The Socialist - Help us build it with the 20-20-20 plan!

A different kind of paper

Sarah Sachs-Eldridge, The Socialist editor

Newspapers have been getting bad press lately. And largely deservedly so. The Leveson inquiry shone a light on the putrid relationship between the Murdoch press, pro-big business politicians and some police tops. The recent revelations around Hillsborough added more detail to that picture.

But the Socialist is different. The Socialist is proud that its production is not subject to the drive for profit but the drive to build the workers' movement; to create a place for debate and an exchange of ideas; to provide working class people with a voice, normally denied in the media where anti-working class politicians rant with seeming impunity; and to always try to point a way forward for the struggle. Every article produced has the aim of fulfilling one of those vital social tasks.

Our authors are not typical either. We have thousands of expert contributors - expert because they are the ones leading a strike, or working on the frontline, or fighting for rights and against discrimination, or building the struggle for a socialist alternative.

The Socialist has also been, and will continue to be, at the forefront of the campaign for a 24-hour general strike as the next step in the fight against austerity after the 20 October demo.

Where right-wing trade union leaders betrayed the 30 November strike our writers, Socialist Party members and others, aim to provide a way forward that can help to build the fight against austerity.

If this is your first time to read the Socialist we hope you enjoy it and that you will read it every week.

We hope you will add your experience and ideas to future issues - we invite all our readers to contribute, and do our best to print as much as we can, working with the Socialist Party website too.

But we also invite you to support us. This paper does not rely on any advertising revenue for its production - but we welcome support from the labour movement.

There are two key ways this can be done. Most importantly if you do not have a subscription please avail of our special demo offer. That will ensure you never miss an issue.

To Socialist Party members - and all readers - we also ask that you consider your weekly plans for selling the paper.

We have expanded the Socialist to 20 pages for this special demo issue and have had extra pages to build the campaign for a 24-hour general strike over the last few issues.

That has borne large financial cost. Please think about what you can do to ensure more workers, young people and all suffering the brutal impact of the cuts, have access to the ideas in the Socialist.

20-20-20

We are asking readers to aim and make plans to sell at least 20 copies of this 20 October 20-page special.

Everywhere there are people who are angry about austerity - if you always have copies in your bag you can provide those people with some ideas about how to channel that anger and join the fightback.

The TUC demo, the transport to the demo and the follow-up meetings will bring us into contact with many thousands. Let us know how you get on!

Special demo offer

8 issues for £5!

(Only available to first time subscribers and until 24 October)

Pay using the form in this week's Socialist or give your £5 to a seller of the Socialist, including on the demo. Two months of the Socialist delivered straight to your door for only a fiver - bargain!

Why not click here to join the Socialist Party, or click here to donate to the Socialist Party.

In The Socialist 17 October 2012:

Fighting the cuts

We want a 24-hour general strike!