempting to purge the left from Merseyside have passed motions in support left the party in disgust. And thousands more the party, in order to return Labour to the of a recall conference. After all, rank-and-file are thinking of leaving, out of demoralisation. dark days of Blairism; to make the Labour members in Liverpool have experienced Such a situation is intolerable. Party a ‘safe pair of hands’ for capitalism. first hand the right wing’s clampdown on The struggle to reclaim party democracy democracy, during the recent selection Step up the struggle must therefore be a political struggle – a stitch-up for the mayoral elections. As things stand, Keir Starmer and the right struggle for socialism. This means organis- Scandalously, many other parties have wing currently have a majority on the NEC. ing to transform the party from top-to-bottom: been blocked and gagged from passing This is largely thanks to right-wing trade bringing in open selection to select class similar motions, following the bureaucratic unions such as Unison and GMB – showing fighters to represent workers and youth; intervention of regional Labour Party offices. the importance of fighting to transform the calling for workers’ MPs on a worker’s wage; The Labour Party’s own rule book unions also. and restoring Clause IV, the party’s socialist states that the NEC has the power to call The likelihood is, therefore, that the NEC birthright. an emergency conference, if it so wishes, will reject the idea of a recall conference. Af- Like the Labour Party, capitalism is also to take place within ten days. And ordinary ter all, the right wing has spent the last year facing its deepest ever crisis. Starmer’s tepid members up-and-down the country are ruthlessly repressing members and curtail- opposition and promise of ‘British Recovery demanding that this clause now be invoked ing their democratic rights. It is doubtful that Bonds’ is no solution. The system cannot be in order to reverse the right wing’s attacks we will now see a Damascene conversion. patched up – it must be overthrown. on democracy. If the right wing thinks that this is the Our programme must therefore be one end of the matter, however, they are sadly of bold socialist policies, with the aim of Witch hunt mistaken. We are not going to roll over. We planning the economy democratically and The Labour Party is facing a deep crisis – intend to step up this fight to a much higher rationally, on the basis of public ownership possibly the deepest crisis in its history. level. We intend to widen the struggle, and and workers’ control. Months on, and former Labour leader to increase more local parties, more affiliat- No matter what the NEC decides, there- Jeremy Corbyn remains suspended as a ed organisations, more trade unions, and fore, we will continue this campaign, until we Labour MP. In turn, hundreds of grassroots more grassroots members in this campaign achieve our just objectives. members have been suspended for defend- to reclaim democracy. We urge you to join us in this struggle. ing Corbyn and demanding his reinstate- We will agitate all the way up until the Join the campaign! Join the Marxist tenden- ment. And local parties have been ‘taken national conference in September – and cy! Join the fight for socialism! ■

Back to Contents socialist.net 14 Editorial Issue 344

MONARCHY IN CRISIS what we say ...abolish this rotten and racist relic! Editorial class that has grown rich from slavery, Cold and callous colonial plunder, and policies of racist he Firm’ – as the British Royal The Royal Household, meanwhile, con- division. Family call themselves – has tinues to protect Prince Andrew from US The Monarchy is linked to the whole recently seen some of its worst law enforcement over his connection to ruling class by a thousand threads ‘T the Epstein child sex abuse case – yet nightmares brought to life by Harry and – through a sordid network of public Meghan. unblushingly accuses Meghan of bully- schools, wealthy institutions, banks, In an explosive interview with Oprah ing! private clubs and family ties. Winfrey, the royal couple presented a In summary, the kind of family Monarchs and princes; judges and picture of their family as a mean, duplic- Meghan and Harry have apparently fled army generals; city financiers and top itous, racist and vengeful clique, at the is one where it is normal to display rac- civil servants; Lords and Ladies: they head of a feudal relic that is unwilling ism even towards one’s own relatives; are all bound together with the glue of and unable to reform itself. to willingly push a young woman to the an immense wealth, and the desire to Just like Diana before her, the inter- brink of suicide; to punish a child for its preserve this status quo at all costs. view revealed that ‘The Firm’ has treated parents ‘crimes’; to show cold-heart- Meghan as an outsider, and with the edness so extreme you’d cut your own ‘Velvet-covered knife’ uttermost spite. child out of your life; and to willingly No wonder the yellow press and syco- One of the most disgusting revela- hinder a child sex abuse investigation. phants like Piers Morgan have jumped tions include the claim by Meghan that The concern of the royals for ‘pure in, providing a patriotic chorus of support one (unnamed) royal had expressed pedigree’ has been exposed as racist for the monarchy, and rushing to pour to Harry “concerns and conversations white supremacy. Its ‘cool detachment’ suspicion and doubt on Meghan and about how dark [their son’s] skin might is shown up as callous vengefulness. Harry’s claims and motives. be when born”. Is it any wonder that there has been an Of course Harry and Meghan are as For the crime of having a child of outpouring of sympathy for the Sussex- much a part of the same parasitic class mixed race, the Royal Family took their es? as the rest of the Royals. Who can deny revenge by denying the child, Archie, it? Their interview with Oprah will prove the title of prince and concomitant police Pillar of the establishment extremely personally lucrative too. Un- protection. Meghan claimed her gen- But this is not any old family. This family doubtedly they will continue to do what eral treatment was such that she was is a core institution of the British estab- they can to profit from their situation as pushed to the point of feeling suicidal. lishment. Its rottenness is the rottenness royal outcasts. Therein lies the danger for And according to Prince Harry, his father of the whole capitalist state. Its crisis is the Royal Family. Prince Charles is now refusing to take part of the crisis of the whole system, at his own son’s phone calls. the core of which it sits, putrefying. And its attitudes are the attitudes of a ruling (continues on next page)

Back to Contents marxist.com 15 Editorial 10 March 2021

(continues from previous page) anachronism; it is a reserve weapon in Bristol Harbour last year, was rightly the hands of the ruling class. reviled for his role as a governor of the But their allegations tally with Precisely for this reason, the ruling Royal African Company that controlled everything we already know about the class are keen to keep the Monarchy much of the transatlantic trade in human Monarchy. And they look set to cause the clear of the public gaze, appearing ‘aloof’ beings. institution untold amounts of damage. and above politics. But it is as mired in But that company was established As the BBC royal correspondent, Jonny scandal and filth as the rest of the class by a British monarch. The wealth that Dymond, put it, Harry and Meghan’s to which it belongs. These latest allega- company acquired became part of the testimony was “...a velvet-covered knife tions are increasingly discrediting this mountain of wealth that the Monarchy into the heart of the modern monarchy”. relic of Britain’s feudal past. continues to sit on today. Above all, a growing disgust towards In the Monarchy we have a living Reserve of reaction the Monarchy is growing among the monument to all of Britain’s crimes – one The Monarchy is far from a mere orna- youth. According to one Yougov poll, a that sits at the very heart of political and mental bauble on the British state. It is massive 61% of 18-24 year olds believe public life. It is an institution steeped in not for nothing that the British capitalist that Harry and Meghan have been treat- that history. But more than a monument, class are prepared to pay a tidy sum to ed unfairly by the Royal Family. in the Monarchy the British ruling class maintain these reactionary parasites. have a weapon for the defence of their The reigning monarch enjoys unlimited For a socialist republic privilege and power. powers under the British constitution. Having stood up to racism in huge num- It is therefore long overdue for us We should never forget that it is Her bers at the mass BLM protests last year, to topple not just statues, but the entire Majesty’s Government, Her Majesty’s young people see in the treatment of the Monarchy, and all the other monoliths of Civil Service, and Her Majesty’s Armed Sussexes just one more instance of the the capitalist establishment. Forces. We are allowed to imagine, in rotten institutional racism at the heart of It is time to throw feudal relics like the ‘normal’, ‘peaceful’ times, that this is a the British establishment. Monarchy and the House of Lords onto mere formality. But should the estab- Last summer, young people rightly the scrapheap of history. We must throw lishment require it, in a time of crisis toppled the statues of slave owners and out the whole capitalist system, which it the monarchy can legally assume un- imperialists of centuries past. Edward serves and forms a part. It is time to fight limited powers. It is more than a feudal Colston, whose statue was thrown into for a socialist republic. ■ Sunak’s Budget: Papering over the cracks

Editorial forecasts that the British economy will Sunak has simply kicked the can down still be 3% smaller in five years’ time. the road, hoping the vaccine rollout will espite its sleek language and kickstart the economy. But the economy choreography, Sunak’s second Clearly, the real impact will come after will be badly ‘scarred’. And all this unprec- Budget is a reflection of the deep the furlough scheme is wrapped up. Hun- edented spending will need to be paid for. D dreds of thousands are expected to lose crisis facing British capitalism. their jobs. And those on Universal Credit The government can delay the day of Out has gone talk of austerity and will see their benefits cut by £20 just as reckoning for a period, but it is going to belt-tightening. The Chancellor is unemployment nears its peak. come back with a vengeance. Austerity splashing money around as if there is no has not gone away. tomorrow. Total government spending on Sunak hopes that his proposals will boost the pandemic is projected to rise to an business investment. But that is wishful The capitalist crisis, with all its ups and incredible level of £344bn, roughly 16% thinking. There are shrinking markets, not downs, is here to stay. It is essential the of GDP. least due to Brexit. And there are years of working class arm itself for the battles that under-investment to make up for. lie ahead. This is no change of heart from the To- ries, as every capitalist government in the Given the squeeze, the Chancellor has world has turned on the taps in face of announced a rise in corporation tax from the greatest crisis for three centuries. It is 19% to 25% by 2023. But this will hit the nothing more than an act of desperation very investment he is seeking to increase. to prop up capitalism and prevent an im- Business representatives said they were mediate avalanche of job losses, with all worried about the signal this sends, es- the social upheavals that that will bring. pecially to foreign investors. But Sunak Sunak has extended the furlough scheme replied that the government was still and other support measures until the committed to a “pro enterprise and pro end of September, at a cost of £65bn. business” approach. The budget deficit will be the highest in The ruling class is supportive of the Chan- peacetime history. And public debt will be cellor, keen for him to avoid a premature over 100% of GDP – the highest since ‘fiscal retrenchment’. But retrenchment is the aftermath of the Second World War. inevitable. This Budget will go down as Of course, there will be a recovery of sorts. a ‘give then take’ affair – giving with one But the Office for Budget Responsibility hand for now, but then taking much more away with the other in the future.

Back to Contents socialist.net 16 The Paris Commune Issue 344

150 years since the workers seized power

Révolution (IMT) into the arena of great historical events. The even desirable to defend Paris. In addition masses examine the behaviour of heads of to the regular army, a 200,000 strong militia he Paris Commune was one of the state, generals and politicians much more - the National Guard - declared itself ready greatest episodes in the history of carefully than in peacetime. This is especial- to defend the city. But these armed workers Tthe French working class. Between ly true in the event of a defeat. However, the of Paris posed a far greater threat to the the uprising of March 18 and the “Bloody military offensive launched by Napoleon III interests of the French capitalists than the Week” at the end of May, Paris was ruled quickly turned into a fiasco. On 2 Septem- foreign army at the gates of the city. The by the democratic organs of the workers, ber, near Sedan, the Emperor was arrested government thought it best to capitulate as who attempted to reorganise society on an by Bismarck’s army, along with 75,000 soon as possible to Bismarck. However, entirely new basis - without exploitation or soldiers. In Paris, massive demonstrations given the combative stance of the National oppression. The lessons of these events are demanded the end of the Empire and the Guard, the government could not publicly still very relevant today. proclamation of a democratic Republic. declare its intentions. The Minister and Twenty years earlier, Napoleon III had Under this pressure from the streets, the General, Trochu, counted on the economic seized power during the military coup of 2 ‘moderate’ republican opposition proclaimed and social effects of the siege to break the December 1851. At first, his regime seemed the Republic on 4 September. A “Govern- resistance of the Parisian workers. The gov- unshakeable. The workers’ organisations ment of National Defense” was installed. ernment wanted to buy time; while declaring were repressed. But by the end of the 1860s Foreign Minister, bourgeois Republican itself in favour of defending Paris, it entered the imperial regime was being seriously Jules Favre pompously declared that “not into secret negotiations with Bismarck. weakened by the exhaustion of economic an inch of land and not a stone of our for- As the weeks went by, the hostility of the growth, the repercussions of wars (in Italy, tresses” would be ceded to the Prussians. Parisian workers towards the government Crimea, Mexico) and the resurgence of the German troops quickly surrounded increased. Rumors were circulating about labour movement. Only a new war - and a Paris and placed the city under siege. At negotiations with Bismarck. On 8 October, rapid victory - could delay the fall of ‘Napo- first, the Parisian working class gave its the fall of Metz sparked a new mass demon- leon the Little’. In July 1870 he declared war support to the new government, in the name stration. On 31 October, several contingents on Bismarck’s Prussia. of ‘unity’ against the foreign enemy. But the of the National Guard attacked and tempo- subsequent course of events shattered this rarily occupied the Town Hall. At this point, War and revolution unity and brought to light the conflicting however, the mass of workers was not War often leads to revolution. And for good class interests it had concealed. yet ready for a decisive offensive against reason: war suddenly tears people away In reality, the Government of National from their daily routine and throws them Defense did not believe it was possible or (continues on next page)

Back to Contents marxist.com 17 Paris Commune 10 March 2021

(continues from previous page) the government. Isolated, the insurrection quickly ran out of steam. In Paris, the siege had disastrous con- sequences. It was an urgent task to break it. After the failure of the retreat to the village of Buzenval on 19 January 1871, General Trochu had no other choice but to resign. He was replaced by Vinoy, who immediately declared that it was no longer possible to defeat the Prussians. It was clear to every- one now that the government wanted to capitulate - which it did on 27 January. The Parisians and the Peasants In the National Assembly elections in Feb- ruary, the votes of the peasantry gave an overwhelming majority to the monarchist and conservative candidates. The new As- sembly appointed Adolphe Thiers - a hard- ened reactionary - as head of government. A conflict between Paris and the ‘rural’ assem- bly was inevitable. But in raising its head, the counter-revolutionary danger gave a powerful impetus to the Parisian revolution. The armed demonstrations of the National Guard multiplied, massively supported by the poorest layers of the population. The armed workers denounced Thiers and the monarchists as traitors and called for an This Central Committee, and the corresponding all-out war for the defense of the Republic. The National Assembly constantly structures at the battalion level, prefigured the soviets provoked the Parisians. The siege had put of workers and soldiers which appeared in Russia many workers out of work; the indemnities paid to the National Guards were all that during the revolutions of 1905 and 1917. separated them from famine. However, the government abolished the allowances paid to each guard who could not prove that he not yet prepared. By imposing its will on this all the streets leading to the Butte were filled was unable to work. He also decreed that issue, the Central Committee demonstrated with a quivering crowd. Women formed the rent arrears and all debts were to be paid that its authority was recognised by the ma- majority; there were also children. Isolated within 48 hours. These and other measures jority of the National Guard and Parisians. national guards came out in arms and head- hit the poorest hardest, but also led to the Prussian forces occupied part of the city for ed for the Chateau-Rouge.” radicalisation of the middle classes. two days, then withdrew. The soldiers were surrounded by an The government’s surrender to Bis- ever-growing crowd. The inhabitants of the marck and the threat of a monarchist resto- 18 March district, national guardsmen and the men ration led to a transformation of the National To the ‘rural people’ of the Assembly, Thiers of Lecomte were pressed against each Guard. A ‘Central Committee of the Feder- had promised the restoration of the monar- other. Some soldiers fraternised openly ation of the National Guard’ was elected, chy. But his immediate task was to put an with the guards. In a desperate attempt to representing 215 battalions equipped with end to the situation of dual power that ex- reassert his authority, Lecomte ordered his 2,000 cannons and 450,000 rifles. New stat- isted in Paris. The guns under the control of men to shoot at the crowd. No one fired. utes were adopted, stipulating “the absolute the National Guard - and in particular those The soldiers and the national guardsmen right of the National Guards to elect their of the heights of Montmartre - symbolised then cheered and hugged each other. Very leaders and to dismiss them as soon as they the threat posed to the capitalist order. On quickly, Lecomte and Clément Thomas lose the confidence of their voters”. This 18 March, at 3 am, 20,000 soldiers and were arrested. Angry soldiers executed Central Committee, and the corresponding gendarmes were sent, under the command them shortly after. It hadn’t been forgotten structures at the battalion level, prefigured of General Lecomte, to seize these guns. that Clément Thomas had fired on insurgent the soviets of workers and soldiers which This was done without too much difficulty. workers in June 1848. appeared in Russia during the revolutions of However, the expedition commanders did Thiers had not foreseen the defection 1905 and 1917. not think about the couplings needed to of the troops. In a panic, he fled from Paris. The new leadership of the National move the guns. At 7 o’clock, the teams had He ordered the army and the administration Guard soon had the opportunity to test its still not arrived. In his “Histoire de la Com- to completely evacuate the city and its sur- authority. As the Prussian army prepared to mune” (history of the commune), Lepelletier rounding forts. He wanted to keep the army enter Paris, tens of thousands of armed Pa- describes what happened: as far away as possible from revolutionary risians gathered with the intention of attack- “Soon after the alarm started ringing ‘contagion’. Some of the soldiers - some ing the invaders. The Central Committee and we heard, in Clignancourt road, the openly insubordinate, chanting revolutionary intervened to prevent a fight for which it was drums playing a marching beat. Quickly, it was like a change of scenery in a theater: (continues on next page)

Back to Contents socialist.net 18 Paris Commune Issue 344

(continues from previous page) slogans - retreated in disorder towards Ver- sailles. With the collapse of the old state ap- paratus in Paris, the National Guard took all the strategic points of the city without encountering significant resistance. The Central Committee had played no role in these events. And yet, on the evening of 18 March it discovered that, despite itself, it had become the de facto government of a new revolutionary regime based on the armed power of the National Guard. Central Committee vacillates The first task that the majority of the members of the Central Committee set for themselves was to get rid of power. After all, they said, we don’t have a ‘legal mandate’ to rule! After long discussions, the Central Committee reluctantly agreed to remain at the Town Hall for the “few days” necessary for municipal (communal) elections to be organised. The immediate problem facing the Central Committee was the army en route to Versailles under the leadership of Thiers. Eudes and Duval proposed to have the National Guard immediately march on Versailles, so as to break what was left of the forces at Thiers’ disposal. They were not listened to however. The majority of the Central Committee considered it preferable not to “appear as the aggressors”. The Central Committee was composed, in its majority, of honest men, but men who were Thousands of ordinary men and women were far too moderate. The energy of the Central Committee discussing how different aspects of social life should was absorbed in long negotiations on the date and methods of the upcoming munici- be organised in the interest of the common good. The pal elections. They were finally fixed for 26 March. Thiers used this precious time to his characteristics of the new society which was taking advantage. With the help of Bismarck, the shape in Paris were clearly socialist. army gathered at Versailles was massively reinforced by fresh troops and weapons, with the aim of launching an attack on Rents were frozen. The abandoned fac- Paris. The programme of the Commune tories were placed under the control of the On the eve of the elections, the Central The newly elected Commune replaced the workers. Measures were taken to limit night Committee of the National Guard issued a command of the National Guard as the offi- work and guarantee the subsistence of the remarkable declaration which sums up the cial government of revolutionary Paris. The poor and the sick. The Commune declared spirit of self-sacrifice and integrity that was majority of its 90 members can be described that it wanted to “put an end to anarchic and characteristic of the new regime: as left-wing Republicans. The militants of ruinous competition between workers for “Our mission is over. We are going the International Workingmen’s Associa- the benefit of the capitalists”. The National to give way in our Town Hall to your new tion (led by Karl Marx, among others) and Guard was open to all men fit for military elected representatives, to your regular the Blanquists (who were energetic but service and organised on strictly democratic representatives.” politically confused) together represented principles. Standing armies “separate and The Central Committee had only one nearly a quarter of the elected officials of the apart from the people” were declared illegal. instruction to give to the voters: Commune. The few right-wingers who were The Church was separated from the “Do not lose sight of the fact that the elected resigned from their posts on various state and religion declared a private matter. men who will serve you best are those pretexts. Housing and public buildings were requisi- you will choose among you, living your Under the Commune, all the privileges tioned for the homeless, public education own life, suffering from the same ills. of senior state officials were abolished. In was opened to all, as well as places of Beware of the ambitious and upstarts [...] particular, it was decreed that they should culture and learning. Foreign workers were Beware of talkers, incapable of taking not receive more for their service than the seen as allies in the struggle for a ‘universal action [...]” wage of a skilled worker. They were also made recallable at any time. (continues on next page)

Back to Contents marxist.com 19 Paris Commune 10 March 2021

(continues from previous page) with an army separate from the people; The workers’ state with privileged officials; the introduction of The Paris Commune was the first workers’ republic’. Meetings were held day and night; election and recallability of all officials, etc. government in history. In The Civil War in thousands of ordinary men and women The Communards didn’t have time to France, Marx explained that the Commune were discussing how different aspects of consolidate their power. Their isolation in a had proved that the workers cannot “simply social life should be organised in the interest largely peasant nation was fatal to them. To- lay hold on the existent state body and wield of the common good. The characteristics of day, on the contrary, the majority of people this ready-made agency for their own pur- the new society which was taking shape in in society are wage workers. The economic pose. The first condition for the holding of Paris were clearly socialist. foundations of the socialist revolution are political power, is to (…) destroy this instru- much more mature than they were in the The defeat ment of class rule.” The Communards pre- 19th century. It is up to us therefore, to bring cisely attempted to build a new, workers’ It is true that the Communards made about the free and democratic, state on the ruins of the old capitalist state many mistakes. Marx and Engels rightly socialist society for which the in Paris. In doing so, they showed the basic reproached them for not having taken Communards fought and characteristics of a workers’ state: doing control of the Banque de France, which died. ■ away with bureaucracy; continued to pay millions of francs to Thiers to pay for the arming and reorgani- sation of his forces. Likewise, the threat from the Versaillese was clearly underestimated by the Com- munards. Not only was no attempt made to attack Versailles - at least until the first week of April - but no attempts were made to even prepare a serious defence. On 2 April, a Communard detachment heading towards Courbevoie was attacked and pushed back towards Paris. The prisoners in the hands of the forces of Thiers were executed. The next day, under pressure from the National Guard, the Commune launched an attack on Versailles. But despite the enthusiasm of the Communard battalions, the lack of mil- itary and political preparation condemned paris commune at 150 this late attempt to failure. The leaders of the Commune believed that, as on 18 March, the Versailles army would rally to the Commune at the mere sight of the National book launch of marx’s Guard. It did not. This setback caused a wave of defeat- ism to sweep over Paris. The resolute opti- mism of the first weeks gave way to a mood ‘civil war in france’ of impending defeat, which accentuated divisions at all levels of military command. ellred Books invites you to draw for today. Finally, the Versailles army entered Paris the launch of Marx’s The Civil There is no entry fee for the event, on 21 May. At the Town Hall, the Commune WWar in France on the 150th however we welcome donations. was deprived, at the decisive moment, of a anniversary of the beginning of the Paris A pre-order discount on the book serious military strategy. It simply ceased Commune! is available to participants. Comrades to exist, abdicating all its responsibilities in For two months between March and watching in the UK can receive the book favor of a totally ineffective Committee of May 1871 the armed workers of Paris, sur- for £8 and those watching from the rest of Public Safety. rounded by enemies on all sides, took their the world can get the book for £16 with this The National Guards were posted in destiny into their own hands and demon- covering postage. their own districts, without any centralised strated that it is possible for the workers to command. This decision prevented any run society democratically, without capital- Thursday 18th march, 6pm concentration of Communal forces capable ists, bankers or even a standing army. of resisting the thrust of the Versailles troops. In his brilliantly concise and penetrat- The Communards fought with immense ing addresses, written in the heat of the register here! courage but were gradually pushed back to events themselves, Marx succeeds in the east of the city, and finally defeated on distilling the experience of the Commune 28 May. The last Communards who resisted down to its most fundamental elements, were shot at the 20th arrondissement, the drawing out in the process a programme ‘Federated Wall’, which can still be seen at for the revolutionaries of the future. 150 Père Lachaise cemetery. During “Bloody years on, this book remains a priceless Week”, Thiers’ forces massacred at least resource for the workers of the world. 30,000 men, women and children, claiming Jules Legendre, from Révolution - the another 20,000 victims in the following French section of the International Marxist weeks. Tendency - will introduce the topic and ex- plain the lessons that revolutionaries must

Back to Contents marxist.com 20 International 10 March 2021 MYANMAR wHAT IS TO BE DONE? Fred Weston

powerful show of anger and oppo- sition to the military coup launched A at the beginning of February was evident on the streets of cities across My- anmar on 22 February, as a general strike paralysed the country – from Myitkyina in the north, to Bhamo near the Chinese border, to Pyinmana in the centre. The protest rallies were among the largest since the coup began. Factory workers downed tools and turned up at the rallies with their trade union banners. Government workers were out in big numbers. Students came out. And shops closed as part of a general strike against the coup, despite the junta threatening the lives of the protestors. Courage of the masses After the general strike, mass protests continued unabated. But over the fol- lowing weekend, the military regime Image: NinjaStrikers, Twitter massively stepped up its clampdown on the protestors, killing at least 18 in several The three-fingered salute is a symbol of the protests across Myanmar. cities across the country. This marks a powerful general strike. They have organ- keep the mass movement within certain qualitative change in the approach of the ised sit-ins at work, and they have creat- limits. Even when they themselves are regime, which is finding itself increasingly ed defence groups of ‘night watchmen’ in arrested and imprisoned, they appeal isolated and with hardly any base of sup- the neighbourhoods in an attempt to stop to the masses not to go too far and to port in society. the nightly raids by security forces. protest ‘peacefully’. When the NLD were The defiant mood of the masses has The minorities have joined the in office, we heard no such appeals for pushed the military junta into a corner. movement against the military. Despite non-violence when the military was bru- The military chiefs now know that either their misgivings about Aung San Suu tally crushing the minorities. they must crush the movement or start to Kyi (ASSK), they are fully conscious of Indeed, when thousands of Rohing- retreat. But they also understand that to the fact that the military are no friend of ya were being killed and their villages retreat even one step would be seen by the minority peoples. The peasants are burned, the kind and gentle ASSK the masses as weakness, and they would against the military; the shopkeepers defended Myanmar’s military against be encouraged to push back with even have participated in the movement; the genocide allegations in her speech to the greater vigour. industrial workers and the government International Court of Justice (ICJ). The military chiefs are clearly hoping workers; the youth: all these layers have But when it comes to the legitimate to tire the movement out, counting on the been involved. right of the people to defend themselves lack of a fighting leadership, while com- in the face of brutal violence of the bour- bining this with heavy repression to instil Lack of revolutionary leadership geois state, then these liberals sing a fear among the population. What we have witnessed in the past month very different tune. Most recently, the military have now in Myanmar is a pre-revolutionary situation, decreed that trade unions are illegal. The which could very easily become revolution- military understands that the backbone Bankruptcy of liberalism ary – if only the masses had a leadership up The role of bourgeois liberals such as of the movement has been the organised to the task. The masses display immense ASSK is to lead the lamb to the slaughter. working class – particular in sectors such courage, but who leads them? They cannot conceive of a movement that as the garment workers, the healthcare The political leadership is still in the goes beyond the limits of the capitalist workers, and workers in the ministries, hands of the NLD [National League system. They may have some minor dif- transport and teaching. for Democracy] under the figurehead ferences with the military chiefs on who But a new generation of workers has of ASSK. And what do these ‘leaders’ should own this property, or how much of it emerged over the past decade that has preach to the masses? ‘Peaceful protest’ should stay with the military oligarchs and gained an appreciation of the right to and ‘non-violence’. Meanwhile, the mili- how much should be sold off to foreign strike and to organise. They have em- tary are shooting people on the streets, multinational corporations. But that there ployed these rights on a grand scale in rounding them up at night in their houses, must be an ‘owner’ remains sacrosanct. the battle against the coup. arresting hundreds, and beating many If your aim is to preserve a soci- The Myanmar masses have been more. ety where there are employers and fighting back with all their might. They There are no bounds to how far bour- have organised strike wave after strike geois liberals will go in their attempts to wave, culminating in 22 February’s (continues on next page)

Back to Contents socialist.net 21 International Issue 344

(continues from previous page) employed, exploiters and exploited; and if you see yourself as belonging to the camp of the owners: then you don’t want the workers getting any strange ideas about who should own the factories and how they should be run. The liberal bourgeois will therefore shout about democracy and human rights, so long as this doesn’t threaten to unleash a mass movement that could go beyond the confines of the capitalist system. For this reason, the workers and youth of Myanmar cannot place their hopes for a better life in the hands of parties like the NLD. Lessons from history The working class is the only class that can remove the military once and for all. This is because removing the military Image: NinjaStrikers, Twitter does not mean just sending them back to barracks. To remove the military you must remove their economic power. The What is required now is the building of an independent demand for the expropriation of all the companies that have been appropriated party of the working class. Such a party could issue by the military over the past decades is a central part of any serious struggle to put the call for an all-out general strike, combined with the an end to the power of these oligarchs. Such a demand cannot be carried occupation of factories, banks, ministries, universities out by anyone other than a working class that is conscious of its role in society, and high schools. and which has a party of its own with a clear understanding of the tasks at hand. – with everything being placed under the class, and therefore that support must The experiences and history of the control of strike committees elected by be given to the so-called ‘progressive Burmese Communists has some lessons the workers and students themselves. bourgeoisie’. for today’s movement. This would also require the election It is true that much of Myanmar is The Communist Party played an im- of neighbourhood committees coordi- rural and peasant. However, there is portant role in the struggle for independ- nated with the workplace committees. also a strong working class. The gar- ence at the end of the Second World These bodies would then elect delegates ment workers alone number 700,000. War. But they left the leadership in the to higher bodies, citywide and regional There are major cities like Yangon, with hands of the rising national bourgeoisie. committees and a national committee or its more than five million inhabitants. Once formal independence had been council that would become the recog- The overall urban population is 31% of achieved, however, the Burmese bour- nised leadership of the movement. the total. Industrial production provides geoisie no longer required the services Such democratically elected bodies 35% of GDP, with services providing of the Communist leaders, and by 1953 would also have to organise self-defence 40%. they had banned them. That is when the groups in the workplaces – firstly to When we look at Myanmar today, Communists turned to rural guerrillarism. defend the striking workers against any we find a far more developed economy They justified their abandonment of attacks, and in the neighbourhoods to than Russia in 1917. In the present the cities by citing difficult conditions. put up resistance to the security forces. movement, it is the urban, modern But doing so meant that when the mass What all this implies is an alterna- Myanmar that leads the way. The movement of 1988 erupted in the cities, tive power: the power of the organised movement started with workers in the the Communists had not built up a net- working class, pulling behind it the other industrial areas and spread to other work of cadres that could have played a popular sectors of society, the peas- sectors. The working class could play leading role. These past errors explain ants, the urban middle layers and so the same role in Myanmar today as it how the likes of ASSK and the NLD on. Organised in such a way, the mass did in Russia in 1917. could emerge as the recognised leaders movement would become unstoppable. What is missing is a party like the of the mass movement that came later. Bolshevik Party, capable of uniting the The class, party, leadership working class around a programme for Workers’ power Myanmar is a country where the old the revolutionary overthrow not only What is required now is the building of Communist Party has left a strong of the present military junta, but of an independent party of the working Stalinist tradition. An essential part of the whole rotten system. Such a party class. Such a party could issue the call Stalinist thinking is that a country like needs to be built. And the first step for an all-out general strike, combined Myanmar is not ripe for socialism; that it towards such a party is the building of a with the occupation of factories, banks, is not developed enough to allow for an Marxist tendency embedded among the ministries, universities and high schools independent movement of the working youth and the workers of Myanmar. ■

Back to Contents marxist.com 22 International 10 March 2021 Insurrectionary anger erupts in Senegal

Ben Morken For years, all of the most prominent With most of the prominent opposition opponents to the government have been barred from running against Macky Sall n recent weeks, a social eruption has arrested and repressed. French imperi- on all kinds of criminal charges, Sonko shaken the West African country of alism also plays a role in this, providing was the last serious challenger. ISenegal. The movement, emerging tacit support to Sengalese President apparently from nowhere, has quickly Macky Sall. Social and economic crisis gained insurrectionary features, with In the eyes of the masses, who There is a deep crisis of capitalism in the state completely losing control of big have been observing these events for Senegal, and this is what lies at the heart parts of the capital Dakar to the demon- years, the arrest of Sonko was part of of the current explosion. The masses strators. this pattern. With Sonko eliminated, Sall hate the whole political and economic Following a period of apparent calm would virtually run unopposed in the next establishment, together with their impe- in the region, we have recently seen the election in 2024. rialist backers in Paris. sudden eruption of class struggle, insur- In addition to this, Sall has also With the drastic fall in living stand- rectionary movements, and revolutions launched a constitutional review process, ards, the masses feel that everything is in one country after another, as objective which might allow him to exceed his cur- slipping out of their hands. What we are conditions force millions of people to rent two-term limit. The arrest of Sonko seeing now is the beginning of a process seek solutions to the intolerable burden therefore simply provided the spark that in which the masses are attempting to that capitalism places upon us. This is ignited the powder keg. take matters into their own hands. precisely what is happening in Senegal. Sonko’s party has called for three The immediate cause for the mass A political outsider days of protests, urging people to “mas- movement is the arrest and detention It is in this context that the figure of sively descend onto the streets”. This ef- of one of the leading opposition figures, Ousmane Sonko should be understood. fectively amounts to a three-day general Ousmane Sonko. He has been a thorn in the side of the strike. Police attacked protestors demon- Dakar elite for the last few years. As a Large numbers of soldiers have been strating against Sonko’s arrest. But this tax inspector, he publicly spoke out about deployed ahead of these protests. How- only poured petrol into the flames. Huge murky public-sector contracts, calling out ever, in this situation, the use of troops clashes broke out, which quickly spread the corrupt relationship of the Senegalese could backfire and spark an all-out insur- throughout Dakar. The movement took elite with big multinational corporations. rection, which could be difficult to control off and has since swept throughout the But after he was fired, he proved to be from the side of the state. Dakar is on a country. Much of Dakar turned into a war- an even bigger critic of the elite from the knife-edge. zone, as police clashed with thousands outside. of angry protesters. Sonko appeared on television and Revolutionary wave The state responded by deploying radio shows disclosing the shenanigans These events follow on the heels of the police and soldiers. However, there were of the rich and powerful, and making #ENDSARS movement in Nigeria. They numerous occasions where the move- vociferous attacks on what he calls “the are being followed very closely through- ment was so powerful that it simply over- system”. This made him very popular – out the West African region. This is whelmed the forces of repression. In fact, especially amongst the youth who are because the same processes are taking the movement gained insurrectionary bearing the brunt of the economic crisis. place in one country after another. Sim- features, with masses of people attack- At the same time, it was a huge embar- ilar conditions tend to produce similar ing police vehicles, the main courthouse, rassment to the elites in Dakar. results. government buildings, and even houses From this platform, he was elected All these countries are plagued by of political figures. as an MP by running on an anti-estab- the same political, economic and social lishment ticket. His programme includ- problems. What we are seeing today in The thin veil of ‘democracy’ ed: debt relief for students and small Senegal could spill over into the rest of To understand the real causes of the businesses; poverty relief measures; West Africa, resulting in a revolutionary huge explosion of anger that followed the and measures against food insecurity, wave sweeping the region against all the arrest of Sonko, however, it is necessary under-funded health and education sys- rotten regimes currently in power, and to look deeper . tems, and corruption. their imperialist benefactors. ■

Back to Contents marxist.com 23 International 10 March 2021 hong kong repression ramped up Sau Zuk

orty-seven arrested oppositionist political figures in Hong Kong ap- Fpeared in court recently on charges of ‘subverting state power’. These arrests came after a slew of measures taken by the Hong Kong government to implement the new National Security Laws, imposed upon the autonomous city by the Chinese Communist Party regime last summer. This is part of repressing the Hong Kong masses since they rose up to fight for democratic rights in 2019. The 47 were arrested for participat- ing in a primary election organised by a coalition of political parties last year. This coalition consists of a hodgepodge of po- litical tendencies that generally supported the Anti-Extradition Law Movement that erupted two years ago, which saw over two million on the streets. Marxists defend the democratic rights of all workers While not the organisers of the mass movement themselves, the coalition and youth. But the only way to gain democracy is by parties hoped to organise an internal revolutionary means. primary election to produce a united slate of candidates against the pro-Beijing pol- iticians in the Legislative Council (LegCo) In this context, Beijing cannot allow The magnificent Anti-Extradition Bill election. This was set to take place in Hong Kongers to keep their democratic Movement that inspired millions onto the September 2020, but has now been de- rights. By exercising these, they may pro- streets certainly held tremendous poten- layed by a year. duce another mass movement like that tial. However, because a general strike With a united slate, the Pan-Dem- of two years ago, with the danger that it did not materialise, and the struggle did ocratic camp had a real chance at con- might spread to mainland China. not advance, the movement entered into trolling the LegCo. This holds key powers, a stalemate and went into decline. such as the power to approve the budget Balance of forces At the peak of the events, when and impeach the Chief Executive. Another factor is the changing relation- the masses were mobilised and on the ship between Hong Kong capitalism and streets, it was not possible for the CCP Beijing’s clampdown that of China. In decades gone by, Hong and Carrie Lam to crack down on the Approaching this primary, the CCP regime Kong’s capitalist class used to play a movement. Faced with the strength of the – through its Hong Kong Liaison Office – pivotal role in facilitating the entrance of masses, they were powerless. It was only instantly cried foul. They claimed that the foreign (especially Western) capital into when the protests in the streets started primary would ‘damage the fairness of the China. to dwindle, along with the onset of the election’, accusing the oppositionists of Today, the situation is drastically COVID-19 pandemic, that the regime conspiring to “control the LegCo (in order different. US and western imperialist could repress dissidents. to) reject the budget, ground the SAR gov- influence in Asia has been superseded Despite the outcome of the battles in ernment to a halt, completely drag Hong by China. Hong Kong is now a popular the past period, the war is not over. The Kong down and subvert state power.” destination for Chinese investors. Hong Kong masses have not been cowed While the primary went ahead in July, Changes in the economic balance of by the recent developments. Many have the Hong Kong government, led by Chief forces lead to changes in the political bal- thrown themselves into unionisation Executive Carrie Lam, declared it unlaw- ance of forces. The interests of Western drives, in order to prepare for the next ful, stating that all of its participants were capitalism in Hong Kong can no longer stage of the struggle. They are beginning liable for breaking the National Security overcome the CCP’s bid to stabilise their to see the limitations of purely democratic Law. Mass arrests of all candidates that own regime. demands. participated then followed. The 2019 mass movement accelerat- Through bitter experience, the mass- Beijing’s growing intolerance of ed this process. The CCP could no longer es are gradually waking up to the huge dissent within Hong Kong reflects its trust the traditional capitalist forces inside gap between their own interests and fears of the effects that a movement in Hong Kong to control the masses. The those of the bourgeois liberals at the top Hong Kong could have on the working CCP needs a more direct approach to of the movement. class in mainland China itself. Despite maintain its rule throughout its domain. What is needed is to link these devel- Xi Jinping’s increasing centralisation of opments to the task of building a workers’ power, and the relatively rapid recovery Lessons to be learned party with a revolutionary leadership of China’s economy from the pandemic, Marxists defend the democratic rights of all – one that can connect the workers and the contradictions of capitalism are still workers and youth. But the only way to gain youth of Hong Kong with their class present. democracy is by revolutionary means. brothers and sisters in mainland China.■

Back to Contents marxist.com 24 Reviews 10 March 2021

review: judas and the black messiah The revolutionary vs repression Zac Gassem it, killing Hampton outright and arresting clear political programme and strategy, the those who survived. party could have been far more prepared, Coventry Marxists This was a conscious decision by the resilient, and robust in facing the challeng- ruling class to crush the Black Panther es that were thrown at it. udas and the Black Messiah (di- movement, mobilising the forces of the rected by Shaka King) is the most state – including the FBI and the police Oppression and liberation Jrecent film to look back at the US apparatus – to assassinate Hampton. Shaka King clearly emphasises that Fred Black Panther Party and one of its most Here we see the true colours of the state Hampton was a revolutionary. Neverthe- prominent leaders, Fred Hampton. under capitalism: killing those that repre- less, the film’s conclusion reveals the direc- The Black Panther Party was formed sent a threat to private property and the tor’s illusions in the capitalist state – and, at the tail-end of the 1960s civil rights ruling class in general. by extension, capitalism. A revolutionary movement in America, at a time when Fred Hampton was an inspirational organisation requires perspectives and some reforms had been won for the black revolutionary. He passionately made the a clear programme, in order to bring the working-class, including the abolition of case for socialism – to liberate not only the most advanced layers of the working class the Jim Crow laws. doubly-oppressed black population, but together in the struggle for socialism. The advanced layers of the movement the working class as a whole, regardless At the end, the film mentions the $1.8m for black liberation wanted to go further, of race. lawsuit that took place in the aftermath of through more militant and active struggle. Judas and the Black Messiah, however, Hampton’s assassination, viewing this as As a result, the Black Panther Party came takes a one-sided view of history, seeing ‘justice’ for his murder, and for the wider op- together with a revolutionary approach to it as nothing more than the result of the pression of black people under capitalism. the question of black liberation. efforts and actions of ‘great’ individuals and This view of the state as some neutral their ideas. In this respect, the film makes arbiter, standing above society, contradicts Revolutionary leader it seem as if it was purely Hampton and his sharply with reality – and with what is shown Fred Hampton (played here by British charisma that enabled the party to grow in the film. The fact is that the ruling class actor Daniel Kaluuya) quickly rose to and thrive at its peak. will use ‘any means necessary’, including become part of the leadership of the The film portrays the rise and fall of the cold-blooded murder, to maintain its power, party after he joined in 1966. From this party as an unfortunate accident, coincid- property, and profits. position, he terrified the ruling class in ing with Hampton’s prominence and lead- The ruling class consciously recog- America, displaying an ability to connect ing role within the movement as a socialist nised the threat that the Black Panther with workers and rally them towards the revolutionary. Party posed to their interests. As a result, party. Whilst Hampton did play a tremendous they sought to destroy it: using paid inform- The establishment therefore felt it role, there were deeper problems with the ants to exploit existing tensions within the necessary to cut Hampton’s life short Black Panthers, which at root reflected the party; and decapitating the movement of in order to prevent him from flourishing contradictory political ideas between the its most promising political leaders, such as into a revolutionary who could potentially different factions of the party. Members Hampton.In the final analysis, the state is a link the black struggle to that of the wider were forced to ‘pick sides’. And rather than tool used to defend and protect the interests class struggle for socialism. funding itself through the membership, the of the ruling class. No amount of reforms Using pressurised informants like Bill party increasingly used illicit means to raise can change this. O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield), the FBI were money, such as drug dealing and robbing Only socialist revolution – through able to determine the layout of Hamp- nightclubs. united class struggle, putting control in ton’s apartment and where his bed was. There is no doubt that pernicious FBI the hands of organised workers – can end Thanks to this information, the authorities infiltrators, along with the assassination of exploitation and oppression, providing lib- carried out a raid on the apartment in De- Hampton, sharpened these contradictions. eration for black people and for the whole cember of 1969, shooting all those inside But on a strong theoretical basis, with a of the working class. ■

Back to Contents socialist.net 25 Reviews Issue 344 review: can’t get you out of my head Daniel Morley

dam Curtis’ new 8 hour long TV doc- umentary ‘Can’t get you out of my Ahead’ (available on BBC iPlayer) is a confused mess, yet at times it offers profound insights into the nihilistic decay of capitalist culture and politics. Curtis frequently returns to the role of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the ideology and motivations behind its current use, such as control, manipulation and the discovery of hidden meanings. He links the tendency to be overly impressed by AI’s unique abilities to the seductive power of conspiracy theo- ries, which also allegedly uncover hidden connections and meanings. He identifies this problem, this search for a hidden truth, as a defining expression of the alienation that plagues capitalism today. Ironically, Curtis seems to believe he Curtis’ account of history is characterised by one-sided shares this oracle-like ability to see mean- ingful connections where there are none. A exaggerations of an idealist character. He looks upon friend described this documentary as like a conspiracy theory for people who think history as a succession of captivating ideas, which they are above conspiracy theories, and that is very apt, for this interminably long inherently tends to treat the given idea as utterly documentary is composed of meandering accounts of historical characters selected dominant, until suddenly it is not. seemingly at random. Curtis never really attempts to justify most of these accounts, Because he is driven by what strikes people’s well founded suspicions of power some of which are extremely obscure. What him as interesting or extreme, and into harmless dead-ends. This is certainly he seems to be trying to uncover in these because he is in the tradition of cultural the case and this fact largely explains the biographies, is a hidden connection and analysis, his account of history is char- rapid rise of such theories in an age of deep meaning about the state of the world acterised by one-sided exaggerations of polarisation. today, much like a conspiracy theorist. an idealist character. He looks upon his- He goes further and explains that be- tory as a succession of captivating ideas, cause conspiracy theories serve to divert Obscure ‘extremes’ which inherently tends to treat the given attention from the real causes of society’s Curtis’ series purports to be a history of idea as utterly dominant, until suddenly problems, we should see the liberal obses- the modern mind, but this is distorted it is not. sions with Putin or Cambridge Analytica as by his postmodern, idealist fixation on explanations for the success of Trump or outcasts and extreme cases, the only Postmodernism Brexit, as essentially conspiracy theories. justification for which seems to lie in their Like postmodern philosophers, he attempts Because they cannot face up to the fact novelty. For example, he dredges up the to mask his highly conventional ideas behind that inequality and financial crisis lie be- failed marriage of Robin Douglas-Home, obscure and bizarre examples. The audience hind these political shocks, they resort to the nephew of a Tory Prime Minister, to a is supposed to be impressed by his obscure comforting simplifications, which is what fashion model. knowledge, which gives the impression that conspiracy theories are. The only reason for this seems to something genuinely new is being said. But However, he leaves his conclusion to be that it has something to do with a his ideas boil down to mainstream left-liberal the final five minutes, at which he rushes to pessimistic mood in Britain at the time, ones - society has recently been very con- explain that despite all this, we can escape however this theme is dropped from the sumerist, inequality has grown and there is a the madness of capitalism and change the rest of the series and seems basically ir- power imbalance of some unspecified kind, world for the better. In keeping with his lack relevant to the argument. Even if it were prior revolutions failed because they were led of a materialist theory, this is left incredibly relevant, the example of an obscure by ego-maniacs. vague and is, in his telling, unjustified. The marriage that broke up almost 60 years To his credit, in the final episode, he impression one is left with is that humanity ago would hardly be enlightening. does make some profound points that also is incapable of understanding or controlling The same applies to his baffling steer him away from conventional liberal- itself, and is hurtling to disaster. The sud- focus on the relatively obscure black ism. He suddenly argues that conspiracy den assertion that, for some reason, we nationalist Michael X, and on the in- theories serve as a means of controlling can take control and improve things, is not fluence of Mao’s wife Jiang Qing over and manipulating people, something that very convincing. the Cultural Revolution. The only thing is quite clear with such ludicrous recent Despite his efforts, Adam Curtis nev- these accounts have in common is their examples as the QAnon ‘movement’ that er manages to escape the pessimistic bizarreness. backs Trump. His point is that they divert worldview of today’s dejected liberals.■

Back to Contents ORDER MATERIALISM AND EMPIRIO-CRITICISM

In this classic text, Lenin brilliantly materialism and idealism.” And he explains the fundamental principles of showed that: the materialist philosophy of Marxism. He defends them against idealist at- “Behind the mass of new terminological tacks from the subjective idealism of devices, behind the litter of erudite scho- Machism, a philosophical trend, which lasticism, we invariably discerned two at Lenin’s time was becoming very principal alignments, two fundamental fashionable, even within the workers trends in the solution of philosophical movement. problems. Whether nature, matter, the physical, the external world should be Step by step, layer by layer, quoting at taken as primary, and consciousness, length from the many trendy philosoph- mind, sensation (experience - as the ical and scientific publications of the widespread terminology of our time has day, the book exposes idealism in all it), the psychical, etc., should be regard- its guises. The aim was very simple: to ed as secondary - that is the root ques- bring out in the open the real difference tion which in fact continues to divide the between Marxist dialectical materialism philosophers into two great camps.” and subjective idealism, which in the last instance always leads to some form of religious world outlook. order your Analysing the different shades and expressions of Machism internationally, Lenin stressed that “in every philosoph- ical question raised by the new physics, copy here! we [trace] the struggle between marxist.com 27 TradeLetters Unions 10 March 2021

for £3,000, but frequently receiving £10,000 despite having only four toilets! The scandalous facts piled up one on another throughout the programme, including incidents of class and racial discrimination which, under the horrors of the bombing raids, crept in and tarnished Letters the myth of the ‘Blitz Spirit’ peddled then and now. Propaganda, Worsley stated, [email protected] was everywhere - government censors put red pencils through many images, cropping them to hide the reality of the originals. Some photos were even faked to get round the censors’ rules as in the famous ‘milk- man’ image. This bred a healthy disrespect amongst Gateshead cuts of the failure of capitalism. They should ordinary working class people for the have nationalised the banks and the major patronising Ministry of Information’s ‘Keep Calm & Carry On’ poster campaign finally Dear Editor, monopolies, without any compensation for released in April 1940. Eventually most of “…Politicians are unable to remember the billionaires, and run the economy, under the two and half million copies ended up the point of view which they adopted at a a democratic plan, in the interest of the vast being pulped! certain moment…due less to a surfeit of am- majority of the population – the working In the same way that crowds of des- bition than to a shortage of memory.” This is class. perate Londoners pushed past barbed wire Marcel Proust’s wry comment on politicians Comradely, and police to get past locked Tube station forgetting what they stood for previously, in Jim Hewer gates to gain access, a few days later a his famous novel In Search Of Lost Time. crowd of East End workers staged an oc- A newsletter from the local Liberal Dem- THE WARTIME SPIRIT cupation of the prestigious Savoy Hotel in ocrats came through my door last week. It the West End where the well-off could book included an article telling us how they want- Dear Comrades, dinner and a shelter in the basement. ed to do away with the wasteful expense If any readers missed the recent BBC It presents a vastly more complex view of the (currently Labour) Police and Crime documentary, “Blitz Spirit with Lucy Wors- of the Blitz and it is a shame - literally so Commissioner. ley”, it would be worth their while to visit - that self-serving politicians are hijacking But wait a minute! When were these iPlayer and take a look. this historic record for short term political Commissioner posts introduced? In 2012 – What is unusual about this programme gain. by the coalition government of the Conserv- (for once) is the detailed presentation of Much of what Worsley pulls together in atives and the Liberal Democrats. Labour how the Blitz was experienced by working this BBC documentary is available in the opposed them, but does now stand for these class people. It was a remarkable departure archives, positions, as otherwise they’d be taken by for an establishment commentator who re- the internet and in Socialist Appeal ar- parties opposed to the interests of workers. vealed in this one programme how ordinary ticles, but it makes for fascinating viewing The newsletter, delivered in Gateshead, Eastenders not only suffered, but how their at a time when capitalism is facing a crisis goes on to complain that the local Labour ‘story’ was more complex than popularly frequently compared by many bourgeois council is spending money on building a thought. commentators to wartime. car park. The council claims that it will earn We learnt, for instance, about the four What ordinary people need now though over £1 million pounds a year from the car week embargo on news of bomb damage; is not sham calls to rally to the flag, but bold park. Why are councils trying to make mon- the locking of Tube stations as public shelters socialist measures to change the system ey in this sort of way? Other councils, for despite the fact that the brick surface shelters once and for all. example, are also trying to make money by were badly built and dangerous; of the Tilbury A Warwickshire Supporter schemes like building and renting out office warehouse in Stepney opened by the council space. Councils like Gateshead have been reeling for years from swinging cuts inflicted final call for cartoon submissions by – guess who – the Conservatives and their former friends the Liberal Democrats. We have had some very creative Of course, this only affected council’s in submissions for the competition working class areas, especially in the North. so far. We are extending the Meanwhile, leafy, Tory Windsor council competition until . The barely lost any income. March 19 But the Lib Dems ambitions outweigh themes are: ‘New Year, Same their memory of the role they played in the Rotten System’; ‘Tories chumoc- cuts. Cuts that became “necessary” be- racy’; and ‘Capitalism in decay: cause of the credit crisis of 2008. Although, build the forces of Marxism’. in truth, they were only necessary to bail out the banks and the billionaires – who made Send your submission to the workers take all the burden of the debt built up by the risks that the rich took. [email protected] Instead, the Labour government of 2008 should have taken that crisis as evidence

Back to Contents socialist.net 28 Tell the Truth Issue 344 TELL THE TRUTH THE RISE OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY s capitalist interests began to was granted the territory, ‘in trust’, to from exports to decline, they attempted develop in England in the 15th govern on behalf of the English Crown. to make up for their loss by increasing Aand 16th century, so did their Thus it was becoming more than just a their collections from the villages. interest in colonisation overseas. In the merchant company. It was increasingly Those who were still alive were year 1600, the East India Company, a becoming a governing and military arm made to pay the difference for those joint-stock company of various London of the English state overseas. who had died. The company continued merchants, was granted a monopoly The Company was granted access to export what grain it could for sale on over trade in the East Indies. The Royal to facilitate its monopoly on trade by the the market, with no attempt to distribute Charter served to transform sporadic, Mughal Empire in exchange for a tribute. food in the starving areas. Between one individual merchant expeditions in the For a long time this arrangement suited fifth and one third of the population of East Indies, into a powerful, centralised the Mughal Emperor and princes, as the Bengal region died of starvation political and economic force. the enormous network of the Company or disease. Between 2 million and 10 The Indian subcontinent, in contrast increased the overall volume of trade, million lives were lost. to the American continent, already making the Mughal princes even richer The British imperialists neither un- had established trade relations with for even less administrative cost. derstood nor cared about the functions England, and every other corner of As time went on though, more and of the despotic state which their admin- the known world. The region was an more of the regional governance of istration had supplanted. Whilst it is true economic powerhouse. Between 1500 India was handed over to the Company, that the Mughal dynasty had brutally and 1600, it is estimated that the Indian such as the collection of taxes and exploited the peasant communities, they subcontinent produced around 25% of tributes from the local villages. By the had also fulfilled a social function by world GDP. middle of the 18th Century, the military maintaining collective works and mitigat- The region had a powerful and technology and weight of the British ing disasters like crop failure. The British extremely wealthy ruling class, and was far superior to the Mughal’s or any capitalists only cared about extracting deep, ancient property relations. At the other power in the region. profits, with disastrous results. time, this enormous region was not a The Company had moved beyond Company rule in India saw a com- single nation-state, but it was predomi- being a simple trading corporation and plete neglect and collapse of public nantly ruled by the Mughal Empire. The was now a private mercenary group, works. This accentuated the so-called Mughals faced fierce competition from waging war on behalf of the competing ‘natural disasters’ of famine, drought other dynasties such as the Persian, Af- dynasties, and a local governing pow- and disease. The development of ghan, and later, the Maratha Empires. er. From 1757 onwards the period of British manufacturing towards the end In 1608, the English East India ‘Company Rule in India’ began, with the of the 1700s and the early 1800s, and Company was granted permission by East India Company now governing the the flooding of the Indian market with the Mughal authorities, to establish majority of the region. From this period cheap products decimated the manu- a settlement in Surat (Gujarat). Over onwards, the crimes of British Empire facturing industry of the Indian village. the next half a century the Company began to take on gigantic proportions The very fabric of Indian society was established more trading posts on both for the people of India. torn to shreds as capitalism penetrated the East and West Coasts, as did their In 1770, the Great Bengal famine the subcontinent. competitors such as the Portugese, decimated the local population. The Company rule in India lasted until the French, and the Dutch East India crisis began with a failed monsoon 1858, when it’s mismanagement and Company. and two failed rice crops. Such natural decline forced the British to bring India In 1661, after the restoration of occurrences had happened countless under the direct governance of the the monarchy in England, Bombay times in the region. But this famine British Crown. Company rule was re- was ceded to the British Crown by was not a natural catastrophe. It was placed with the British Raj. The crimes Portugal as part of a wedding dowry for the direct product of capitalism. As the of British imperialism in India were only Catherine of Braganza. The Company famine caused the Company’s profits set to continue.

Back to Contents marxist.com 29 Trade Unions 10 March 2021

tories ignore staff and scientists stop johnson’s reckless reopening of schools Thomas Soud Now, in the face of the coronavirus cri- Labour’s fortunes, with the party now sis, none of the steps required to make languishing 13 percentage points behind Birmingham NEU schools safe have been taken. Instead, the Tories. This is where the strategy of schools are being rapidly opened up in so-called ‘constructive’ opposition gets rom the outset of the pandemic, the order to get parents back to work and you. Tories have been determined to keep boost the bosses’ profits. We can’t rely on the bosses’ system Fschools open, come hell or highwater. or their political representatives to de- And so – flying in the face of the science, the This time... fend the lives of working people or the unions, and even what is logistically possi- The autumn term saw infection rates for education of young people. These ladies ble – the Tory government this month sent secondary school students increase by and gentlemen will always prioritise nine million school children back to class. a factor of 75. By December, over half- profits at every turn. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emer- a-million students were unable to attend Instead the trade unions and the gencies (SAGE) has repeatedly advised the school because they were self-isolating. Labour Party must call for the following: government to take a staggered approach Schools quickly became a major ■■Scrap the ‘big bang’ approach. to the reopening of schools. Yet such rec- vector for transmission, leading to great- Implement a phased reopenings of ommendations have been duly ignored. er infection rates in communities, and schools, following scientific guid- Headteachers have also opposed this putting teachers and other staff at risk. ance. recklessly rapid reopening, pointing out that Keeping schools COVID-secure, there- ■■Immediately open ‘Nightingale’ it is currently impossible to implement the fore, isn’t just for the benefit of teachers’ schools and classrooms to enable mass testing of pupils at the levels required. health, but is essential to protect the smaller class sizes and secure These warnings have not been heeded entire population. bubbles. either. The Tory government assures us that ■■Conduct a union-led recruitment this time it will be different. Now we are drive to hire new teachers and re-en- Tory hypocrisy armed with vaccines. This is a wonderful gage staff who have left education. Boris Johnson and the Tories have con- claim, but there is no data backing it up. ■■Immediately provide laptops and sistently stated that their desire to reopen Trade unions, following the advice broadband for all 1.8 million pupils schools comes from their “concern” for of SAGE, have instead called for a slow who currently have no access to young people’s education. and staggered return. There is a major online learning. But if this were genuinely the case, then risk that the reopening of schools will ■■Provide the resources required for why have they not seriously considered the lead to a massive increase in infections. a reliable mass test-and-trace pro- advice repeatedly given by the National SAGE has predicted the R rate will rise gramme. Education Union (NEU)? by 0.6. More infections mean a greater ■■Carry out the above steps under the Decrease class sizes. Requisition chance of mutations, which threaten to democratic control of teachers and buildings to allow classrooms with social render the vaccine ineffective. education workers’ unions. distancing. Increase the number of staff to ■■Fund these required measures allow rotas and eliminate staff crossing bub- Whose side are you on? through the expropriation of the bles. Distribute proper PPE. And ensure that In an attempt to appear ‘respectable’ profits of big business, who have all students have access to online learning if and ‘responsible’ (to the establishment), continued to enrich themselves they need to self isolate. Starmer has continued his classic tactic throughout the coronavirus crisis. The need for these measures has been of saying as little as possible. From the At every step of the pandemic, it clear from day one. Almost a year down the little he has said, however, it is clear is teachers and their unions who have line, however, and they have still not been whose side he is on. been proven to have the interests of implemented. The Labour leader has given his full students, staff, and communities at The fact is that the ruling class are support to schools reopening. He has heart. The Tory government, meanwhile, crying crocodile tears over education. opposed any talk of industrial action has been busy lining the pockets of its The Tories’ hypocrisy is clear: this is a by teachers over continued health and chums and cronies. government that has spent the last decade safety concerns. To fight the virus and make schools inflicting austerity upon schools and other Yet this attempt to distance himself safe, therefore, we must organise to put public services. from the unions has done little to bolster teachers in control. ■

Back to Contents socialist.net 30 Trade Unions Issue 344 unison nec elections socialist candidates for a fighting union Unison Socialist Appeal Supporters

he candidate nomination process for the Unison National Executive TCommittee (NEC) elections is now underway. The current capitalist crisis has already led to severe attacks on the working class, and there’s more attacks to come. It is therefore vital that Unison fights back against these attacks. A fighting leadership is desperately needed. Amongst those standing on the left are Terry McPartlan, for the male North East seat; and Lilly Boulby, for the women’s young members seat. We recently had the chance to speak with Terry and Lilly about the challenges facing public sector workers, Unison and the TUC need to be fighting anti-trade union and why they are running for the Unison NEC. laws that stop solidarity action. Workers everywhere are facing the same issues, and we need a united fightback. Socialist Appeal: Could you tell us a bit about your experience in the union and in organising more generally? failed to do this effectively. We also need TUC need to be fighting anti-trade union to support the struggles of union branches laws that stop solidarity action. Workers Terry McPartlan: I’ve been active in against the cuts and threats to members’ everywhere are facing the same issues, and Unison and its predecessors since 1983. terms and conditions. we need a united fightback. During this time, I’ve held a number of And we need to democratise the union. roles in my branch and in the region. I support the election of all full-time officials; Socialist Appeal: Unison also has a When I was the Education and Children’s giving more money to branches; and fight- significant influence and weight in the Services convenor in Gateshead, I fought ing for socialist policies in the Labour Party. Labour Party. What role could the union against academies, funding cuts, and Lilly: I think we need to fight against the play in fighting for socialist policies in redundancies. ways in which young workers are particular- the Labour Party? In 1980 I joined the Labour Party Young ly exploited, such as pay banding based on Socialists. With them I played an active role age, and also zero-hour contracts. When I Terry: The Labour Link means that in supporting Tony Benn’s deputy Labour first started working at 17, I earned £3.89 an Unison sends two people to Labour’s NEC. leadership campaign, the miners’ strike, the hour! All workers deserve safety, security, So a left victory in the Unison NEC elections struggle of the Liverpool city councillors, and and sick pay in their workplace. And it’s the could make an important difference. the fight against the Poll Tax. More recently, union’s job to fight for them. There is currently a bitter struggle going I also helped organise support for Corbyn’s on in the Labour Party. And with the left in leadership campaign. Socialist Appeal: Unison is the larg- control of the union’s NEC, Unison could Lilly Boulby: I’m relatively new to the est union in the country. Beyond protect- add its weight to the call for a recall confer- union. But I’m an active socialist and Labour ing its own members, what role do you ence, and could play a major role in arguing Party member. I’ve taken part in demonstra- believe it could – and should – play in the for a clear socialist programme. tions supporting the climate strikes, and in struggles that are around the corner? Lilly: Young people were hugely sup- the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign. portive of the left turn in the Labour Party And I’ve spoken at Labour Party conference Terry: Unison members are at the heart under Jeremy Corbyn. I joined the Labour fringe meetings in favour of restoring Clause of every community: in hospitals, schools, Party in 2017 because of Corbyn; and thou- IV. depots, town halls, and universities. Unison sands of young people did the same. There is dominant in the public sector. The union can be no unity in the party between the Socialist Appeal: As left-wing, mem- needs to stand fully behind our members socialist membership, who want to fight for ber’s candidates, could you lay out some and play a leading role in the struggles that change, and the right wing, who are intent of the key policies that you’ll push for at emerge. on stopping us at every turn. the NEC? Lilly: Unison must link up with other With a left NEC in Unison, we can join unions, not attack them! I have been disap- the calls for a recall conference, and make Terry: Fighting the curse of low pay has pointed to see Christina McAnea attacking sure the voices of our members – both in the to be a huge priority. Unison has singularly and criticising other unions. Unison and the union and in the party – are heard. ■

Back to Contents marxist.com 31 Trade Unions 10 March 2021

bus drivers vs the bosses strikes continue against ‘fire and rehire’ attacks Socialist Appeal Supporters from COVID-19, such as construction, to accept £2,000 a year being taken off transport and manufacturing. their pay. round the country, bus drivers are Single decker buses are therefore The response of the workers has been continuing their fight against the restricted to 18 passengers, and no one defiant. 2,000 Unite members have walked Abosses and their fire-and-rehire is allowed to stand. out. And the pickets in front of bus depots tactics. As we report below, in both Despite this, Go Ahead have clearly have been completely solid each and every Manchester and London, workers have decided these rules don’t apply to them. day. Once the initial three days were up, the taken strike action in order to defend For example, Unite has provided evi- union moved towards further strike action. themselves against such attacks. dence that on one of the single-decker RATP are not the only bosses in the bus buses operated by this scab service, up drivers’ sights, however. Metroline workers Manchester to 44 people were on board. have also begun the process of re-balloting ver 400 bus drivers, organised in A spokesman for Go North West was for strike action, following a previous ballot Unite, are currently on all out strike. reported as saying: “COVID-19 compli- just before Christmas. This could see a fur- OThis comes after Go North West ance is an absolute priority for us and ther 4,000 bus workers joining picket lines, brutally ‘fired and rehired’ the workers in we have led the way in developing safety as they too fight for fair pay and conditions. order to force them onto inferior pay and measures over the last year.” In addition, union-organised bus conditions. The drivers, who previously In the same way that the Tory gov- drivers across the entire city have been earned on average £24,000 a year, will be ernment has ‘led the way’ in handling advised by Unite that, in the event of their £2,500 a year worse off. COVID, Go North West bosses have led buses exceeding legal COVID restric- Since the strike began on 28 Febru- the way in transport safety measures – tions, they are to immediately stop their ary, Go North West have been operating forcing drivers onto lower salaries, and buses until the problem is resolved. This a ‘rogue bus service’ – essentially ‘scabs- allowing as many passengers on their action is in response to the reopening of on-wheels’ – in order to avoid negotiating buses as possible in order to keep profits schools, with the government claiming with union representatives. rising. that schoolchildren do not count towards The company has moved many of Unite has pressured Andy Burnham, capacity limits. its buses out of its Queens Road depot, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, Over the course of the pandemic, and is using buses supplied by non-union to intervene in the matter. So far, howev- around 42 drivers have died of COVID or companies such as Selwyns and Belle er, he has yet to give a public response. related complications. To put them at risk Vue coaches. The company is also Alongside the scabbing of striking through overcrowding shows once again bringing in drivers from other parts of the workers, Go North West continues to what the real priority is for those at the country. hurt their workers by undermining health, top: to get people back to work, in order to Unite obtained a series of photos and safety, pay, and conditions. Profit is clear- keep the bosses’ profits flowing. videos showing serious overcrowding on ly all that matters to the bosses. This is Of course, it won’t be the bosses that Go North West’s scabbing service. This why we need to fight for public ownership pay the price for these decisions. It will be takes place alongside growing concerns and workers’ control. the workers, who’ll pay with their health, or about COVID contagion, with the discov- even their lives. ery of the more infectious Kent variant in Sammy Meikle, Unite are right to take a stand. The Greater Manchester. Manchester Marxists wider labour movement must back them Go North West operates 130 buses in this fight. on thirty routes across Bury, Manchester, London These companies must all be brought Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Trafford and ver the last few weeks, bus drivers under public ownership and placed under Warrington. Greater Manchester has working under RATP franchises workers’ control. Only our class can be established firm rules to help prevent the Ohave been on strike. This was pro- trusted to look after our interests. transmission of COVID-19, since 41% of voked by a series of below-inflation pay Manchester workers are in sectors of the rises – in effect wage cuts – as well as an Sean Hodges, economy that have higher death rates attempt to force drivers in one franchise Unite (London and Eastern) ■

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