CHARTIST For democratic socialism September/October 2014 #270 £2 End the siege Lucy Anderson MEP Europe Andy Gregg Gaza Gerry Hassan and Maria Fyfe Scotland Prem Sikka Taxation Paul Nowak Trade unions & austerity ISSN - 0968 7866 ISSUE www.chartist.org.uk CONTENTS CHARTIST FEATURES Editorial Policy Pamphlet Series The editorial policy of CHARTIST is to SCOTLAND’S NEW RADICALS promote debate amongst people active in Gerry Hassan on the big ideas from the radical politics about the contemporary 8 relevance of democratic socialism across independence debate the spectrum of politics, economics, science, philosophy, art, interpersonal relations – in short, the whole realm of LABOUR'S THATCHERNOMICS social life. 10 Ed Miliband needs to chart a new Our concern is with both democracy and economic course to win in 2015 says socialism. The history of the last century Peter Kenyon has made it abundantly clear that the mass of the population of the advanced capitalist countries will have no interest Four pamphlets on Europe, the Big Society, BETTER TOGETHER? in any form of socialism which is not Maria Fyfe on the benefits of Scotland in thoroughly democratic in its principles, Housing and Transport all available online 12 the UK its practices, its morality and its ideals. Yet the consequences of this deep attach- at www.chartist.org.uk ment to democracy – one of the greatest advances of our epoch – are seldom Order with £2 cheque from September 18th is coming - pages 8 TRADE UNIONS AGAINST AUSTERITY reflected in the discussion and debates Chartist PO Box 52751 London EC2P 2XF and 12 Paul Nowak calls for action to end the pay amongst active socialists. OR - view online at www.chartist.org.uk/about/pamphlets 13 CovercartoonbyMartinRowson Sent free to CHARTIST subscribers squeeze CHARTIST is not a party publication. It brings together people who are interested CHARTIST in socialism, some of whom are active the NEW CHARTIST WEBSITE TAX EVASION Labour Party and the trade union move- FOR DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM ment. It is concerned to deepen and New blog, features, access to Chartist publications, Prem Sikka on why Labour should adopt a extend a dialogue with all other socialists 14 Number 270 September/October 2014 unitary tax policy to stop fat-cat tax and with activists from other movements archive site and much more. Join the debate!!! dodgers involved in the struggle to find democrat- REGULARS ic alternatives to the oppression, exploita- tion and injustices of capitalism and GAZA BLOODBATH class society Andy Gregg on Israel's strategy to deny 16 LETTERS Palestinian statehood 4 Mary Southcott on Cyprus 40 years Editorial Board on CHARTIST is published six times a year BBC BIAS EDITORIAL by the Chartist Collective. This issue was Phil Vellender on how mass media 5 Blood, bombs and austerity produced by an Editorial Board consisting 18 of Duncan Bowie (Reviews), Peter Chalk, Gaza - pages 16 and 18 undermines Palestinian viewpoint POINTS AND CROSSINGS Mike Davis (Editor), David Floyd, Don 6 Paul Salveson backs an independent Flynn, Roger Gillham, Peter Kenyon www.CHARTIST.org.uk Scotland (Treasurer), Frank Lee, Dave Lister, Andy BOSNIA PROTESTS Morton (Production Editor), Mary Sheila Osmanovic reports on mass action MARGINAL NOTES Southcott, Cat Smith, James Grayson, 19 7 Keith Savage cheers Labour’s local Patricia d’Ardenne, Sheila Osmanovic and Follow us on Twitter at against corrupt elites government plans Patrick Mulcahy. @Chartist48 FILM REVIEW Signed articles do not necessarily EUROPEAN PROMISE 24 Patrick Mulcahy reviews Two Days, represent the views of the EB 20 Lucy Anderson MEP on the tasks facing One Night Published by Contributions and letters deadline for Labour in Europe BOOK REVIEWS Chartist Publications CHARTIST #271 26 Frank Lee on Piketty, Don Flynn on PO Box 52751 London EC2P 2XF EUROPE VERSUS AUSTERITY the working class; Peter Kenyon on Blair shambles Left economics and Printed by People For Print Ltd, Unit 10, Riverside Park, 7th October 2014 Emmanuel Maurel MEP and Mathieu democracy PLC; Nigel Watt on South Sheaf Gardens, Sheffield S2 4BB – Tel 0114 272 0915. Chartist welcomes articles, of 800 or 1500 words, and 21 Sudan; Jim Grayson on Rogue states; Pouydesseau on the left and the French Email: [email protected] letters in electronic format only to:[email protected] experience with neo-liberalism Mike Davis on graphic suffragettes; Duncan Bowie on Hunt’s Ten Cities Website: www.chartist.org.uk Receive Chartist’s online newsletter: send your email address to [email protected] and the Great War. Blog: www.chartistmagazine.org.uk THE LONDON RIOTS THREE YEARS ON Email: [email protected] Chartist Advert Rates: John Lea finds lessons unlearned and OUR HISTORY Twitter: @Chartist48 22 32 Sidney Olivier - White Capital, Newsletter online: to join, email Inside Full page £200; 1/2 page £125; 1/4 page £75; 1/8 page £40; 1/16 page £25; small box 5x2cm £15 Corporate taxation: page 14 causes unresolved Coloured Labour [email protected] single sheet insert £50 We are also interested in advert swaps with other publications. To place an advert, please email: . [email protected] September/October 2014 CHARTIST 3 LETTERS EDITORIAL Hope for Cyprus: 40 years on Blood, bombs & austerity ecep T ayyip Erd ogan negotiators did not travel to and Turkey. A federal bi-commu- onflicts in the Middle East have dominat- its last conference before next year’s general election won the Turkish presi- Ankara or Athens. One negotia- nal bi-zonal federation could take Problems ed the summer headlines. A quest for jus- is it likely to adopt policies that represent clear red dent ial electi on in tor wants to be the Turkish them all forward if agreed in the tice an d self determinati on l ies at th e water between it and the opposition? Without radi- August. In 1 974 there Cypriot leader rather than the near future. Exploitation of natu- of division root. Th e legacy o f the faile d milit ary cal policies to address the challenges it is unlikely was the Junta in one he is answerable to next April ral gas in Cyprus’ Economic inte rvention in Ira q reveals a broken Labour will win the necessary majority. Ath ens . They caused a coup if there are no developments in Exclusive Zone awaits a settle- at home state see mingly incapable o f creating an inclusive As Paul Nowak of the TUC argues, statistics Ragain st Cyprus Pr esi dent the talks. They met on 26th ment where profits can be shared Cnon-sectarian polity. may show an economic revival after six years of Makarios and th en T urkey i nter- August as a prelude to the 2nd or risk Turkey’s intervention. and Dominating t he whole r egion is the fate of t he stagnation but what counts is living standards and vened. In Au gust, the Turkey September leaders meeting. Compared with the rest of the abroad Palestinians and the ir strug gle for stateho od. The how people experience the economy. The reality is military s pread o ut f rom N icosia More remains of ‘missing peo- region, Cyprus could be an oasis one-sided intervention of the USA, Britain (£42m more people using food banks, growing poverty and and Kyrenia to Fama gusta a nd ple’ are being identified and of calm, sense and stability. It require military equipment sales) a nd Europe in suppl ying a society wracked by divisions between the haves Morphou. They are still there. returned to their relatives. could help to export peace. huge military stoc kpiles of advanced wea ponry to and have-nots. John Lea sees this alienation as one So much has c hanged, ye t the Some Cypriot school students Turkey knows that any better Israel makes the battle in Gaza a David and Goliath of the key unresolved problems from the riots three individua l me mories a nd collec - have spent their summer together European ambition runs through struggle. As we g o to pr ess w ell ov er 2000 years ago. tiv e propagand a trum p th e with host families in the USA, Cyprus. Cypriots know that there answers Palestinians—mainly women and c hil- The much trumpeted fall in unem- prog ress. Fac ts remai n: organised by the Cyprus is a peace dividend however cal- dren civ ilian s—have be en killed by ployment is largely a result of more Famagusta has a fenced off area, Friendship Programme, or camps culated. They are ready but cyni- than the Israeli mi litar y forces. The la nd, se a self employment and of young people Varos ha is a ghost town. The in Cyprus. Before email and the cal and tired of waiting. Their ones we’re and air block ad e has c re ated an staying in education or training. Tu rkish govern me nt ca lls the opening of the Green Line they politicians talk as if nothing has increasingly desperate situation. Andy Recent figures from the ONS show self shots in nor th ern Cypru s. couldn’t keep in contact. Now changed in 40 years. Political currently Gregg de tai ls the strate gy o f the employment at its highest for 40 years Conscientiou s ob je ction f or they can and they do. Breaking will needs to be found somewhere. Zionist s tate i n its bid to deny e ven a with 15% or 4.6 million people today Turkish Cypriot reservists is ille- down stereotypes and learning Perhaps the awful events else- given limited two-state solution as prescribed as compared with just 8.7% in 1975.