& Workers’ Liberty

SolFor siociadl ownershaip of the branks aind intdustry y No 517 18 September 2019 50p/£1 Labour conference: oppose Brexit On the streets 20 Sep! For a socialist Green New Deal! Page 3

Boris Johnson is still trying to do his “poundshop Mussolini” act and push through decisions against the duly-voted will of Parliament and against major - ity opinion in the electorate. He has been pushed back. He can be stopped. That calls for a Labour Party The left in the and a labour movement with a clear voice for workers’ rights, for migrant rights, for free move - USA ment, for social and ecological Dan La Botz on socialists, Sanders, AOC levelling-up across Europe, and the Democrats against Brexit, for Remain and Page 8-9 Transform. Not for mumbling, triangula - tion, and equivocation. More on page 5

The tragedy of Arthur Scargill A real militant waylaid by Stalinism Page 4 REMAIN AND Renew Labour Labour conference preview TRANSFORM Page 7 2 NEWS More online at www.workersliberty.org Bolton gone, dangers stay However, Trump called off an air Jong-Un as a great foreign policy By Barrie Hardy strike against Iran in response to achievement and this seems to be a The prospect of Donald Trump their shooting down a US drone kind of template for similar ar - with his grubby little finger on with ten minutes to spare. rangements with others. the nuclear button horrified mil - “John Bolton is the kind of man The rapprochement with Kim lions when he was elected. with whom I would want to stand was anathema to Bolton whose That fear factor rose still further at Armageddon,” said one of his own “solution” to the North Korea when he made John Bolton his Na - right wing Republican mentors at problem was to nuke it. tional Security Adviser in April last the start of Bolton’s political career. Then there was the prospect of year. Yet Trump doesn’t fancy going to the Taliban coming to tea at the Bolton is a dangerous ultra-na - Armageddon just now — at least presidential retreat of Camp David tionalist who believes that the USA this side of next year’s Presidential on the eve of 9/11, where a deal has exclusive power to do anything election. He still believes he has a could be concluded allowing the it wants to advance its geopolitical chance of winning and avoiding pullout of US troops from interests. He sees the principal ve - the jail time which could result Afghanistan. Bolton was pulling hicle for that as war. from the various investigations into his grey hair out at the very idea of A psychopathic warmonger, him and his clan if he loses. such a get-together. Bolton was a major mover behind Bolton was appointed in the first So Bolton’s ouster ushers in a pe - Bush junior’s disastrous invasion place to undo the Iran nuclear deal riod where Trump seeks to shake of Iraq which unleashed a Pan - brokered by Obama. Once that was hands with enemies and announce dora’s Box of evil from which the achieved two choices were avail - “breakthrough” deals. Things region is still far from recovering. able — war with Iran or a new could of course all go belly up His term under Trump saw the US Trump style deal. again if deals fail to materialise and leaving the UN Human Rights A major plank in Trump’s 2016 Trump decides to bangs the war Council because in Bolton’s mind campaign was to extricate the US drum again as an alternative way HK spirits stay high respect for human rights was a from foreign entanglements. To of energising his base. give his re-election bid a chance he American socialists must resist roadblock in the way of total US By Chen Ying tem, angry about the MTR’s man - power. is now flailing around for a magical Trump’s warmongering antics and agement decisions to close stations In spite of America still being deal with one or more of American redouble their efforts to remove and stop trains seemingly to aid imperialism’s long standing adver - this dangerous mountebank from It’s 100 days since the protests embroiled in several conflicts in Hong Kong burst onto the TV the police, with the bitter memo - worldwide, Bolton wanted more saries. office. ries of riot police entering Prince’s Their war must be against screens around the world. wars against targets which in - Obviously unfit for high office station on 31 August in huge num - poverty, ill health and inequality, Since last week [9-14 Sep], the cluded Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, even by bourgeois standards, bers, beating and arresting in a country which is now more Government has started to Nicaragua and even China. Trump runs his foreign policy as if protestors and passengers indis - receptive to socialist ideas than make some moves to address Bolton did everything he could it were a TV game show. It’s all criminately. about “making the deal”. He’s it has been since the late 1940s. the deep structural problems of to push the Trump administration land and housing, and attempt - Station entrances, corridors, into war against Iran in particular trumpeted up his love fest with ticketing machines etc have been murderous Stalinist tyrant Kim ing to copy Macron’s rounds of and nearly succeeded last June. public consultation. extensively vandalised and set Even Beijing has issued a state - alight. It is unfortunate that the ment indicating that young protestors have not yet managed protestors with heavy student to reach out to the MTR ground - Paris metro strike on pensions loans and poor job prospects faced staff and their union. If only the with no housing solutions could MTR workers can be mobilised alongside the protest movement a By the NPA ment had the effect of a bomb, trig - ing age. Leaving early, but with do better by seeking jobs in China! gering the media comedy: RATP what? Since the contribution period Hong Kong’s richest tycoon, Lee wider strike movement could agents would be privileged, retir - is the same as for all employees, the Ka Shing, has appealed to the spread and bring the city to a halt. A strike on RATP (the Paris A section of the protest move - metro) has got the ball rolling in ing on average with 3700 euros! reduction works to penalise earlier Hong Kong government to mend 3700 euros? I earn 2000 euros by retirement through a lower pension bridges with the “future masters ment is waving the colonial flag of the fight against pension reforms “ Hong Kong, the Union Jack, and in France. working staggered hours and pub - for the same contribution. and mistresses of the city”. How - The pension is calculated over the USA flag, marching to the US After 12 years of lethargy — at lic holidays with work periods of 6 ever, the Hong Kong police force the last 6 months – a “speciality” and UK consulate buildings, hop - least on the surface — the strike has days in a row!” corrects a striking continues to ride roughshod over that still concerns more than 5.5 ing to bring some pressure on US made a smashing comeback in driver interviewed during the rally protestors and blatantly show its million civil servants. and UK governments to take ac - Parisian transport: 100% of strikers in front of the company headquar - bias whenever democracy ters. “Retirement at age 50? A leg - protestors clash with China loyal - tion in support of the protest. on the metro, 60% on buses and in Many holders of the British Na - maintenance workshops. The capi - end. Many leave at 58. Not to • This report on the Paris metro ists in various guises on the mention the stories of the reduc - workers’ strike appeared in the streets. tional Overseas (BNO) passports tal was paralysed on Friday 13 are hoping that the UK Govern - September. Well dug, you old mole! tions”, confirms another. newspaper of the New Anticapital - The Hong Kong government The work regime is no longer so ist Party (NPA) and was translated still will not yield over the most ment would allow them to have Two days earlier, the traffic fore - the right of abode in the UK. casts announced by the manage - special, except for the lower start - from the French by Luke Neal. substantial demand – setting up a Commission of Inquiry. This sentiment is naive, as the After the relative calm of the track record of the UK Govern - mid-autumn Moon Festival on ment over many of its former FE strikers to join Climate Strike Lewisham Climate Friday night, last Sunday [15th] colonies have shown. The protest saw yet another massive demon - movement badly needs its own Emergency Assembly emblem rather than rely on those between their struggle and the po - stration which took over the main streets of Causeway Bay, Wanchai other flags. litical fight to save the planet. However, it now has its own and Central. Supportive students are working Friday 27 September anthem, a brilliantly composed This time the march went ahead to maximise the student turnout on song recorded by a 150-strong without police permission, and By Vicki Morris the picket line and then in Notting - 2019, 5pm-8pm orchestra of volunteers. The was therefore deemed illegal. ham’s Market Square, where there spirit of resistance remains high However the sheer size of the UCU members at Nottingham FE will be a Climate Strike rally from as we enter the last two weeks march meant that the police could College are continuing their in - 11am-2pm. before the People’s Republic’s We look forward to more at Goldsmiths, do nothing other than pick off dustrial dispute against the im - 70th anniversary on 1 October. position of draconian new unions looking for ways to sup - University of London, demonstrators towards the end of port the young people’s cam - the day. contracts. •bit.ly/hk-rock — rock music ver - paign for their future, and find 8 Lewisham Way, The most militant sections of the Their first strike day out of a sion showing the orchestra play - ways around the anti-union laws demonstration are now equipped planned 15 was on 11 September. London ing with gas masks on Their next strike days are 19-20 which aim to stifle our voices. with plenty of Molotov cocktails, and one of the newly deployed •bit.ly/hk-can — Cantonese ver - September. SE14 6NW sion The trade unionists are planning • Moret @ucunottmcollege water-cannon vehicles was briefly set alight. •bit.ly/hk-eng — English version to link up with the climate cam - •bit.ly/hk-cyhps — a Cantonese paigners on the 20th. They are The demonstrators have turned bit.ly/lew-27-9 on the Mass Transit Railway sys - version of “Can You hear the Peo - printing a leaflet drawing the links ple Sing?” Workers’ Liberty @workersliberty NEWS 3 On the streets 20 September!

voiced support for the strikes and tant thing is to use it to get organ - the 30 minute walk-out. ised for more. Restrictive legislation and a timid Plan and discuss with your col - trade union movement means that leagues how to hold even bigger By Mike Zubrowski teachers, like many other workers, and bolder actions in future will as a whole not be joining for a months. Let Solidarity know how it Students in hundreds of loca - full strike on 20 September. Indeed, went, and about future plans, to in - tions across the UK will walk out many teachers who privately sup - spire others around the country. on 20 September on a global cli - port the walkouts and are members Turn attention to the workplace mate strike. Students in over 100 of the NEU will likely end up en - and the employer. Are there work - countries will be participating, forcing policies which prevent place environmental issues which and it looks likely to be the school student strikers from leav - you could organise around? Doing biggest yet. ing. so can raise environmental con - This time, prominent school In some places teachers and sciousness, the idea of workers’ strikers have called on workers to other workers are organising control of our workplaces, and can join them. lunchtime protests or photoshoots. highlight some of the class dimen - On 8-11 September the Trades Some will then join local demon - sion of climate change. It can build Union Congress — representing 5.5 strations or even stay out all after - confidence and organisation to million workers in affiliated trade noon. fight on other workplace or envi - unions — voted to support the 20 This all provides an important ronmental issues. September climate strike, and step for further action around cli - Turn attention to the social called on affiliated unions to show mate and workplace issues. Some roots and answers of global solidarity with 30-minute walk- workplaces are seeing large turn- warming. Bring motions for a outs. outs, often larger than they have “socialist Green New Deal” to On 16 September, a poll found seen on more “conventional” work - your union branch. Start a read - that 61% of teachers support stu - place issues, such as pay or condi - ing group around on Workers’ dents missing lessons for protests. tions, for years or longer. Liberty’s climate pamphlet The National Education Union — However big or small an action (workersliberty.org/climate- the main teachers’ union — has has been organised in your work - pamphlet). place, school or campus, the impor -

Cambridge Rekindling workplace climate action Workers’ Climate newed calls for the public owner - rently 15 nuclear reactors generat - workers in other sectors, ranging ship of key polluting industries. ing around 21% of its electricity, but from transport, education, health, Action Can that spur new workplace ac - almost half of this capacity is to be fire and civil service, with a signif - tivity? retired by 2025. icant industrial stake in environ - By a Cambridge science By Paul Vernadsky The Labour Research Depart - It also briefs us on a whole range mental matters. Giving UK energy ment’s latest booklet, Union action of health and safety concerns, both workers a veto makes no sense for teacher and UCU activist Union climate action is still tak - on climate change — a trade union for the public and for workers, such the political economy of climate In solidarity with the youth ing place. Union environment guide , has a comprehensive sum - as clean air and chemicals expo - change, which is global and inter - strikes and aiming to build a reps in a variety of unions are or - mary that activists should assimi - sure, where unions can campaign dependent. worker-led campaign against ganising audits, inspections, late to guide their own activity. successfully for the wider interest. The statement these four unions climate change, Solidarity member meetings and newslet - Some reps and officials are still This new LRD booklet demon - produced last year, along with the readers in Cambridge have ters in their workplaces. negotiating “workplace transition strates that there is still life in the TUC’s own report, A Just Transition taken the initiative to launch a A number of national unions – agreements”, “sustainable frame - unions on environmental matters. to a greener, fairer economy , only “Cambridge Workers Climate notably PCS, Prospect, Unison, work agreements” or similar ar - However it is clear by comparison compounded that sectionalism. Action” campaign. UCU and Unite – still organise net - rangements with their employers. with previous editions (in 2007, Both conveniently ignored Whilst a major initial target of works of green reps and provide The LRD guide highlights a multi- 2009, and 2012) that union activity widespread union policy for the this campaign will be encourag - them with guides and campaign union agreement negotiated at the on climate change has been thrown public ownership of energy and ing university workers in scien - packs. Even more unions provide Devonport Royal Dockyard in backwards. other carbon-polluting sectors. tific disciplines to take action on some training on environmental is - 2016. Other examples of very active One consequence of this has been They failed to explain what the end 20 September, efforts are being sues as part of their courses. large workplaces where green reps the disappearance of campaigning point of the “transition” will look made to orient the campaign Yet previous surveys indicated are doing useful work include the around winning legal rights for like and fudged the means by more widely – engaging with more than 1,000 green union reps National Library of Scotland and at union reps to take action at work which climate targets might be met. local shopworkers, catering staff active across workplaces. At pre - Surrey County Council. on environmental matters, similar These backward steps underline and construction workers. Cli - sent the number of activists is far National trade unions and union- to the rights gained by safety reps. the need for rank and file organis - mate change is a class issue, and smaller and the scale of action often based campaigns have continued This is a crucial area of the anti- ing within and across the trade we need to unite all workers in limited.. to produce valuable reports on in - union laws and positive rights that union movement on climate poli - fighting it. A decade ago there was high dustrial issues with a wider climate much of the trade union movement tics The first campaign action will level TUC coordination of green perspective. PCS union has been appear to have forgotten. One of There are some existing cam - be a large solidarity strike photo reps networks, with useful reports, particularly prolific in recent years. the virtues of the Free Our Unions paigns, such as TUED, the Cam - on 20 September, for which bul - conferences and other resources, Unison has produced Power to the campaign has been to keep alive paign against Climate Change and letins are being prepared. Over such things are almost entirely ab - People – how to achieve zero emis - the links between these issues. Trade Union Clean Air Network, 250 leaflets were delivered to var - sent at present. Over the last sions through public ownership of Another consequence has been which have continued to promote a ious workplaces last week invit - decade of economic downturn and the big six — and other reports, the emergence of what might be radical climate politics. We are not ing all nearby workers to join, subsequent Tory-led government such as on hydrogen. There are im - called “energy workers sectional - starting from scratch. But the level and UCU reps have been sending austerity, TUC leaders have con - portant guides opposing fracking ism” about climate issues. The 2018 of organisation is lower than a emails and making announce - sciously downgraded climate cam - from the TUC and PCS. Trade TUC Congress carried a resolution, decade ago. ments at staff meetings in their paigning as a priority. Unions for Energy Democracy driven by GMB, Prospect, Unite This could change very quickly if various departments. The recent upsurge in climate (TUED) has published weighty re - and Unison, which stated that en - we can mobilise workers in large The campaign will be holding protest has triggered a resurgence ports on the public ownership of ergy workers “should be numbers. a larger meeting early into the of interest in these issues within the renewable energy and public trans - paramount and central to the de - A working class-based climate start of the next term, with the trade union movement in the UK. port. velopment of all TUC policies on movement is irreplaceable. It is aim of linking up student and The recent TUC Congress carried The LRD guide gives useful in - energy, industrial strategy and cli - the job of socialist activists at worker activists to take cli - resolutions supporting the 20 sights into the current industrial mate change”. work to make it happen. mate action. September climate action and re - landscape in the UK. There are cur - This was a slap in the face for 4 COMMENT Email your letters to [email protected] The tragedy of Arthur Scargill will willingly attempt to defend people ac - “Arthur Scargill was in attendance but it nounced the hypocrisy of many of his critics cused of rape, individuals who beat their was noteworthy (and significant) that he re - within the labour movement: partners, those who think there is vast Jewish mained a peripheral figure being greeted by “It’s no news that Scargill has a scandalous conspiracy against Corbyn, and elements that only a few of those attending. He was not ad - attitude to Solidarnosc. …[he fails to see that] think trans people are mentally ill. dressed or greeted from the platform, though the working class is a world class. The motto, By Jim Denham Scargill seems to have almost no-one to ad - as Honorary Life President of the NUM it ‘An injury to one is an injury to all’, applies vocate for him. Not even many of the Stalin - might be expected, as a courtesy if nothing world-wide. Yet Arthur Scargill clearly sees Arthur Scargill emerged from semi-retire - ists he hangs round with. Perhaps they’re else, that his presence would be acknowl - class struggle as just British workers versus ment from politics to speak at a meeting embarrassed by this reminder of how the edged. Scargill, once the hero of the miners, British bosses. of the Communist Party of Britain’s Stalinist and reformist left squandered the now cuts a rather sad, isolated figure and this “That’s why he can write one third of the wretched little pro-Brexit front organisa - power and influence it once had in British is a complex post-1985 story. world’s workers — those who live in the Stal - tion Leave Fight Transform (LeFT) in politics. “At the risk of paraphrasing, Karl Marx inist states — out of the class struggle, allot - Brighton on 11 September, alongside Yet he was a trade union leader who once wrote that the great figures of history ting them no role but to support their Eddie Dempsey (the man who said helped lead a strike that brought down a Tory appear first as tragedy and then as farce. ‘socialist’ rulers… Tommy Robinson supporters were right to government (1974) and correctly understood However, if the outcome of the 84-5 strike can “The same nationalism explains why hate the “liberal left”) and other assorted that Thatcher was out to smash the unions be regarded, at one level, as a tragedy, then Arthur Scargill, alongside his industrial mil - xenophobes, nationalists and social con - and that they needed to fight back. Scargill’s post-85 trajectory can only be itancy, supports a not-at-all-militant pro - servatives. viewed as an even deeper tragedy. gramme of import controls, withdrawal from According to the Morning Star Scargill said A SERIOUS FIGHTER “His post-1985 decision to try and build a the EEC, and siege economy. He is looking that “every single MP who wants us to go We may criticise some of the tactics he political organisation — the so-called Social - for ‘socialism in one country’, and since that back into Europe should be opposed.” That used in the 1984-5 miners’ strike, but we ist Labour Party — turned out to be a disaster is impossible he ends up with a recipe of would be the majority of Labour MPs, then, cannot dispute that he gave real leader - and created nothing more than a pathetic, ‘capitalism in one country’”. Arthur? ship and was serious about wanting to personal bandwagon which spluttered That is what we need to remember these It’s easy to mock Arthur Scargill. defeat the Tories. briefly before the wheels fell off. Riddled days when we think of Scargill. His national - These days he only gets to speak at the In March 2014 ex-miner John Cunningham with Stalinist politics and practice and some ist backwardness on Brexit (and immigration, crankiest of Stalinist events. Scargill has so attended the memorial meeting for the two of the worst sectarianism imaginable, it has to judge by a letter published in the Guardian burnt his bridges with the NUM and the Yorkshire miners killed in the strike, Davy no meaningful existence today”. on 29 August 2017) cannot be forgiven. We broad left of the labour movement that his Jones and Joe Green. This event is held every Back in 1983 (even before the great miners’ also remember his relatively principled role name is never mentioned at Durham miners’ year at the Barnsley Headquarters of the strike) the forunner of Solidarity (Socialist Or - within the UK labour movement of the 1970s gala or at other miners’ strike commemora - NUM and acquired particular poignancy that ganiser ) condemned Scargill’s attacks on the and 80s. tions. Yet he was a decisive figure in the great year as it coincided with the 30th anniversary independent Polish union movement Soli - Which makes his present-day role (such strike of 1984-5. of the strike. darnosc, but also identified the root cause of as it is) in politics all the more tragic. There are those on the would-be “left” who John wrote in Solidarity : Scargill’s tragic error (nationalism) and de - Know Nothings Raising £25,000 by Joe Hill in 1971. Barrie mentions the Native American Party, noting that they were “appropriately dubbed the Know Nothings”. No doubt they were as thick as planks but 9 December I would like to add a couple of comments their name, as far as I am aware, doesn’t orig - to Barrie Hardy’s review “Sweden in the inate in their undoubted lack of intelligence. Vote Leave had their offices in Westmin - thinnest for a while. 1930s: a shithole country”. It comes from the fact whenever mem - ster Tower, a big new office block on the No doubt readers have been preoccupied Barrie mentions the strikes in Adalen in the bers were asked a question they would south side of Thames, near Parliament. with preparations for the 20 September cli - 1930s. The Swedish director Bo Widerburg automatically reply, “I know nothing that The Brexit Party has its in an older but mate strike, and the 21-25 September made an interesting film featuring these is in our political programme that conflicts high-grade building just the other side of Labour Party conference, but the result has events: Adalen 31 (1969). I haven’t seen it for with the US Constitution” (or something Parliament. Rents in Victoria St are about been no new donations this last week. a long time but if you can find a DVD check similar). £60 per sq ft. In its first three months of ex - We are working to raise another it out. Widerburg also directed a film about John Cunningham istence, it got over £1 million in donations. £14,624 by 9 December. The internationalists campaigning against • www.workersliberty.org/donate Brexit, for workers’ unity, and for a socialist Europe — we, Workers’ Liberty — do Labour selections suspended not need big salaries and glossy offices. “But several MPs thought to be vulnerable But we do need an office. to the trigger have (easily) survived it. There - For the last 11 years we fore, the suspicion is that those at the top are have had a unit on an indus - looking at other options to get their people trial estate owned by South - into safe seats (Nottingham East being one)” wark council (rent: about £15 Labour activists in Nottingham have been — i.e. to make sure selections can’t be com - per sq ft). told that Labour’s parliamentary selec - pleted until an imminent general election al - Now the council has delib - tions have been suspended, apparently on lows the NEC [National Executive] to decide erately let the leases on all the authority of the General Secretary, them on emergency grounds. the units run out, and talks of while the Party focuses on managing trig - I also hear that Unite and GMB have al - selling off the space to prop - ger ballots. ready decided the candidates they want erty developers. A comrade well-informed on such matters shooed in by the National Executive and We don’t know when, but tells me: have shared out the regions. soon we’re likely to need “It was expected that some moderate MPs This stinks. It looks possible that Enfield new office space, money to in safe seats would be triggered by local North are continuing with their selection. pay (probably) a higher rent, members [under the new ‘trigger ballot’ pro - Whether they are flouting the General cash to cover moving, reno - cedure to decide whether to have a selection Secretary’s instruction or not, I don’t vations, and adjustments. contest] and have to face reselection. If that know. Our fund drive total is happened, it would be a good opportunity Ralph Peters, Nottingham now up to £10,376 but this for the Leader’s Office and the unions to get last week has been the their candidates into nice safe seats. Workers’ Liberty @workersliberty WHAT WE SAY 5 Who obeys whom? “Not obeying the law must surely be a non-starter. Period”, says John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, re - sponding to Boris Johnson’s statement that he will not ask the EU to extend the Brexit deadline of 31 October. “It would be the most terrible example to set to the rest of society”. He’s right that it is an outrage for the Prime Minister and the unelected state machine to try to overrule the elected assembly to which they are answerable. He signals, however, that he is even more bothered by the example that “not obeying” would send to others than by the action itself. What he has in mind is not Margaret Thatcher’s statement during the miners’ strike of 1984-5 that if the unprecedented po - lice blockades against the miners were ruled unlawful, then she would change the law as much as was necessary to maintain the block - ades. It is action like Poplar Labour Council’s in 1921, when it defied unfair local government finance laws, and forced change, under the slogan “Better to break the law than break the poor”. Or the mass defiance of the poll tax in the early 1990s, when thousands faced jail sen - tences for not paying the tax, but the police warned councils there were so many tax-de - faulters that they couldn’t arrest them all. The Tories backed down and repealed the tax. Labour: oppose Brexit Or the strike wave in July 1972 which made the Tories’ anti-union law of that time, the In - dustrial Relations Act, unworkable. The Boris Johnson is still trying to do his about it. Equivocal. Wishing it weren’t put on RALLYING LABOUR’S ANTI-BRExIT Labour government elected in February 1974 “poundshop Mussolini” act and push the spot. LEFT felt obliged to repeal that Act completely and through decisions against the duly-voted It still talks about negotiating a better promptly. will of Parliament and against majority Brexit deal (better, apparently, mainly by way Labour for a Socialist Europe is a cam - Or the strikes and industrial action, strictly opinion in the electorate. of a greater degree of customs unification paign by Labour activists fighting to speaking in breach of the ultra-strict anti- He has been pushed back. He can be than the “Irish backstop” already mandates, stop Brexit and build a socialist resis - strike laws currently on the law books, which stopped. but still without free movement). Jeremy Cor - tance to the right-wing forces and ideas still go on under the radar. That calls for a Labour Party and a labour byn refuses to say what vote he’d recom - driving it. The right of an elected assembly or Parlia - movement with a clear voice for workers’ mend in a referendum on that imaginary It was launched from the Another Eu - ment to control the government which claims rights, for migrant rights, for free movement, better Brexit deal vs Remain. rope is Possible conference in December authority on that basis of that parliament is for social and ecological levelling-up across Ninety local Labour Parties have submit - 2018, and held a formal constituting con - one thing. Europe, against Brexit, for Remain and Trans - ted policy proposals to the 21-25 September ference on 9 March 2019. The supposed “right” of a parliament form. Labour Party conference on Brexit. 81 of them It produced independent pro-Labour, elected and operating through very limited Not for mumbling, triangulation, and call for an unequivocal “Remain” policy. anti-Brexit publicity for the Euro-elections forms of democracy, and of a government equivocation. Workers’ Liberty and other activists at the in May 2019, and bundles of leaflets to - claiming authority from that parliament, to Johnson has been defeated in every vote conference will push against that rank and talling some 50,000 were taken and used by control the people, is another. he’s called in Parliament. The condemnation file demand being fobbed off with ambigu - local Labour campaigns and by individu - The 1793 constitution coming out of the of him as a blustering opportunist by former ous formulas, as it was in 2018. als. French revolution, the founding document of Tory prime minister David Cameron reflects Another thing needs to be done in the It has also been active in the effort to democracy in the modern era, said: a sizeable chunk of the Tory party which has Labour Party. get anti-Brexit, pro-free-movement pol - “When the government violates the rights turned against him. Since 2017 Labour’s leadership has al - icy motions to the Labour Party confer - of the people, insurrection is for the people, He has been heckled almost everywhere lowed the sweeping anti-cuts message it had ence. and for every portion thereof, the most sa - he’s gone. His shutdown of Parliament has then to be thinned down into, often, little cred of rights and the most indispensable of been ruled illegal by the highest court in Scot - more than a complaint about reduced fund - • labourforasocialisteurope.org duties”. land, and that ruling may be confirmed by ing for the police. Johnson’s moves warn us that the Tories’ the Supreme Court sitting 17-19 September. Boris Johnson’s talk of ending austerity is shallow demagogy. We call for Labour to adherence even to their limited forms of counter it with programs for real revival of democracy is always conditional. SERIOUS Workers’ Liberty videos They warn us about how the Tories would Leading figures in the EU dismiss John - the Health Service, of schools, of benefits, of Explore Workers’ Liberty’s videos and respond faced with a left-wing, working- son’s claim that he has a chance of get - local government services. playlists, and subscribe to our youtube class majority in Parliament. ting a Brexit deal before 31 October, and Those should include making the NHS channel, at bit.ly/wlvideos They tell us that the real substance of say he hasn’t even put a serious proposal, again a fully publicly-owned, publicly-run, service, without contracting-out and marketi - democracy always depends on class let alone got near getting it agreed. struggle. But still Johnson stands on the high ground sation, and bringing all schools back into FEATURING: of the unelected machinery of government. local authority control and standard work • A debate on Marxist perspectives on There will be a general election soon. Labour conditions. Irish history, between Rayner Lysaght and NATIONAL ANTI-BRExIT MARCH can win that election. We can get a new pub - The only reliable living champion, Sean Matgamna lic vote on the available Brexit formulas vs guardian, and enforcer of social rights is a re - • Two nations, Two states 101 — Camila Saturday 19 October, 12-5pm Remain, and stop Brexit. vitalised labour and trade-union movement Bassi explains the background and ideas of Assemble Park Lane, London W1 But for that we want Labour to be clear, with the right to take solidarity action. our perspectives on Israel/Palestine All social promises will be thin and un - sharp, forceful, convincing. • In Defence of Bolshevism : a series by stable unless they are linked with action Labour has been edged by circumstances Martin Thomas to accompany the book of to repeal the Thatcher anti-union laws PROTEST AT TORY PARTY into de facto anti-Brexitism — opposing the the same name (not just the latest 2016 Trade Union Act) CONFERENCE available Brexit formulas, supporting a new and institute full union rights. public vote with a Remain option. Plus many more debates, introduc - Sunday 29 September, 12-4pm But the Labour leadership, centrally the tions, and coverage. Oxford Road, Manchester Leader’s Office, is ostentatiously reluctant 6 FEATURE More online at www.workersliberty.org A poundshop Lloyd George?

Mail , and Express . The parallel will become Democrat”). By Colin Foster closer if Johnson can do a deal with Farage. His coalition swept the “Principles mean nothing to him — never All Cabinets had previously been board in that “coupon” or have. His mind doesn’t work that way. ramshackle affairs, with no secretariat and no “khaki” election, winning “It’s both his strength and his weakness”. minutes of meetings. 523 seats out of 707. That was how the Tory politician Arthur Lloyd George instituted a War Cabinet of Labour had broken from Balfour described David Lloyd George, only f ive members, meeting almost every the coalition and won 57 prime minister 1916-22, a leading govern - day, and a Cabinet Secretariat. seats; Asquith’s wing of ment minister 1906-16, and a dominant figure In his War Cabinet he had Bonar Law, the the Liberals, only 42. in Liberal Party politics for most of the first Tory leader who had threatened civil war The renewed coalition half of the 20th century. (over Irish Home Rule) in 1912-4 against the survived until October A minister who worked with Lloyd George Liberal government in which Lloyd George 1922. It promised “a land saw him as having an “absolute contempt for was Chancellor. He had Lord Milner, a Tory fit for heroes”, and at the detail” but a strange capacity to improvise arch-imperialist. (Lloyd George, though al - start doled out some social and “pick up the essential details of a ques - ways broadly pro-imperialist, had opposed reforms, before resorting tion by conversation”. the Boer War of 1899-1902). The Tory Lord to the “Geddes Axe” as A biographer described him as “always in Curzon, former Viceroy of India. And a cap - economic crisis developed. a hurry”. He would “turn his mind to a sub - tive Labour nominee, Arthur Henderson. It battled against Ire - ject only when there were urgent decisions to Behind the scenes, Max Aitken, owner of land’s war of indepen - be taken, imminent advantage to be gained the Daily Express , later Lord Beaverbook, had dence, and forced a or pressing danger to be averted”. been central in the ousting of Asquith, and botched settlement in Lenin saw Lloyd George as a “first-class soon became a minister. Lord Northcliffe, Lloyd George’s typical bourgeois manipulator, an astute politician, owner of the Daily Mail , also helped oust manner, with an ambigu - a popular orator who will deliver any Asquith and took a government position, ous formula which both speeches you like even r-r-revolutionary though his relations with Lloyd George were Irish nationalists and ones, to a labour audience”. “This hardened more erratic. Unionist die-hards could politician, this lackey of the money-bags... Maurice Hankey, the Cabinet Secretary, interpret as favourable. Liberal charlatan…” added system and attention to detail. Lloyd George spent If Boris Johnson has been trying to act as a Maundy Gregory, later, sold official honours, much of 1919 in Paris, ne - poundshop Mussolini, he is also a pound - building up a “Lloyd George Fund” for poli - gotiating the Treaty of Ver - shop Lloyd George. What Johnson looks like tics. sailles, “brutal and trying to do with the Tory party echoes what Eric Geddes, a railway boss, one of the despicable” as Lenin called Lloyd George tried to do with the Liberal businessmen whom Lloyd George brought it. Party after 1916. into government, became a close associate As working-class anger Johnson’s effort may well turn out to be and from August 1921 author of the “Geddes mounted, the coalition only a caricature of Lloyd George. Lloyd Axe” of post-war social cuts. dealt with great industrial George, the quick-witted stepson of a village disputes, sometimes by cobbler who made himself a small-town TORY Lloyd George’s method of lawyer, was more skilled at popular dema - Lloyd George, however, had not just be - ambiguous promises, gogy and opportunist improvisation than the come a Tory. The Tories had come to sometimes by directly fac - relatively routine Eton-and-Oxford Johnson recognise that some bureaucratic social ing them down. The War Cabinet of 1916 had only five members. is ever likely to be. reform was necessary: “a slice of Bismar - Lloyd George became World War 1 started with Britain under the ckism”, as Winston Churchill, then a Lib - convinced that working- Liberal prime minister H H Asquith. In May eral and an erratic ally of Lloyd George, class revolution was an im - ers to reject “economic orthodoxy”. 1915, discredited by the Gallipoli fiasco and put it. minent danger. He pushed for the creation of Lloyd George was offered a place in the the government’s failure to organise suffi - Lloyd George and the Liberals round him a new party bringing together elements from World War 2 coalition government by cient munitions production, Asquith was were happy to postpone the Liberal-legis - Liberals and Tories, under his leadership, an Churchill. He remained an MP until 1945. forced to form a coalition with the Tories (and lated Home Rule for Ireland and to go some idea he had already toyed with in wartime. The Liberal Party never recovered much one Labour minister). way towards the Tories on tariff preferences As Lenin commented: “Lloyd George ar - strength, mostly because the Labour Party Asquith, with his languid, patrician man - for the Empire in place of traditional Liberal gued that a coalition — and a close coalition had scooped up the more left-wing and ner (“Mr Asquith, do you take an interest in Free Trade. at that — between the Liberals and the Con - working-class element of its vote. the war?” asked his sarcastic friend Helen The huge National Liberal Club, only a few servatives was essential, otherwise there Johnson’s efforts now also have parallels Beerbohm Tree), and his heavy drinking, be - steps from Parliament, built in 1887 and might be a victory for the Labour Party, with what Trump has done with, or is trying came further discredited. In the Battle of the much grander than any central building the which Lloyd George prefers to call ‘Social - to do with, the Republican party in the USA. Somme in July-November 1916 there was Tory or Labour parties have ever had, is vis - ist’… ‘Civilisation is in jeopardy’... and con - Theresa May, of all people, in 2002, coined huge bloodshed, and almost no movement in ible evidence of the weight of the Liberal sequently Liberals and Conservatives must a phrase to describe the axis around which front lines. Party in those days. unite…” Boris Johnson is trying to reconstruct Tory Lloyd George had been the Chancellor of The Liberals were no longer the chief party The idea didn’t come off. The Tories with - politics: “the nasty party”. “Some Tories have the “People’s Budget” of 1909, old-age pen - of the landed aristocracy, as the old Whigs drew support from Lloyd George in October tried to make political capital by demonising sions, and the beginnings of “national insur - had been. Most industrial and commercial 1922. Lloyd George reunited his faction with minorities instead of showing confidence in ance” for the unemployed or sick. He was an capitalists had, in the second half of the 19th the Liberals under Asquith’s leadership for all the citizens of our country”. energetic and effective Minister of Munitions century, gone over to the Tories. As Engels the December 1923 general election. From David Cameron in 2006 took up May’s in 1915-16. He allied with Tories to force put it in 1892, “the Liberals derive their October 1924, when Asquith lost his seat in idea. “While parents worried about childcare, Asquith to resign, and became prime minis - strength now from the non-conformist petty another general election, Lloyd George be - getting the kids to school, balancing work ter at the head of a new coalition. and middle-bourgeoisie”. But they were still came parliamentary leader of the Liberal and family life — we were banging on about Now, oddly, the prime minister (Lloyd a great force. Party. Europe… We obsessed about a handful more George) and the Leader of the Opposition Local Liberal Associations continued to op - In October 1926 Asquith retired and Lloyd grammar schools... We put our faith in opt- (Asquith) were both members of the same erate round the country, uneasily divided be - George became overall Liberal Party leader. outs for a few”. party. tween Lloyd George and Asquith supporters. The “Lloyd George Fund”, acquired through Cameron failed to reshape the Tories into Lloyd George used the crisis to remake the At the end of the war, Lloyd George called the sale of honours, had been an important smoother, more Blairite shape. There is a machinery of government, and to try to em - a snap election, soon enough that rejoicing at factor. good chance that Johnson will fail. ploy that government machinery, the press, Britain’s victory and his own (undeserved) He had still not lost his capacity for leftish But for sure labour-movement people and businessmen brought into central gov - prestige as “The Man Who Won The War” gestures. In 1929 he wrote a pamphlet advo - who give credence or semi-support to ernment posts, to remake politics. were still strong. cating “Keynesian” (public-works programs) Johnson’s hard-Brexit “commandism” will That is what we can see echoed in John - He got the Liberal Chief Whip and a lead - measures against unemployment. He had the play as harmful a role as those Labour son’s moves to create a new political centre ing Tory official to share out the constituen - help of Keynes himself, though Keynes had people, back in the day, who gave cre - round his section of the Tory party, non-Tory cies, some to “Coalition Liberal” candidates, loudly denounced Lloyd George’s role in the dence to Lloyd George’s “social” imperi - “Vote Leave” people like Dominic Cum - some to Conservatives, a few to Labour rene - Treaty of Versailles. Lloyd George was alism. mings, and the Brexiter press like the Sun, gades (“Coalition Labour” or “National quicker than the cautious Labour Party lead - Workers’ Liberty @workersliberty FEATURE 7 Preview of Labour conference

On freedom of movement and closing de - By Michael Elms tention centres, too, it appears that the lead - 2019 Labour Party Conference (21-25 ership is trying to wriggle out of letting firm September, Brighton) is an opportunity for policy commitments be put to the vote. Inter - socialists in the Labour Party to stop the nationalist-minded Labour supporters from political retreat that threatens to bring to a number of CLPs have submitted text calling an end the left-wing “Corbyn surge” for freedom of movement and the closure of which started in 2015. detention centres. But through a procedural The most pressing business is about Brexit. trick the Conference Arrangements Commit - 90 motions have been sent in about Brexit. 81 tee is trying to keep this text off the order of them call for Labour to take a clear Remain paper, by refusing to composite similar mo - stance. Most originate with left wing Remain tions together. groups Labour for a Socialist Europe and An - other Europe is Possible. MISDIRECTION Yet a few days before conference, a small A year of the leadership using weasel group of senior trade union bureaucrats met words and misdirection to overcome calls with Corbyn’s staff and tried to pre-empt for more consistently internationalist pol - Conference by declaring for a “Labour icy from the membership has scattered Brexit”. and demoralised Corbyn’s base. The face-off between an overwhelmingly We’ve had silence or evasion on migrant coup. Hopefully that renewed political the trap of the Labour left in recent years, of pro-Remain Party membership and a pro- rights and detention centres, endlessly con - vigour will make itself felt at conference. letting the leadership oppose radical policies Brexit clique influenced by the Morning Star fusing to-ing and fro-ing on whether to hold Much of the problem lies with a left that obliquely, by burying them in vagueness or ensconced in the towers of trade union offi - a referendum on Brexit or whether to back has failed to hold Corbyn to account. Mo - silence. cialdom is clear. Remain, and a lack of clear left-wing leader - mentum nationally abolished its own demo - Supporters of Workers’ Liberty have pro - The fact that no motions to conference call ship over other issues like antisemitism has cratic structures in January 2017 in order to moted a version of the Green New Deal mo - for a Labour Brexit makes strategy of the sapped the zeal of the people who won Cor - prevent those structures from being used to tion that includes calls for an end to airport Morning Star axis clear. Unable to win the byn’s two leadership elections. Many of exert leftward pressure on Corbyn. The idea expansion, scrapping the anti-union laws membership to their right-wing, nationalistic them, in fact, voted Green in the 2019 Euro - that the role of the Labour left should be to and nationalisation of energy and finance. It position, they will instead fight at conference pean elections. give Corbyn a “blank cheque” is still is important not to shy away from such poli - for a fudge to allow Corbyn’s office to sidle One measure of the problem is that the widespread, and represents an unhealthy in - cies, even if they prove to be inconvenient to towards their preferred option after turnout for the Conference Arrangements heritance from Blairite days. the Labour leadership. conference, by means of policy Committee elections this year was down on It is important that the Labour Green New Conference is an opportunity for delegates announcements or anonymous briefings the previous vote in 2017, even though the Deal campaign does not fall into the same to force the leadership to take a bold stance from unelected advisers. poll was as hotly contested as then. mode of thinking. The campaign has topped on internationalism, migrant rights and cli - In short, pro-Leave bureaucrats want to This time left candidates Seema Chand - the chart of motions submissions to confer - mate change. keep matters out of the membership’s hands. wani and Billy Hayes got 53,606 and 43,763 ence, with 128. And through the discussions at The To beat them, left wing delegates will have votes, as against 28,116 and 24,620 for the The Green New Deal makes much – rightly World Transformed and around the con - to insist on clarity instead of vagueness. We right-wing candidates. In 2017 it was 109,763 – of the need for a Labour government to ference centre, we will work for a new should not flinch from forcing contentious and 92,205 vs 55,417 and 50,439. In 2015, the make substantial inroads into the rule of Labour left can emerge which is not afraid votes, even if we calculate that big union right won, 109,888 and 100,484 vs 80,193 and profit in order to face up to the climate crisis. to challenge the leadership on these is - block votes make it likely we will lose them. 37,270. It has enjoyed much support from leading sues. The voice of the rank and file must be heard, One encouraging sign of revival was the Corbynite Labour MPs and among the not buried in applause for fudged read-it-ei - lively way that Labour members threw them - broader membership. But to make good on • All the main official documents for the con - ther-way formulas. selves into demonstrations against Johnson’s its promise, the campaign must not fall into ference: bit.ly/lpconf-19 John Mann becomes a Tsar

whip last year to sit as an independent MP, denounced even by many Labour Brexiteers “travellers”. In the section on “Travellers”, By Jim Denham he also expected to keep his Labour member - as a “bribe”. which mainly deals with the civil offence of Labour MP John Mann is standing down ship in spite of his decision, but was told that Many on the left hate him because of the trespass, there is a big, bold strapline saying as an MP to become a Tory adviser. He resigning the whip had immediately termi - one issue where he has taken a principled “the Police have powers to remove any gyp - will take up a full-time role as the govern - nated his personal membership of the party stance: antisemitism. He has been accused of sies and travellers”. ment’s “antisemitism tsar”. as well. using the issue to attack Corbyn, and he has Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are Mann’s record on other issues is so bad Mann first came to prominence as a leader certainly done that. legally recognised ethnic minorities in the that his elevation is likely to do more harm of the National Organisation of Labour Stu - But his record shows him raising concerns UK and are protected by Equalities laws from than good to the fight against antisemitism. dents in the mid and early 1980s. He figured about antisemitism for years before Corbyn discrimination. A Bassetlaw constituent of John Mann’s got then as a “Bennite” left-winger and an organ - became leader. There is no reason to doubt A Romany Gypsy constituent of John it right back in 2016, writing on an internet iser behind Labour Students in 1982 taking that Mann’s strong views on antisemitism are Mann, who sent a copy of the booklet to The chat forum: “[Mann] could probably be mis - the National Union of Students leadership entirely genuine. His much-publicised public Travellers’ Times, said: “It’s outrageous from taken for UKIP most of the time. He’s pretty from the Communist Party/ Liberal “Broad denunciation of Ken Livingstone was not just a man that likes to give the public the impres - awful, though I did enjoy him shouting and Left”. That was a shift to the left, made on the a stunt: Mann was clearly outraged by Liv - sion that he’s against race hate and preju - swearing at Ken Livingstone a few weeks back of a well-organised wave of campus oc - ingstone’s crass comments about Hitler (sup - dice.” ago.” cupations. posedly) supporting Zionism and was quite A legal expert in Traveller law and police Theresa May appointed Mann as her ad - Activists from the forerunner of Workers’ right to confront Livingstone, even if his – powers around trespass, contacted by The viser on tackling antisemitism in one of her Liberty disputed with Mann and his co - Mann’s — rant was pretty incoherent. Travellers’ Times , has described the legal ad - last acts as prime minister. Boris Johnson has thinkers week by week in Manchester Uni - Mann’s opposition to prejudice and racism vice in the section on Travellers as “wrong.” Mann’s move will also be seen (rightly) now “upgraded” the role (to “antisemitism versity Labour Club back then. From those does not seem to be consistent. as an act of betrayal towards the Labour tsar” — a most unfortunate title given Rus - debates of that time, it seems, he learned In October 2016 details of an “offensive” party. That will give ammunition to those sian history) and offered Mann a seat in the about antisemitism, but little else. legal advice booklet emerged — produced who seek to dismiss all talk of anti - Lords. He was always a careerist, and long ago be - and distributed by John Mann. semitism as a right wing conspiracy, Mann told Sky News that he was going to came a vicious right-winger and Brexiteer. The Bassetlaw anti-social behaviour hand - probably organised by the Israeli em - retain his Labour membership, but sit in the He was the only Labour MP to react posi - book was written by John Mann and contains bassy. Lords as an independent peer: tively to May’s offer to northern Labour MPs sections of advice for his constituents on how When Frank Field resigned the Labour of extra money for their constituencies in re - to deal with “loitering by youths”, “graffiti”, turn for support for her Brexit deal – widely “neighbours from hell”, “alcohol”… and More online at www.workersliberty.org Workers’ Liberty @workersliberty Sanders, socialists Democratic Party. She is a brilliant young easy. The old strategy of Max Shachtman and woman. Michael Harrington, which was called “re - She has seized on the environmental issue alignment”, was intended to create a social - and has seized on the “Green New Deal” ist-inspired labour, black, and anti-war idea and packaged it in a way that made it coalition that could take over the Democratic By Dan La Botz significant. No, she is not a “DSA candidate”, Party. It failed absolutely, for a whole series although she makes some remarkably posi - of reasons, having to do with both strategy How do you think the socialist left should tive statements against capitalism, for exam - and changing conditions. And, if it had been orient to the Bernie Sanders campaign? ple recently saying it’s “an irredeemable successful, it would have been very problem - In 2016, after years as a proponent of inde - system.” The DSA is unlikely to exert much atic. On the other hand, the only thing to pendent political action to the left of the influence over her. have failed worse than “realignment” is the Democrats, I made the decision to work on The case of Julia Salazar is quite different. alternative strategy of independent political the Sanders campaign. I had been a lifelong She is a person who was a local activist in action on the left! The left has never won opponent of the Democratic Party, but I DSA, and something like 2,000 DSA mem - more than an infinitesimally small percent - thought something was happening that was bers participated in her campaign. She has age of the vote, and when it did it was very important. I did not register as a Demo - been very much in touch with DSA, and the blamed for contributing to the election of Re - crat, as many did, but rather I maintained my Dan La Botz is a longstanding socialist New York DSA branch leadership works publicans. Green Party registration. I went to work on activist, based in Brooklyn. He is a member of closely with her. She tries to be accountable Thirty years ago, I would’ve said, simply, the Sanders’ campaign, in a very ordinary the socialist group Solidarity and of the and report to DSA. DSA has some ideas that we need an independent political party way: I attended local campaign meetings and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and a about developing grassroots work in her dis - to the left of the Democrats. I still believe we distributed leaflets on the street in my neigh - co-editor of the independent socialist trict, using the experience of her electoral need that, but I’m not so convinced that we journal New Politics (newpol.org). He spoke to bourhood. campaign to develop a local organization. can get one simply by announcing it. The Daniel Randall of Solidarity earlier in 2019 Sanders was calling himself a “democratic about prospects for the socialist left in the So, AOC and Salazar are different cases in Green Party has been around for a long time socialist”. I don’t think he was a socialist USA. terms of their relationship to the DSA and now, and has made many efforts to establish then, and I don’t now. I think he is a New whether the DSA can have any influence on itself. It was on the ballot in every state, with Deal liberal. But I felt this was an important them. The bigger question is whether either a national presidential candidate, Jill Stein, hallmark of socialism, but nationalisation is thing, because we’ve seldom had in the one of them can have any influence on the who was in many ways an appealing candi - one form under which working people could United States open discussions about the Democratic Party in national politics. date who could talk in ordinary language collectivise the ownership of industry, com - question of socialism. Secondly, he put for - about important issues. So why couldn’t the bined with many other things that would ward the most progressive platform since You wrote, ahead of DSA’s endorsement of Green Party be successful? bring the government into the hands of Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s Democratic Sanders, that you were opposed to the DSA doing Partially, it’s because, as many people have working people. Party, and many people we very excited by that. How would you summarise your alternative pointed out for decades, that the rules of the So, the DSA had this tradition of work in things like “Medicare for All”. I also felt, by strategy for how DSA should intervene on the ter - game in America make it very hard for left the Democratic Party. There were many peo - the end of the primary campaign, that many rain of national politics? parties to even get on the ballot. Once they’re ple in the pre-Sanders-campaign DSA who of Sanders’ supporters had come to loath the In 2016 it seemed to me that Sanders and on the ballot, of course, since it’s a first-past- had this approach, and many of the new, Democratic Party National Committee and his followers were moving to the left; today the-post system, if you run a candidate you’ll younger leaders had come to share the notion hated the politics of Hilary Clinton. I was in - it seems that they are moving into the Demo - be accused of being a spoiler. So the Republi - that the Democratic Party can be a vehicle. terested in being amongst those folks. At that cratic Party, that is moving to the right. cans and Democrats continue to dominate They had a slightly different interpretation, moment, the Sanders’ supporters repre - Working out an alternative strategy is not the system and the Green Party and others in that they didn’t aspire to take over the sented a leftward-moving phenomenon, are pushed to the margins. Democratic Party, or even imagine they could which is why I supported it. People looked The example we have always given from influence it strongly, but rather their notion up the term “democratic socialist” on Google, the history of the United States — because as was that in running candidates for Demo - they found the Democratic Socialists of Audio and e-reader Marxists who try to look at the big historical cratic nominations, the DSA could build up America (DSA), and joined in their tens of picture — was the origin of the Republican its own political machine with its own organ - thousands. That was aided by many talented Party. In the late 1850s, the issue of slavery di - isers, control of databases, etc. This view has versions DSA organisers who used social media very vided the nation and the rise of anti-slavery been strengthened as recently, DSA members effectively to recruit. Those who wanted to movements created a new situation in the like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have run for Many thanks to the volunteers join found no obstacles in their way. One North. As a result the Whig party broke up Democratic nominations and won impressive could go online and join, paying a very mod - who have enabled us to pro - and some former Whigs and a few victories. The DSA wasn’t the dominant force est dues. Democrats joined with the Abolitionist Party, in her campaign, but it was one of the forces. duce an audio version of the So at that time, that was a very significant to create a new party, a party determined to There have been other similar electoral suc - paper. Links to the audio ver - development. It has created the biggest surge limit slavery to the South.The election of cesses, such as DSA member Julia Salazar, in leftism in this country since the 1960s, and sion are at www.workerslib - Abraham Lincoln on that platform, led to the who was elected to the New York State Sen - incorporated many people who had partici - erty.org/audio. Civil War. The Republicans became a revolu - ate. pated in and been inspired by the Occupy To be sent our e-reader ver - tionary party, carrying out a capitalist revo - movement and #BlackLivesMatter, and it lution that obliterated slavery in the South. From a distance, it seems meaningless to talk later picked up people who were excited by sion of Solidarity, email Today, do I go out and say to working peo - about AOC and Salazar as “DSA candidates”, be - things like the #MeToo movement. It was a [email protected]. ple that, “we need to form a revolutionary cause there doesn’t appear to be any mechanism thrilling development. party to carry out a revolutionary civil war in for rank-and-file DSA members to hold them di - This may be helpful for But there are some problems. One is DSA’s America”? Yet still I think we will need a very rectly to account or exert any control over their historical legacy and orientation towards dyslexic readers. E-readers en - powerful social movements in order to create policies or activity. work in the Democratic Party. The DSA for able you to choose the font, some new political party. We will need move - AOC and Salazar are two different cases. decades saw campaigns in the Democratic ments of the oppressed, of black and Latinos, AOC won a seat in Congress, displacing, a type size, and line-spacing you Party as a vehicle for fighting for a socialism of women and LGBT people, as well as mainline Democrat, Joe Crowley, who was prefer, in a completely unclut - not too different from that of Bernie Sanders, movement against anti-Semitism and Islam - going to become a dominant figure in the albeit perhaps a little more “Scandinavian”. tered layout. ophobia. We need a convergence of all of House of Representatives. That made her a And now DSA support Sanders who says, for these. very big deal. Sanders then said, take my Please give feedback so that example, that he would never be for the na - And above all we need to build rank-and- hand, let’s go to Kansas and campaign for we can find out whether these tionalisation of any industry. I don’t think the file working-class power within labour Democrats. So she was immediately swept nationalisation of industry is an essential efforts are worthwhile, and, if unions. In West Virginia, we recently saw a up into the whole national mainstream of the they are, improve them. FEATURE 8-9 and US politics successful teachers strike that was driven by who is almost certain to be a progressive, but tion, most of whose activists are between 25- taking place at Labor Notes’ “Troublemakers’ a rank-and-file movement. Rank-and-file who will almost inevitably have to govern as 35 years of age, whose previous political ex - Schools”. That’s been great. workers movement from below are the key a liberal, even as a neoliberal because we do perience, if they had any, was in broadly We’ve had many school workers’ strikes in to building a powerful labor movement, but not yet have a level of class struggle and so - “progressive” politics rather than the organ - several cities now, which is wonderful and one has to watch out for two problems. One, cial upheaval that could force government ised socialist left. I believe there is a strong will hopefully continue to develop. We don’t the movement can become syndicalist, that is very much to the left. desire amongst these people to talk this all see much in the private sector, and that’s by offering not political alternative. Or, two, the out for themselves, and go through this pro - far larger, in number of workers. Trade union rank-and-file leaders can become linked to There seems to be a clear objective case for an cess. That’s an enormous part of this. representation in the United States is ex - the Democratic Party and subordinate work - organised, publicly-declared tendency within Could I find a few people throughout the tremely low, about 6.4% in the private sector. ers’ interests to the party’s. DSA, at local and national level, that intervenes US who might co-sign a manifesto? Yes, We see very few strikes in the private sector; I think the DSA’s local strategy, of being to argue for the things you’ve mentioned: an ori - probably. I and others do participate in the strikes like the Verizon strike in New York a willing to support radical local candidates, entation to workplaces and rank-and-file organi - debates advocating Marxist positions. But we couple of years ago are very rare. including those running for Democratic nom - sation in unions; a particular policy in terms of shouldn’t get ahead of, or attempt to find I’ve seen articles claiming we’re seeing a inations, especially those who are willing to intervention in national politics; and, I would shortcuts around, the discussions happening national strike wave. It’s too early to say that. identify themselves as socialists, is still vi - suggest, a third camp policy on international amongst DSA activists, who are trying to find The last great strike wave was 1970, where able. We had two cases of this in Brooklyn; questions, confronting what appears to be a sig - a way to work all this out. They haven’t yet you saw hundreds of thousands of workers one was Jabari Brisport, who ran as a Green, nificant element of “two camps”-type anti-impe - been through the experiences that might con - going out week after week, paralysing the and the other was Khader El-Yateem, a Pales - rialist politics within DSA. It seems that New vince them to be more critical of the labour post office, the trucking industry, walkouts in tinian Lutheran minister, running in a work - Politics as a journal could provide some of the in - union leaderships, of the black political es - auto plants, and so on. We don’t have that ing-class neighbourhood, running for the tellectual and literary infrastructure for such a tablishment, or of Bernie Sanders. yet. The fact that people are calling the cur - Democrat ticket. So DSA was able to be in - tendency. Do you think such a tendency is re - I think there’s a very healthy debate and rent movement a strike wave shows they volved in these two campaigns, where you quired and, if so, how do you see it developing? discussion going on inside the organisation, haven’t seen a real strike wave. But we may could go out and talk about politics and so - I think it would be great if we had an or - which will become clearer and sharper, but it well get one! There are developments in cialism and attempt to build the DSA as an ganised tendency within DSA that has the might take two more years. other sectors, some with strong political ac - organisation. I still like that strategy. perspectives we’ve been discussing — a tivity, such as the nurses’ union in California. On the national level, who could not be rank-and-file labour orientation, an attentive What potential do you see in recent school We also now have people in DSA looking thrilled to see Bernie at his recent rallies, orientation to struggles around race and gen - workers’ strikes for the reinvigoration and reacti - to get jobs in workplaces and industries opening them with union activists talking der, an international position that rejected vation of the labour movement? where they can be effective rank-and-file mil - about the importance of their strikes and “my enemy’s enemy is my friend”, instead The West Virginia strike was the most ex - itants. DSA has published arguments for black activists talking about anti-racism supporting the fight against lesser-power im - citing thing we’ve seen in the labour move - doing this on its website. That’s very impor - movements? But, to my mind, the danger is perialism as well as greater-power imperial - ment since the Chicago teachers’ strike of tant. It’s not quite what we used to call “in - that the DSA will simply flow into the ism. And, of course, a current that also had a 2012. Labor Notes, as well as a few people in dustrialisation”, but it is people making a real Sanders campaign. much stronger drive towards political inde - DSA and some in other socialist groups like commitment. In all probability I think Sanders will not pendence from the Democratic Party. the International Socialist Organization (ISO), These young people with a socialist out - win the nomination, and if that happens, the There are discussions about this amongst played key roles in helping connect up strik - look entering the unions in order to build leftwards energy will in all likelihood con - some DSA members. But it’s important to be ing workers and helping them form caucuses rank-and-file movements are a tremen - tinue to flow to the Democratic candidate, remember that this is a very young organisa - in their unions. Some of this work has been dously hopeful sign.

Arguing for a The real Otto Rühle’s society based history of the abridged on human 1917 version of solidarity, revolution, of Capital, putting social the Stalinist aside current ownership of counter- factual material, industry and revolution, illustrations, banks, and and of the polemics, is a political, lessons good lead-in for economic learned. the full book. and social 131 pages , £6 democracy. 374 pages, £12 plus postage 182 pages. plus postage £5 + post.

A socialist approach Defending within the the new Bolsheviks “wave” of and their feminism. relevance today. 102 pages, 312 pages, £5 plus £10 plus 40 pages, £4 + post 408 pages, £12 + post postage The Two Trotskyisms £20 ; Fate of the Russian Revolution £8 ; postage Miners’ strike £9 ; Democracy, direct action... £5 ; In an era of wars and revolutions £9 ; Anarchism £5 ; Can Socialism Make Order from www.workersliberty.org/books. Add £2 per book for postage, or 50p for 1919 book. If you buy three or Sense £12 ; Gramsci in Context £6 ; How Solidarity... £6 . All more books, post is free, and the third and subsequent books are half-price. Pay at www.workersliberty.org/payment plus postage. 10 FEATURE More online at www.workersliberty.org Peronism: not a model camps in order to preserve property and By Eduardo Tovar order. It suppresses civil war, or precedes it, 2 In an interview featured in Tim Alberta’s or does not allow it to rekindle.” new book American Carnage: On the Although the capitalists lose much of their Front Lines of the Republican Civil War political power under Bonapartism, they re - and the Rise of President Trump , Presi - tain their social power and the Bonapartist dent Donald Trump compared Rep. regime still works to protect their interests in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Eva Perón. the long run. As Trotsky put it: Specifically, Trump remarked that Ocasio- “The sabre by itself has no independent Cortez has “talent”, but “doesn’t know any - program. It is the instrument of ‘order.’ It is thing”. This alludes to how Eva Perón went summoned to safeguard what exists. Raising from popular radio and film actress to pow - itself politically above the classes, Bona - erful symbol for the political movement partism, like its predecessor Caesarism, for spearheaded by her husband, Juan Perón. that matter, represents in the social sense, al - The latter was President of Argentina from ways and at all epochs, the government of the strongest and firmest part of the ex - June 1946 to September 1955, and again from 3 October 1973 until his death in July 1974. ploiters.” In response to a New York Post report on Trump’s remarks, on 7 July 2019 Ocasio- MILITARY Cortez turned the comparison into flattering It should be easy to see why I describe one by quoting Eva Perón approvingly on Peronism as “Bonapartist”. Juan Perón Twitter: had a long career as an Argentine military “I know that, like every woman of the peo - officer and participated in General Arturo ple, I have more strength than I appear to Rawson’s 1943 coup against President 4 A festival organised by the Montoneros, a would-be Peronist urban guerilla group in the 1970s have.” Ramón Castillo. “I had watched for many years and seen This is how Perón came to serve in the — wages went up from 41% of the national this corporativist strategy. She addressed how a few rich families held much of Ar - 1943-46 military government as head of the income in 1946-48 to 49% in 1952-55. 9 Trade workers over the radio and in the factories, gentina’s wealth and power in their hands. Labour Department. union membership increased from 500,000 in union headquarters, and dockyards to con - So the government brought in an eight hour From this position, Perón began to form 1946 to 2.5 million in 1955. Perón introduced vince them that her husband was a friend of working day, sickness pay and fair wages to the political links with sections of the labour a minimum wage, paid holidays, medical in - the working class. The Eva Perón Founda - give poor workers a fair go.” movement that would become key to his surance, and other significant welfare mea - tion, established in 1948, became a corner - Although it is easy to see why these state - electoral victory in 1946 and the ‘Judicialist’ sures. stone of the regime’s popular appeal, ments and other aspects of Eva Perón’s life state he would establish. In Alejandro Dabat Moreover, as Daniel James notes, Argen - generously funding welfare projects like the would make a positive impression on Ocasio- and Luis Lorenzano’s words, “[i]n the politi - tine workers found political motivations for construction of schools and the distribution Cortez, approvingly quoting a prominent fig - cal sphere the major change was the forma - supporting Perón that went beyond immedi - of medicine. urehead of Peronism is not only misguided: tion of the new, benevolently authoritarian or ate economic benefits: “Peronism was, per - The central purpose of such charitable acts it is actively harmful to building genuine so - paternalist state, based on an alliance of the haps, most enduringly for them a vision of a was public relations. The Foundation raised cialist politics. army (half of the new government’s first two more decent society in which they recognised much of the money for such grandiose dis - This is because, whatever the material budgets was devoted to it), the new labour for themselves a vital role, a vision couched plays of benevolence via a compulsory levy gains of the impoverished descamisados unions and an emerging ‘bureaucratic’ indus - in a language with which they could iden - on union members and Eva is believed to (“shirtless ones”) under Perón, Peronism was trial and commercial bourgeoisie (‘bureau - tify”. 10 have diverted as much as $700 million into a thoroughly nationalist and Bonapartist cratic’ because of its structural dependence 5 In other words, many working-class Pero - overseas accounts. In addition, Eva nepotis - movement that consciously inhibited class on state subvention and protection)”. As nists saw themselves as participating in a tically used her central role in the Perón struggle. Juan Perón himself sympathised Luis Velasco summarised it in 1947, “the to - larger project to create a juster society and ap - regime to put numerous relatives in positions with fascism at least until 1942, even going so talitarian dictatorships of [Getúlio] Vargas preciated Perón’s acknowledgement of their of power, with her brother becoming Juan’s far as to describe Nazi Germany as “an orga - and Perón [...] confront the tempestuous importance to this project. private secretary. nized state for a perfectly structured commu - awakening of the working masses, absorbing In light of all this, why did so many social - nity, for a perfectly structured population: a and channelizing it, sometimes with a policy ists, including several Trotskyist tendencies, community where the state was the tool of of social reforms and fascistic demagogy”. 6 CORPORATIST Nevertheless, as Ronaldo Munck and his still support Peronism? The short answer is the people, whose representation was, under Although Velasco overstates matters by de - collaborators acknowledge in their histor - that it stems from a poorly founded view of my view, effective”. 1 scribing the Peronist regime as “totalitarian”, ical study of the Argentine labour move - the Peronist regime as “anti-imperialist” and In other words, Peronism is precisely the Perón still replaced the older, more militant, ment, “Perón never deviated from [his] of Argentina as “semi-colonial”. As Velasco kind of movement that socialists should and historically anarchist trade union move - essentially corporativist vision of social observed in 1947, many Trotskyists in Ar - avoid presenting uncritically. ment with one substantially under his con - 7 affairs and his ‘revolutionary’ image in a gentina, including those organised around Admittedly, Ocasio-Cortez is far from the trol. later period […] was never reflected in the periodical Octubre , proclaimed Peronism first socialist to say or imply that Peronism is Moreover, the suspension of class struggle practice”. 11 as “the realization of the democratic bour - worthy of left-wing admiration or support: central to Bonapartism was a prominent fea - The Peronist government established an geois revolution, not only in Argentina, but even revolutionary socialists have done so. ture of Peronist ideology. In his 1944 May 12 employers’ organisation called the Confed - in the whole of Latin America”. Moreover, Peronism spent decades as the Day speech, Perón said he aimed to “abolish In a manner that strongly echoes the later dominant ideology in the Argentine labour struggle between classes, and get a just agree - eración General Económica (CGE) in 1952 so that industrialists and businessmen could “dependency theory” perspective on former movement. This gives us ample reason to un - ment between employers and employees.” colonies in the “Third World”, this character - dertake a critical examination of Peronism. That same year, he gave the following assur - collectively bargain with both the govern - ment and the unions. Strikes began to fall in isation of Argentina rested on the view that In Marxist terminology, “Bonapartism” de - ances to Argentine employers: the extent of foreign investment was such notes a situation where there is a stalemate in “[Having trade unions] is the best way to the early 1950s, and the unions were brought under the state’s wing in a manner that that the country was still not genuinely inde - the class struggle and the state gains an un - avoid the boss having to fight with his work - 13 strengthened their bureaucracies and purged pendent. Indeed, the British still owned precedented level of political autonomy from ers [...] It is the means to reach an agreement, large parts of Argentina’s infrastructure be - the ruling class. This typically takes the form not a struggle. Thus strikes and stoppages are their most militant activists. Perón’s handling of the 1948 strike by the fore Perón’s nationalisation projects. Al - of a military regime headed by a strongman: suppressed, though, undoubtedly, the work - though one can question how representative what Marx in 1858 evocatively called “The ing masses obtain the right to discuss their Tucumán Worker Federation of the Sugar In - dustry (“Federación Obrera Tucumána de la Octubre was of the contemporary anti-Stalin - Rule of the Praetorians”. This temporary own interests at the same level as the employ - ist left, after Peronism became hegemonic placement of a militaristic state “above” the ers’ organisations, which, on analysing it, is Industria del Azúcar”/”FOTIA”) further il - lustrates his corporativist labour strategy. He and marginalised the socialist organisations, ruling and working classes is to keep the absolutely just [...] We do not want unions more Trotskyists turned from describing Per - class struggle suspended. That is, it inhibits which are divided in political fractions, be - allowed the strike to drag on and conceded a few demands, only to have the strike leaders onism as fascistic (as leftists often did in the class war bringing together sections of the cause the dangerous thing is, incidentally, a 1940s) to viewing it as “anti-imperialist”. military, the national bourgeoisie, and the political trade unionism.” 8 accused of communism and sacked. This al - lowed him to present himself as on the work - Argentina was a key exporter of agricul - labour movement, often drawing on nation - This is not to say that workers made no tural products to Britain, and importer of alist ideology. In Trotsky’s words: gains under Perón or that they were merely ers’ side and, at the same time, rid the unions of their most effective organisers. British investments, until the First World “[P]recisely this is the function of Bona - his dupes. Real wages rose by 22% between War. In 1916, Lenin described Argentina as partism: raising itself over the two struggling 1945 and 1949, and — in proportional terms Eva Perón played a key role in sustaining Workers’ Liberty @workersliberty FEATURE 11 for socialists politically independent but a British “trade colony”. “Economic dependence upon British banks, indebtedness to Britain, British acquisition of [its] railways, mines, land, etc., enable Britain to ‘annex’ [Argentina] econom - ically without violating [its] political inde - pendence”. 14 Nevertheless, to follow Octubre’s example and describe Argentina in the late 1940s as still a “feudal semi-colony” is to see “feudal - ism” where there was capitalist landlordism, and greatly to underestimate the extent to which the World Wars had allowed Ar - gentina to create its own reserves of capital. In other words, Argentina had not only estab - lished political independence via its 1810-18 war against Spanish colonial rule: it had come to establish significant economic lee - way as well. Indeed, Argentina’s economic dependence on Britain had drastically weak - ened in the 1930s before Perón’s rise to power. Moreover, by the time of Perón’s first term as President, the Argentine bourgeoisie was already beginning to expand its regional power in Latin America. As Velasco observes: “The Argentine-Chile treaty [signed by Perón and intended to establish an eventual customs union] gives enormous advantages to Argentina, reducing Chile to a depen - dency. Peron pays $13 Argentine for 100 kilo - grams of wheat, selling it to Chile for $35 Argentine and bringing about a Chilean sell - ing price of 100 to 500 Chilean pesos. The Chilean producer receives from the state only 195 to 205 Chilean pesos for the same prod - uct. This same relationship obtains for all products.” 15 A Peronist demonstration in the 1950s This strongly suggests that “Peron’s expan - pletion of an anti-colonial bourgeois revolu - 60% of Brazil’s, by 1973 only 42% of Brazil’s. 19 (London: Verso, 1984) p.21. sionism [was] not a struggle of the Argentini - tion worthy of socialist support, one should As in Ireland under Éamon De Valera, the [6] Luis Velasco, A Latin American Manifesto: A ans against imperialism, but an expansion of take the view that Juan Rey put forward in nationalist, protectionist economic course Path of the Colonial Revolution” (1947) the Argentine bourgeoisie which [strove] to 1948: had wide support, but was economically re - http://bit.ly/33Huxsr dominate the continent and establish a local [7] For a historical overview of this transforma - 16 “Revolutionary working class socialism in gressive. There were meaningful social re - “sub-imperialism”‘. South America combatting Peronism and forms in Argentina under Perón, but then tion of the Argentine labour movement, see: Stalinism must oppose the arrogance and were also meaningful social reforms in boom Ronaldo Munck with Ricardo Falcon and Bernardo SUB-IMPERIALIST domination of Yankee Imperialism, forming years in Spain under Francisco Franco and in Galitelli, From Anarchism to Peronism: Workers, By failing to grasp the sub-imperialist a third front of authentic national and social Eastern European countries under Stalinism. Unions and Politics, 1855-1985 (London: Zed Books, character of the Argentine state, the inter - emancipation in Latin America.” 18 We would not accept these reforms as rea - 1987), national left risks putting an “anti-imperi - Lastly, one should be cautious not to read sons to treat these regimes as deserving of [8] ibid, p. 132. alist” or even “socialist” gloss on the too much into the material gains of Argentine political support. [9] James W. McGuire, Peronism Without Perón: nationalist-autarkic manoeuvres of a re - workers under the Perón regime. Prior to the Overall, much like Cárdenas’ Mexico be - Unions, Parties and Democracy in Argentina (Stan - gional power seeking to expand its own First World War, Argentina was, by GDP per fore it and Chávez’s Venezuela after it, social - ford: Stanford University Press, 1997), p. 53. sphere of influence. head measures, one of the richest countries in ists should treat Perón’s Argentina as a stark [10] Daniel James, Resistance and Integration: Per - As Dabat and Lorenzano put it:”The the - the world. Many workers migrated from lesson in what happens when we take at face onism and the Argentine Working Class , 1946-1976” ory of ‘neo-colonies’ [...] seeks to equate the Italy to Argentina then because wages were value the nationalisation projects, social-wel - (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988), p. financial and diplomatic dependence of po - higher in Argentina than in Europe. fare measures, and pro-worker rhetoric of a 40. litically independent countries and of semi- Argentina continued to be a relatively rich regime founded upon a civic-military al - [11] Munck et al (1987), p. 132. colonies by giving overwhelming priority to country until it slumped in the Great Depres - liance that actively suppresses the militancy [12] Velasco (1947). certain economic features, in particular the sion. It experienced a small boom during the and independence of organised labour. [13] Dependency theory dates back to Paul A. role of direct foreign investment by transna - Second World War, followed by a long period More to the point, Peronism illustrates Baran’s book “The Political Economy of Growth” tional companies. Direct foreign investment, of stagnation. By the end of the Peronist era, the danger of conceptualising socialism (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1957). It argues associated with other forms of ‘penetration’, Argentina was already significantly behind primarily in terms of economic redistribu - that “Third World” nations are underdeveloped is supposed to turn the different countries most Western European countries and Aus - tion rather than the self-emancipation of because of a parasitic drain of surplus to the eco - into semi-colonies, although it is never clear tralia. the working class: a danger of which Oca - nomically and industrially advanced countries. A which are to be included in this definition. This is in large part because of the major sio-Cortez and her supporters should full critical analysis of dependency theory is be - [...] According to this line of reasoning, bour - long-term change in Argentina’s economic take heed. yond the scope of the present article. geois nation states would be progressive and orientation under Perón. Before 1930, Ar - [14] V.I. Lenin, “What is Economic Analysis?’ in anti-imperialist merely by opposing foreign gentina had an economy based on agrarian [1] Felipe Pigna, Los Mitos de la Historia Argentina A Caricature of Marxism and Imperialist Economism investment, increasing customs duties and exports and dominated by the landed oli - 4: La Argentina Peronista (1943-1955)” (Buenos (1916) bit.ly/2kpQr1s reducing the balance of external trade, or by garchy. The landed oligarchy was ruined by Aires: Editorial Planeta, 2008), p. 28. [15] Luis Velasco, “Peron: Argentine Sub-Impe - linking themselves economically to the ‘So - the Great Depression and by Peron’s deliber - [2] Leon Trotsky, “German Bonapartism” (1932) rialist — Structural Changes in Latin America” cialist Bloc’. Marxism, however, regards such ate shift towards a domestically-oriented and bit.ly/2Z01ssB (1948)@ http://bit.ly/2KQFyPy ‘anti-imperialism’ and such ‘defence’ of the industrialised economy. [3] Leon Trotsky, “Bonapartism and Fascism” [16] ibid. principle of national self-determination as According to Angus Maddison’s figures, (1934) bit.ly/31vH93S [17] Dabat and Lorenzano (1984), p. 8-9. nothing more than an attempt to cover up Argentina’s exports were scarcely bigger in [4] At the risk of sounding as though I am excus - [18] Juan Rey, “The Totalitarian Reaction in competitive manoeuvres by capitals of differ - 1950 than in 1913, and much smaller than ing a military coup, I feel obliged to note that South America” (1948) bit.ly/30qIFEg ent national bases, particularly by “weak” they had been in 1929. Both in 1913 and in Castillo obtained his presidency via electoral fraud. [19] Angus Maddison, The World Economy (2006), monopoly capitals.” 17 1929, Argentina’s exports were significantly [5] Alejandro Dabat and Luis Lorenzano, Ar - OECD, p.360 Instead of painting Peronism as the com - bigger than Brazil’s; by 1950 they were only gentina: The Malvinas and the End of Military Rule 12 FEATURE More online at www.workersliberty.org Not the “people’s daily”

People who re - By Sean Matgamna volted against the Some of the best people I have ever en - hypocrisy and countered in the labour movement — or mental compart - anywhere else, for that matter — were mentalisation CPers, that is, Stalinists, in one degree or which is so promi - another. nent a part of cap - These were people who had dedicated italism learned to themselves mind and limb to a cause which live by an all-pervading set of double stan - in its broad points of reference and ultimate dards which allowed them to condemn goals is our own cause, the cause of social - wholeheartedly and sincerely in Chile or ism, and who had given everything they had South Africa what they justified and en - to it. dorsed wholeheartedly and sincerely wher - They were not “selfless” in any narrow as - ever the CP ruled. cetic sense, but people who rejected the val - In Britain for 60 years their “central organ” ues and concerns of the bourgeois world in this work has been the daily paper started around them with disdain, and who had or - on 1 January 1930, known as the Daily Worker ganised their own lives around the working- until 1966, and as the Morning Star since. It is class struggle for socialism. Or so they a paper that has always depended on Rus - thought. sian subsidies, open or disguised. And it has In fact they were people — they, and mil - usually been the voice of those who paid the lions like them throughout the world – who subsidies. had been utterly fooled and misled, whose Even when it condemned the Russian in - work and dedication, whose very lives, did vasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, and later, not at all serve the goals they wanted to in 1979-80, the Russian invasion of serve. Served, in fact, other goals, opposite Afghanistan (which is more than most Trot - goals. skyists did, come to think of it), the Morning Star has always, in a thousand ways, day in They were people so miseducated and cor - The article on this page was our comment by our forerunner, Socialist Organiser , in 1990, when rupted by Stalinism that they would in cer - and day out, promoted the interests of the rulers of the Soviet Union, lying and misrep - the Morning Star lost its bulk sales in the USSR and Eastern Europe, nearly went under, and tain circumstances — because of their ideas, appealed frantically for funding from the trade unions in order to survive the model of “socialism” they took as their resenting things to the labour movement, guide from Stalin’s Soviet Union, and be - doing public relations work for those who savagely exploited and oppressed the work - cause of the military discipline of their organ - the Battle of Cable Street in 1936 was pre - to side with the Morning Star faction, which ing class in the USSR and Eastern Europe. isation – have played the role their counter sented as the CP’s work. In fact the decisive has at least a pretence of some sort of work - But now the Russians have pulled the plug parts played in Eastern Europe, that is, help role was played by the local Independent ing-class concerns, it would be a mistake. on the Morning Star . In the ‘70s and ‘80s it set up and staff an anti working-class Stalin - Labour Party and others, and the Daily There was a Russian revolutionary called used to sell more copies to East European ist tyranny. Worker initially called on its readers not to try Helphand, known as Parvus, who worked governments than to people in Britain. Today, Erich Honecker, the East German dictator, to stop the fascist march! with the Bolsheviks, Rosa Luxemburg and there are different governments in Eastern was also once a “good militant”, an activist You’d think that the ‘30s was all “anti-fas - Trotsky before 1914. Then he became a Europe, and the Russians have cancelled from early youth who spent 12 years in cist”. Not only was the fact omitted that the shameless war profiteer, accumulating vast most of their quota of Morning Stars’ . Hitler’s jails and camps; so were most of the German CP, in its ultra-left period of the early wealth. Gorbachev has all the friendly press cover - others who staffed the East European tyran - ‘30s, sometimes collaborated with the Hit - After 1917 he wanted to help the Russian age he needs, thank you, Mr Chater [then MS nies at various levels for 40 years. lerites against the Social Democrats (the “so - Revolution, and approached Lenin and his editor], from the Sun to the Financial Times ; he It is a tragic story — the British chapter of cial fascists”), but also the fact that the CPs, one-time close friend Trotsky. Hard-pressed, doesn’t need your wretched little paper any “The Great Betrayal” of the hopes and sacri - and the British among them, made pro Hitler they still refused to accept his “help”. “Clean more. fices of God knows how many millions of propaganda during the Hitler-Stalin pact hands are necessary”, they told him. would-be revolutionary socialists by the (1939-41), presenting Hitler as the peace-lov - The British labour movement needs a daily agents of the rulers of the Soviet Union. RESCUE ing victim of Anglo-French imperialism. paper — but a clean paper, not a paper that It is also the story of the self betrayal, the A surprisingly large number of respect- Both Tony Chater ( Morning Star editor/ has swum in filth and, yes, blood, for over semi-religious self hypnosis, of people who worthy labour movement people have CPB) and Arena’s “reporter” Campbell ( Marx - half a century. There is no way to wash the should have known better, and who with given their support to the Morning Star’s ism Today ) called each other Stalinist when it Daily Worker / Morning Star clean. some part of their minds, at least some of the appeal for money to put itself on a new came to discussing the split in the early 80s. The best contribution the Morning Star time, must have known better. It changed, and independent basis. Are they right? Both are right. can make to the renewal of socialism is to corrupted, and destroyed them, in almost all Should socialists try to rescue the Morn - You could see it in Campbell perhaps most stop publishing and disappear. cases, completely. ing Star ? clearly, despite her SDP politics. There was a People who set out to fight for socialism Arena (BBC2) surveyed the Morning Star’s great deal of sloppy ignorance, but also a per - • Socialist Organiser 450, 31 May 1990 found themselves instead serving Russian 60 year history. The reporter was Beatrix vasive desire to prettify the awful history. foreign policy. People who set out to be rev - Campbell of the Marxism Today faction, which One reason why so many of these people all olutionaries found themselves instead far to split with the Morning Star some years ago over the world — have become liberals, or the right of the right wing of the Labour and is venomously hostile to it. worse, is that they can’t confront the real past Party. Campbell — whose politics are more SDP of their own movement and critically re-eval - In the 1930s, the Communist Party’s Popu - than anything else – presented a sloppily dis - uate it. lar Front meant Liberal-Labour coalition, honest and ignorant survey of the last 60 Stalinism was, to them, something work - and, as Trotsky pointed out, even the Labour years. It included a characteristically dishon - ing-class, a sort of party sectarianism, a Party right wing were not as right wing as est, but surprisingly romanticised, account of “class-ist” narrowness. Campbell defined the that. In the ‘40s the Popular Front was broad - the CP of the 30s, and a tendentious and one 1980s debates and split in the CP as a matter ened to include “Progressive Tories”. sided account of the faction fight — in which of devotees of class struggle versus people People ignited by injustice to fight capital - she was prominent — which split the CP in who wanted to base themselves on “all ism at home and abroad found themselves the ‘80s. human life”! Like millions in Eastern Europe, defending injustice all across the world wher - The worst of Arena’s account of the CP and but with no comparable good reason, they ever Stalinists ruled. the Daily Worker was the selectiveness and see liberalism as the alternative to Stalinism Arabs Jews and Socialism: The socialist People who were propelled to fight capital - fuzziness of the general history. Campbell – to themselves. debate in the 1980s and 90s on Israel and ism because they could see the grotesque talked about the Bolsheviks establishing Stalinism was socialism. They were “social - Palestine, and the development of Workers’ capitalist social authoritarianism at the core “People’s Power” in 1917. And then they ists”, now socialism is utopian nonsense! Liberty’s ideas . of formal parliamentary democracy were formed the Communist International under They move away from their history, rejecting We recently reprinted this pamphlet, with trained to call black white, totalitarian dicta - that grand old slogan, “People of the World it, while continuing to prettify it. an additional introduction by Sean torship democracy, and the fight for democ - Unite!”, didn’t they, Ms Campbell? So should socialists help, and maybe res - Matgamna. racy in the Soviet Union a “petty bourgeois The left wing mobilisation to stop the fas - cue, the Morning Star ? Tempting as it may be £5 cover price, £6.20 including postage. deviation” or “Trotsky-fascism”. cists marching into the East End that led to Workers’ Liberty @workersliberty FEATURE 13 Banning hijab in schools

segregation and subordination of women.” We also fight to make schools spaces free does happen, but normally it is women over By David Pendletone And this representation and embodiment from oppression. We recognise that often this 14. Young people who choose to align them - I will be moving a motion for a ban on the of women’s oppression, defining women and means pressurising the government to inter - selves with reaction in the misguided belief hijab in schools up to Key Stage 3 at the girls as the property of men, is increasingly vene into schools. Recently we have seen this it is rebellion must be dissuaded. Where their Workers’ Liberty conference in December. being worn by girls in primary school. The in the partial victory of the long running cam - decision has an effect on others, as the wear - I want to explain why. notion that girls under 11 must dress mod - paign to improve Relationship and Sex Edu - ing of the hijab clearly does, they must be The hijab isn’t just a piece of clothing, or estly or else risk arousing men is particularly cation (RSE) in schools and to include LGBT+ stopped. even just a piece of religious clothing. It has abhorrent. The notion that any problem here education as part of this. Another argument made is that the effect strong political connotations with religious is the woman or girl’s fault is a version of of the ban would be that these girls and conservatism. It is closely associated with the “she was asking for it” argument. HIJAB women would leave non-faith schools and go notion of modesty, a sexist modesty which The hijab is not equivalent to a mini-skirt In terms of the hijab, we should make pro - to Muslim schools where they can wear the means women have to cover up to avoid (no matter what the sexist societal pressures paganda and campaign for the govern - hijab. Many of the reforms we fight for re - arousing men. Martin Thomas correctly that maybe on women to bare their legs), let ment to ban it in schools up to Key Stage quire additional actions to ensure they are ef - wrote in 2003, during a previous discussion alone a hoodie. It is a political symbol. We 3 (up to age 14). fective. For instance, tax the rich will not within Workers’ Liberty: cannot accept the hijab becoming the norm in We should not campaign for individual work without capital controls and increased our schools and thus allowing within them school workers or individual schools to pur - attempts to stop the bosses avoiding tax. ‘the segregation and subordination of sue a ban on the hijab. That would open More tellingly, if we accepted this argu - NORM women’ (and girls). doors to abuse and reaction. We are for gov - ment we would face the same argument “Whatever it is in an individual’s mind, so - As socialists we recognise there is much when reactionaries opposed their children cially and historically the hijab is not just ernments, even bourgeois governments, act - wrong with the education system and ing to protect children against oppression doing sport, Religious Education, science or a token of religious ideas. schools as they exist. However, we also RSE. When we now consider this argument “It represents and embodies women’s op - and in favour of allowing them to be fully recognise the immense potentially liberating able to partake in education. in the light of the protests over the new RSE pression. It defines the woman or girl who power of schools. We fight for them to allow curriculum it clearly falls apart. wears it as the property of the men (father, The argument has been made that some the pupils and students within them to find radical young women from Muslim back - I hope no-one would suggest sacrificing brothers, husband) to whom the right to see other potentials than the ones that their fam - RSE to avoid school withdrawals. her unveiled is reserved. Wherever it be - grounds choose to wear the hijab as an act of ily and their communities see as the only pos - rebellion/solidarity. This is exaggerated. It comes the norm, it is inseparable from the sibilities for them. The Internationale AWL conference By Cathy Nugent The Internationale, written by Eugene We want no condescending saviours Pottier after the crushing of the world’s To rule us from their judgement hall Workers’ Liberty’s annual conference, first workers’ government, the Paris We workers ask not for their favours where we debate and decide on our Commune of 1871, has been the song of Let us consult for all. policies and plans, will take place on 7- the world workers’ movement since To make the thief disgorge his booty 8 December. about 1900. To free the spirit from its cell Published documents so far include one Used alternately for a while as a revolu - We must ourselves decide our duty entitled, ″Leading the fight for a new re - tionary hymn with the Marseillaise, a song We must decide and do it well. grouped internationalist left″. This argues, of the 1789-94 French revolution, it has been ″This left needs to clarify the political sung across the world. It was officially Chorus... lessons of the last 10 years of austerity, and adopted by the world socialist movement the mis-steps of the Corbyn movement. (the Second International) at its Copen - The law oppresses us and tricks us, Bigger political questions underpin those hagen congress in 1910. Wage systems drains our blood; debates: the limitations of social democ - It was the anthem both of the Bolshevik The rich are free from obligations, racy, the renewed influence of Stalinism, soviet state, and of the Communist Interna - The laws the poor delude. the fight to make Labour an independent tional when it was a revolutionary move - Too long we’ve languished in subjection, workers′ party (which should oppose ‘pro - ment. It was sung by demonstrators against Equality has other laws; Climate Pamphlet gressive alliances’ with the Liberal Stalinism in Tienanmen Square in China in “No rights”, says she “without their duties, Democrats), consistent democracy on inter - 1989. No claims on equals without cause.” The urgency of tackling climate change national questions, and the importance of There are many English-language ver - makes serious strategy to halt it only democratic culture.″ sions. This one, by Charles H Kerr, pub - Chorus... more important. The background to this debate — the lisher of the International Socialist Review , The third edition of our pamphlet, “For shift to the right in the wake of the Brexit was printed in the ISR of June 1917. It seems Behold them seated in their glory workers’ climate action: climate change, crisis and industrial struggles at a low ebb originally to have been made around 1900. The kings of mine and rail and soil! capitalism and working class struggle”, — are not propitious. Nonetheless the left What have you read in all their story, The Industrial Workers of the World, December 2018, offers such strategy. is beginning to sober up and address the the great revolutionary syndicalist move - But how they plundered toil? problems we collectively face. ment of the early 20th century, used this Fruits of the workers’ toil are buried This is a collection of articles and Documents are commissioned by our translation with slight amendments. In the strong coffers of the idle few reviews on the fight against climate National Committee or are brought to con - In working for their restitution change, capitalism and on the role of ference by any member. Other documents Arise ye prisoners of starvation The men will only ask their due. workers’ organisation and struggle in up for debate will be ″Perspectives on Is - Arise ye wretched of the earth that. rael-Palestine″, ″Marxists and climate For justice thunders condemnation Chorus... The 2018 edition adds a new change″, ″Feminism Today″, ″How to as - A better world’s in birth! introduction, several new book reviews, sess Universal Credit″ and ″Secular Educa - No more tradition’s chains shall bind us Toilers from shops and fields united an article from our 2017 bulletin at Ende tion and the Hijab″. Arise, ye slaves, no more in thrall; The union we of all who work; Gelände, and our 2018 Labour Party We will be publishing these documents The earth belongs to us, the workers, The earth shall rise on new foundations conference motion and debate in Solidarity and on our web - We have been naught we shall be all. No room here for the shirk. site in due course. How many on our flesh have fattened! 40 pages A4. Cover price £3. With UK All members are expected to attend the Chorus : But if the noisome birds of prey postage £4.20. Cheap rates for bulk conference and have their say and vote on ‘Tis the final conflict Shall vanish from the sky some morning orders. the policies. We also invite supportive com - Let each stand in his place The blessed sunlight still will stay. rades, friends and international delegates The Internationale •Buy at workersliberty.org/climate- to observe and speak in the debates. Shall be the human race. pamphlet Please email office@workersliberty to find out more. More online at www.workersliberty.org Workers’ Liberty @workersliberty Where we stand

Today one class, the working class, lives by selling its labour See you next year! power to another, the capitalist class, which owns the means of By Vicki Morris You will laugh and cheer as Ja - portant fronts in the fight against production. nine successfully confronts and cancer: The capitalists’ control over the Janine Booth has written about overcomes each obstacle in the way • Prevention, through ending economy and their relentless drive her experience in her new book of being cured. (To be honest, it’s a poverty, improving education in - to increase their wealth causes The Big J vs The Big C: Issues, wonder she’s still standing.) You cluding around self-care, extending poverty, unemployment, the Experiences and Poems in the probably won’t cry because, well, checks and scans. blighting of lives by overwork, Battle Against Breast Cancer , it’s just not that kind of book, al - • Nationalising the pharmaceuti - imperialism, the destruction of the charting her diagnosis and treat - though you can tell that Janine cal industry, rebuilding the NHS, environment and much else. ment for breast cancer. probably did at points on her jour - including primary care. Against the accumulated wealth One in two people will develop ney, not least when she remembers • Strengthening trade unions, to and power of the capitalists, the cancer during their lives. The in - friends and comrades whom cancer ensure workers can exercise their working class must unite to creasing incidence is mainly a re - did take. rights, and uphold health and struggle against capitalist power sult of more people living longer. Whatever cancer you or your safety at work. in the workplace and in wider Cancer was something that peo - loved ones face, you will doubtless Janine relegates fund-raising society. ple were ashamed to mention, en - come to appreciate the NHS more charity fun runs and the like to a The Alliance for Workers’ dured by a silent minority in than you ever did before, at the minor, supporting role, even Liberty wants socialist revolution: private, but now is more openly same time as not being able to over - though they are probably the first collective ownership of industry talked about. look the strain it is under: stressed thing people think of in the war on nurses, delayed appointments, lost cancer. and services, workers’ control, There are many different cancers, cer in February and was dead by and a democracy much fuller than some eminently survivable, taking blood tests, etc. Janine Booth’s tour One in four people survived can - April. Yes, it does make you shud - to promote her book is, rightly, ti - cer in the 1970s, two in four survive the present system, with elected different treatments to cure them or der. representatives recallable at any keep them at bay. Yet some cancers tled “The Big J (and the NHS) vs today, current projections say three Whatever cancer you might get, The Big C”. in four will survive by 2034. As so - time and an end to bureaucrats’ are untreatable, some incurable. I however lucky or unlucky you are, and managers’ privileges. was diagnosed five years ago with Also deserving an explicit hat-tip cialists we aim to liberate human you cannot evade the stress and is science per se – Janine has society and inventiveness to pre - We fight for trade unions and an “indolent” (slow-growing) lym - sadness involved in a diagnosis. the Labour Party to break with phoma, a type of blood cancer. (In - scathing passages on its enemies: vent and cure more illness, distress And any treatment is gruelling, quackery and religion. Another to and disease. Let’s aim to decrease “social partnership” with the dolent? It can take as long as it and fraught with the possibility of bosses and to militantly assert sodding well likes as far as I’m con - civil society in the form of the innu - the incidence of cancer, and im - complications and side effects. merable charities, support groups, prove that survival rate for those working-class interests. cerned.) Janine tells her story through It’s incurable, but chemo can put etc, that work in tandem with the who are unlucky enough to get it. fast-paced narrative, puns (lots of The ideas in Janine’s book can In workplaces, trade unions, it back in its box when it gets too NHS to humanise the medical ex - puns), poems, and informative, provide a great basis and inspi - and Labour organisations; lively. Until chemo doesn’t work perience of cancer and empower highly relevant digressions on top - ration for our campaign. among students; in local any more... Still, as cancers go, I got the patient and their families and ics such as the workplace rights of friends. campaigns; on the left and in lucky with mine. Not like the poor the cancer patient and the unwel - wider political alliances we bastard working in the local shop, Interwoven throughout her •More info: janinebooth.com come roles played by private book, Janine describes the most im - stand for: who got diagnosed with throat can - medicine and Big Pharma. • Independent working-class representation in politics. • A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the labour movement. • A workers’ charter of trade Schools dispute shows union rights — to organise, to strike, to picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. • Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, effect of anti-union laws education and jobs for all. • A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. Full children. We know the tests harm equality for women, and social By Duncan Morrison, children but that is not, according provision to free women from Assistant District to the law, a legitimate reason to domestic labour. For reproductive Secretary, Lewisham NEU boycott! justice: free abortion on demand; The anti-union laws have cut the right to choose when and What effect have the anti-union across and hindered our campaign whether to have children. Full laws had on the campaign to in other ways. Before even thinking equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual boycott high-stakes testing in of an actual legally-valid ballot on and transgender people. Black primary schools? whether to boycott, the union or - and white workers’ unity against As the mover of the successful ganised an “indicative” ballot on racism. motion at National Education the issue. The motivation was to • Open borders. Union (NEU) conference which ensure that we can get through the Our pamphlet , The German • Global solidarity against called for the union to ballot for a thresholds introduced by the last global capital — workers Revolution , has Luxemburg’s boycott of high-stakes testing in tranche of anti-union laws in 2016 major articl es from 1918-9 . everywhere have more in primary schools, I was invited to in any formal ballot. common with each other than the national working group on the Those thresholds are as follows. They span from when the with their capitalist or Stalinist indicative ballot. A majority of the members you are 1918-9 German revolution rulers. At the first meeting of the work - balloting must vote. In schools, be - began, and her release from • Democracy at every level of cause we are considered an impor - jail, through to her murder by a ing group, we had a session ad - uary to give us a live ballot at the society, from the smallest tant public service, we have to get dressed by the union lawyer. She right time. Social Democratic government workplace or community to global “yes” votes not just from a majority pointed out that we could not bal - All those factors added up to protected right-wing militia . social organisation. of those voting, but also from 40% lot our members to boycott the tests hamstring school workers who Paul Vernadsky’s introduction • Equal rights for all nations, of members balloted to vote “yes”. on the grounds that they do harm wanted to stop doing something tells the story of the German against imperialists and predators To call action we need more of a to children. That would make the about what was causing a huge revolution and discusses big and small. mandate than any government in action political and thus illegal. amount of suffering and distress to findings of recent scholarship • Maximum left unity in action, Fortunately, there were issues recent history has achieved. and openness in debate. many of our children. on it. over workload and professionalism In addition, because of the time We must insist that a Labour around the tests which meant that frames imposed by the 2016 anti- 56 pages A4. Cover price £5. If you agree with us, please Government scrap not only the With postage — non-UK £7, UK we could get a legal ballot. But it is union laws, the union felt that to SATs, but also all high stakes take some copies of Solidarity astonishing that we are not allowed ensure we could boycott the most £6. Cheap rates for bulk orders. to sell — and join us! testing in primary schools, and as a union to get our members to significant tests in May we had to all the anti-union laws. Buy on line at bit.ly/rl-gr collectively stop inflicting harm on ballot in December and early Jan - REPORTS 14-15 PCS strikers and climate strike

John M oloney

PCS Assistant General Secretary (personal capacity) PCS is supporting the 20 September climate strike. Our members on strike at the De - partment for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy in London and Workers’ Liberty Australia Issue in HMRC on Merseyside will use 72 (Spring 2019) is out now want to just have a policy that says terms and conditions. We want to As the political situation devel - their picket lines on that day to workersliberty.org/oz we oppose climate change; we discuss this with other unions and, ops, our National Executive Com - raise issues around climate change, need to organise around it as a class once it’s complete, we hope to pro - mittee meets on Tuesday 17 and will march from their pickets issue. pose it collectively to the Labour September to discuss our response. to city centre mobilisations in sup - The other initiative we’re pursu - Party as something we’d want We already have a policy support - port of the climate strike. ing is a cross-union discussion them to implement in government. ing the election of a Jeremy Corbyn We’ve encouraging branches to aimed at properly developing the One of my election pledges was led government, but the NEC will undertake as much activity as pos - meaning of a “just transition”. to develop a culture in the union discuss exactly what this will mean sible on the day and there is a wide There’s still a lot of confusion about where groups of members were en - in practise, in terms of how we en - range of activities planned across this idea, with some in unions like couraged and facilitated in taking gage with Labour’s election cam - the country. Unite and GMB believing radical industrial action, and I’m pleased paign. That NEC meeting We want to organise around cli - action to combat climate change to see there’s a growing fight back hopefully will also discuss Brexit. mate change as a workplace issue, will lead to their members in the across the union with around 16 With Boris Johnson lurching and are supporting our negotiating energy industry, for example, being live disputes, and more to come. towards authoritarianism and in - reps to bargain with civil service put out of work. There’s a steadily growing mood to timating he may defy the law to departments and other employers We want to develop a piece of confront workplace issues head on ram through no-deal, we need to over climate change issues, legislative policy that maps out and take action. The union needs to be clear with our members in the whether that’s issues of emissions 40 pages A4. Cover price £4. With how the transition to a zero-carbon encourage that reflex at rank-and- civil service that they must obey and other environmental questions postage — non-UK £6, UK £5. economy would take place in prac - file level. No submission from any the law, and resist any pressure in the workplace itself, or the em - Cheap rates for bulk orders: four tical terms, including a guarantee branch to the union’s National Dis - from senior managers or minis - ployer’s wider role in terms of the for £15, ten for £35, twenty for that all affected workers will be of - putes Committee has been turned ters to defy it in order to facilitate issue of climate change. We don’t £60. fered a new job with equivalent down. I hope this continues. a no-deal Brexit. • Buy online at bit.ly/r-rebel “Worker status” for couriers! Tube vote for action on noise for both drivers and passengers. By Ollie Moore The action, which has yet to be By Zack, Deliveroo courier Driver members of the RMT formally named by the RMT, could activist, Bristol Couriers’ union on London Underground’s see drivers run at slower speeds Network — IWGB Victoria, Central, Jubilee, and over the affected areas of track. Northern Lines have voted to Station staff in RMT at the east The California state legislature take industrial action short of end of the District Line have also has passed a landmark “AB5” strikes over excessive noise. voted for industrial action, return - bill to tighten legislation in the ing a 94% majority on a 68% restaurant, wait, collect the food, Uber and other similar compa - Drivers are demanding a perma - so-called “gig economy”, ex - nent engineering solution to the turnout. There, the dispute focuses tending basic workers’ rights to travel to the customer, and deliver nies have already stated their inten - on a spike in staff assaults which it. There have been whole after - tions to both fight the bill and argue problem of excessive noise in many who had been deprived trains. The issue is caused by noise the union says is caused by lone them. noons where I have earned well that their drivers fulfil the criteria working and short staffing. under the minimum wage. to count as independent. The battle cancelling technology fitted to In the USA, as in the UK, compa - As part of the action, workers Many gig-economy employers against denial of these basic work - tracks to avoid excessive noise at nies such as Uber or Deliveroo will refuse to attend incidents use complex incentives systems, ers’ rights is far from won in Cali - street level, which has the effect of falsely categorise most of their alone and only work from a place performance-management style fornia, even further in most other forcing the noise into the cabs, workers as “independent contrac - of safety. usage of stats, and the ever-present places. where it becomes unbearably loud tors”. This deprives us of basic threat of having your contract “ter - A lot of waffle is chatted about workers’ rights such as minimum minated” to behave every-bit like the “gig economy” as something wage, holiday pay, a pension, and an employer and boss. supposedly very new and different. collective bargaining rights. The IWGB and other unions in the In the not-so-distant past, most number of workers with such jobs Ready meal workers ballot gig economy in the UK have con - work was very precarious, not dis - has more than doubled in the last sistently fought — including in the similar in the important respects three years, to around one in ten worked out as just 6p an hour more courts — that we should have from today’s gig economy. Workers By Will Sefton working-age adults. and was still below the national liv - “worker status”. A legal case organised against that, won im - Companies, when attempting to ing wage. against Uber was successful. Days proved working conditions, pay, justify this miscategorisation, spout Workers at Bakkavor, an interna - Now the sites in Park Royal, before the court-case against them, and security, and won legislation to hackneyed phrases about allowing tional manufacturer of ready West London, are set to ballot. Deliveroo added a bogus clause protect them. our “flexibility”. This flexibility is meals, dips and other products Workers there are mainly from Gu - giving us the right to “substitu - The “gig economy” is simply an - seriously exaggerated, plus, flexi - for supermarkets, are taking part jarat, Sri Lanka and Goa, and tion”, to hire others to perform the other implement in the bosses’ bility would be fully compatible in an indicative ballot over the mostly women. Around 4000 work - work on our behalf. Management toolkit to bypass those hard-won with correct categorisation and derisory pay offer from manage - ers are employed across three fac - have won, for now. rights. We fight them within those workers’ rights. ment. tories and one warehouse. The AB5 bill places tighter condi - terms of reference, as with our Flexibility counts for little for a The GMB has been running a Bakkavor is not well known, tions on what classifies as an inde - strikes for higher pay, and we fight Deliveroo motorcyclist having to campaign for an additional £1 per but its products are in every su - pendent contractor, places the to close that loophole and break work 70 hour weeks, week-in hour with workers rejecting the permarket. The company was at burden of proof on the “employer”, that tool. week-out, to cover costs and make companies offer which falls well the centre of the “hummus cri - and strengthens the ability to sue The rest of the labour move - a living, because of low pay and below that twice. sis” (bit.ly/hum-cri) of 2017, companies for infringement. ment and Labour party can and high costs. We are paid, not per Workers in Scotland have previ - when large amounts of hummus Unions and workers there are must help us win this basic hour, but per delivery, sometimes ously taken action earlier this year were recalled and shelves were rightly celebrating at the shrinking struggle. earning as little as £3 to travel to a after rejecting a pay rise that left empty. of this loophole. SolidaFor a workers’ giovertnment y No 517 18 September 2019 50p/£1

Standing Together protests against Netanyahu

Netanyahu renews West Bank grab threat

In other statements, Gantz and the announcement, Islamist groups citizens and dispossession and dis - Israel, including sanctions in the By Ira Berkovic other “opposition” figures such as launched rocket attacks against Is - enfranchisement for Palestinian forms of arms embargoes and the In advance of new elections due Ehud Barak, the former Prime raeli targets. Many believe annexa - subjects. withholding of aid. to take place on 17 September, Minister who now heads the tion will lead to an upsurge in A two-states programme — the But what it fundamentally re - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin would-be leftist Democratic Union violence. demand for a genuinely indepen - quires is social upheaval within Is - Netanyahu has announced new coalition, have indicated they dent, viable Palestinian state in rael itself, and a breaking of the plans for the annexation of could accept some form of annexa - TWO STATES contiguous territory — in fact ac - Israeli-Jewish working class from Palestinian territory, pledging to tion. Much has been written about quires a renewed radicalism in the ideological commitment to the Is - annex a big chunk of the West Should he win the elections and whether the announcement ren - face of Netanyahu’s ultra-national - raeli state’s colonial project. Jew - Bank to Israel. succeed in forming a government, ders a two state settlement — ist intransigence, as the only imme - ish-Arab groups like Standing Prior to elections in April, he an - Netanyahu may be held back from an independent Palestinian state diately practicable rupture with Together, with its commitment to nounced plans to formally annex acing on his plans by the opposi - alongside Israel — an “impossi - the status quo around which a so - anti-racism and equality of na - 60% of the land area of “Area C” of tion of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, a bility”. cial consensus could be built. Alter - tional rights combined with a focus the West Bank. The new proposal key international ally and after Certainly it is true that, should native “solutions” only become on working-class social struggle, would cut off the Palestinian Terri - whose political style Netanyahu annexation take place and be con - possible after a lengthy period of while as yet embryonic, are key to tories’ border with Jordan, and clearly models himself. solidated over a period of years, peace and security, such as a uni - affecting such an upheaval. leave cities like Jericho as enclaves However, there is no doubt that the material basis for an indepen - tary binational federation; or Socialists internationally can entirely surrounded by Israeli ter - Netanyahu’s Likud party and its dent Palestinian state could be so would require a bloody war (the Is - contribute best by protesting di - ritory. potential far-right governing part - completely atomised as to be unvi - raeli state being overthrown by ex - rectly against Netanyahu’s plans. Some, including Netanyahu’s ners have the ideological will to able. But, on the basis of current ternal force), the only conceivable We should do that on a direct and main political rival, Benny Gantz, carry out such a move. trends, any remotely progressive prosecutors of which, such as the concrete basis, not on the basis of a who heads the centre-right Blue Netanyahu has stated that “not a “one state solution” is equally “im - Iranian and Syrian states, are no reactionary maximalism than and White coalition, have dis - single Palestinian” will be granted possible”: the only “one state solu - guarantors at all of freedom for the imply no progress is possible until missed the announcement, made Israeli citizenship, meaning that tion” conceivable now is the Palestinians. Israel as such is “smashed”. We will promote direct links in theatrical fashion by Netanyahu Palestinian subjects of direct Israeli version Netanyahu is working to - Progress is only possible via a and solidarity with Standing To - unveiling a map showing the new rule will be condemned to a per - wards, an expansionist “Greater Is - radical transformation of the bal - gether and others. proposal, as an election stunt. petual second-class status. rael” with privileges for Jewish ance of forces. This necessitates in - In the immediate aftermath of ternational diplomatic pressure on Contact us Subscribe to Solidarity To: ...... (your bank) ...... (address) Account name ...... (your name) 020 7394 8923 Trial sub (6 issues) £7 o Six months (22 issues) £22 waged o, £11 unwaged o Account number ...... 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